We are looking for a Postdoctoral researcher to join the Sustainability in Biosystems Program team, based in Cabrils (Barcelona). We offer the opportunity to be part of an organization with a dynamic, collaborative work environment focused on professional development.

We invite applications from ambitious candidates with relevant research experience and passion to conduct research and innovation activities on crop systems modelling in the ERC-funded project ‘WILD-ROOTS’.

The main goal of the WILD-ROOTS project is to uncover how crop domestication has influenced belowground traits and processes, across a wide variety of crops and their wild relatives. This understanding will then be applied to enhance the drought resilience of agroecosystems. Our work integrates methods from soil ecology, plant ecophysiology, microbiology, and metabolomics. The candidate should have strong quantitative skills and experience with crop or agroecosystem models.

The main objective of the successful candidate will be to incorporate root and rhizosphere data into crop models to evaluate which beneficial belowground traits can be used to increase crop tolerance to drought in real world settings.

Head of the Program: Dr August Bonmatí.

Program’s key researcher/s for this position: Dr Catherine Preece.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

- To develop and apply mechanistic crop models to investigate how variation in belowground traits and processes influences crop growth and resilience under drought together with an interdisciplinary team of ecologists, plant physiologists and soil scientists.
- To develop and implement new model components where required, and parameterise, calibrate, and evaluate models using experimental datasets generated within WILD-ROOTS.
- To simulate crop performance under contrasting drought scenarios and explore the consequences of domestication-related variation in root traits.
- A collaborative research stay at Wageningen University & Research with the developers of the modelling framework is anticipated as part of the project.




- Literature review and writing of scientific articles for publication in international peer-reviewed journals.
- Assist in supervision of students working on related projects.
- Ensure timely execution of all tasks, and participate in the respective technical meetings.
- Contribute to the teamwork and team-spirit in the Sustainability in Biosystems research program, fostering collaboration and integration activities.

Required qualifications and experience

- PhD in Plant Science, Ecology, Agricultural Engineering or a related discipline.
- Proven experience with process-based plant, crop or ecosystem models.
- Strong quantitative and computational skills, with programming experience (e.g. Python, R, C , Fortran or similar).
- Experience analysing experimental datasets and parameterising or evaluating mechanistic models.
- Experience in writing high quality scientific (peer-reviewed) articles.
- Strong organizational capability and ability to learn and successfully work within multidisciplinary teams.
- Proficiency in English, both spoken and written.

Desirable requirements

- Experience with crop models such as WOFOST, SWAP, APSIM, DSSAT, STICS or AquaCrop.
- Knowledge of root ecology, root architecture, rhizosphere processes or plant or soil hydraulics.
- Experience developing or modifying existing modelling frameworks rather than solely applying them.
- Interest in linking experimental biology with computational modelling.
- Capacity to work in a multidisciplinary group, and a cooperative nature.
- Ability to work efficiently and complete tasks within agreed timeframes.




- Curiosity and energy to work independently and find novel approaches and solutions.
- Languages (Catalan and Spanish)

Advantages of joining our team:

- Contract: full-time position for 3 years
- Gross annual salary in 14 payments: 35.100,62€
- 37.5 hour workweek, with Friday afternoons off
- Intensive work schedule from 15/06 to 15/09
- 23 vacation days
- 3 days of family & work conciliation
- 45 hours of personal days
- Remote work 6 workdays per month
- Versátil Schedule for a good work-life balance.
- Continuous training and professional growth opportunities.

Please know that if you are the chosen candidate and you are from a country which does not belong to the UE, IRTA’s People Department will support you to get the residence and working permits.

Instructions to Apply

If you wish to be considered for this position and believe you meet the requirements, please submit your application through the form available at the bottom of this page.

Equal treatment and equal opportunities are guaranteed for all candidates in the selection process, avoiding stereotypes, bias or barriers linked to gender, sexual orientation, origin, age, ideology, or any other potentially discriminatory condition. The organization also ensures inclusion commitment toward vulnerable groups, and the first round of the selection process is reserved for candidates with functional diversity.

Selection Process:

Curricular assessment: The candidate’s qualifications and merits will be evaluated according to the criteria established in the job offer.

Interview(s): These will be conducted by a Selection Committee to assess the candidate’s suitability in terms of professional experience and competencies.

Additional tests (if applicable): Depending on the position profile and the needs of the process, specific competency-based tests and/or a psychometric test may be included in order to more accurately assess the suitability of the candidates.

Start of contract: November 2026 (approximately)

📌 Postdoctoral Researcher in Crop Systems Modelling for the Sustainability in Biosystems Program (Cabrils)
🏢 Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA)
📍 Cabrils