The Algarve Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) opens a call for a Junior Researcher (M/F) of any nationality, including stateless candidates under an uncertain term employment contract, within Project  BIOFISH_QoL – “Integrative approach for enhance quality of live in fishing communities of the 'Bons Sinais' estuary (Mozambique) ”, with the reference 330785505, supported by Aga Khan, Network for Development and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P..

Job Summary and Duties:

The Junior Researcher will:

• Work in a team to organize and help to implement the BIOFISH_QoL project in Quelimane, Mozambique (University of Eduardo Mondlane- Escola Superior de Ciências Marinhas e Costeira). Under project PI supervision, develop the experimental design approach for data field collection, lead the Mozambique team during field surveys, contribute and supervise biological sampling and socio-economic surveys.
• Coordinate sampling surveys together with the University Eduardo Mondlane- Escola Superior de Ciências Marinhas e Costeira partner namely for fish and invertebrate macrofauna sampling (including laboratory conservation and sorting techniques for benthic fauna) and physical-chemical data acquisition and plankton surveys. Make data treatment and statistical analyses of biological, ecological and population dynamics data.
• List and develop workshops between scientists, fishing communities, and fisheries police makers with help of Mozambique partners, and in-person meetings with multiple stakeholder groups, for fisheries management and conservation.
• Work and help coordinate a multi-disciplinary team, around a good work environment, that includes undergraduate and master student’s supervision,  and researchers from university of Eduardo Mondlane.
• Develop the socio-economic assessment to measure the dependence of the local fishing villages on estuarine fisheries.
• Participate in developing reports and scientific papers.
• Contribute to capacity building of Mozambique partners/researcher (Help to develop short-term courses within the topic of the propose).

Relevant Legislation:

• Decree-Law nr 57/2016, from 29th August, altered by Law nr 57/2017, from 19th July, (RJEC).
• Portuguese Labour Law, approved by Law nr 7/2009, from 12th February in its current form.  
• Decree – Law nr 124/99, from 20th  April  in its current form.
• Regulatory Decree nr 11-A / 2017, of 29th December.
• Decree – Law nr 29/2001 of 3rd February.
• Portuguese Administrative Procedure Code

Starting Date:

The contract is expected to start in December 2018 and will only last for the necessary execution of the working plan.

Workplace:

The workplace is CCMAR (Gambelas Campus of the Algarve University, Faro, Portugal) and Mozambique – Quelimane.

Working Schedule:

35 hours per week.

Monthly Renumeration:

Gross monthly remuneration is 2.128,34€, in accordance with subsection a), section 1, article 15 from Law nr 57/2017, 19th July, and with the remuneration position at initial level predicted in article 2 of Regulatory Decree nr 11-A/2017, of 29th December, correspondent to level 33 at Tabela Remuneratória Única, approved by Order nr 1553-C/2008, 31st December.

Application Period:  

Between 31th October 2018 and 30th November 2018.

Required Profile:

For the conduct of research activities as junior researcher in the scientific field of Fisheries biology – ecology the required profile is:

1. PhD in biology, ecology or similar field.
2. Less than 5 years of post-doc research or with no scientific curriculum after the PhD in the research field that is applying for.
3. Excellent research skills demonstrated through publication record, technical reports and conference presentations.
4. Proficiency in written and spoken Portuguese and good knowledge of  English.
5. Valid driving license and being able to work for considerable periods in Mozambique Quelimane (demonstrated in cover letter).
6. A strong grasp on artisanal-subsistence fisheries, ecology-biology of marine/estuarine communities measured by  theoretical and practical experience on fisheries biology (e.g: field surveys/sampling, laboratory experience at fisheries biology level - gonadal analyses; stomach content analyses etc -, commercial/scientific cruises, advance courses in biological sampling), demonstrated by overall curricular path.
7. Statistical proficiency: data treatment and statistical analyses (univariate and multivariate) of biological and ecological data, namely in the field of fisheries-biology-ecology.

Non-compliance with any of these requirements invalidates the application. Provision of false documentation will be punished by law.

Preferable Profile:

Scuba diving course would be preferable but not obligatory

Selection Panel:

In accordance with article 13º of RJEC the selection panel is composed of Dr. Francisco Miguel de Sousa Leitão, researcher at CCMAR (President), Professor Maria Alexandra Anica Teodósio, Vice - Rector at Algarve University and researcher at CCMAR (Member); and Professor Paulo José Relvas de Almeida, Professor at Algarve University and researcher at CCMAR  (Member).

Evaluation and Selection Process:  

The evaluation is carried out in two phases, which will result in a final classification between 0 and 100 points

First Phase: Curricular Assessment

The selection is made through the evaluation of the motivation letter and CV, which will include the activity and career development plan within the subject area, and of the candidate’s scientific and professional career path focusing on the relevance, quality, and timeliness of the criteria referred to in Article 5 (2) (a) to (d) of the RJEC. The following assessment criteria, and the candidate’s ability to perform the duties required, will be considered:

CA) Scientific, technological, cultural production in the last five years, deemed most relevant by the candidate;
CB) Activities of applied research or based on practice, developed in the last five years, that the candidate considers with greater impact;
CC) Activities of extension and dissemination of knowledge, namely in the promotion of the culture and the scientific practices, developed in the last five years, that the candidate considers more relevant;
CD) Project management activities and programmes of science, technology and innovation, or experience in observation, monitoring and evaluation of the scientific and technological system or higher education in Portugal or abroad developed in the last five years. Included here are the activities of preparation and submission of applications for science, technology and innovation projects.

The period of five years referred in the evaluation criteria may be increased by the selection panel, at the request of the candidate, when justified on grounds of suspension of scientific activity for socially protected reasons, namely for reasons of parental leave, prolonged serious illness, and other situations of unavailability for work legally protected.

The candidates who are not approved in absolute merit are notified by email for the effects of preliminary hearing.

Second Phase: Interview

If the selection panel considers it necessary for the evaluation, the top five candidates with the highest scores of the curricular assessments that were approved in absolute merit will qualify for the second phase, consisting of an individual interview, either face-to-face or through a videoconference. The interview will be weighted, at most, as 10% of the final classification score and will serve the sole purpose of clarifying aspects related to the results of scientific research of the candidates.

Functioning of the Selection Panel

Each member of the selection panel will assess all the candidates in all the factors from CA to CD scoring between 0 and 100, and must present the reasons for the scores attributed. Abstention is not allowed. In the event that interviews occur, a similar procedure will be followed regarding the candidates that are called for the interview. The candidates that are not called for an interview will have 0 points in the second phase.

The curricular assessment (C) of each candidate is obtained according to the average of the criteria that is evaluated by the weights of the following formulation, expressed to the first decimal.

C = CA*35 + CB*48 + CC*15 + CD*02

The final scores (FS) of each candidate is obtained according to the average of the final results of the curricular assessment and of the interview (I) that is evaluated by the weights of the following formulation, expressed to the units.

FS = C*90 + I*10

The final classification is obtained by the average of the score of the jury members. In the event of a tie the President of the jury shall make the final decision.

The selection panel will write minutes of the meetings with a description of the evaluation and selection process including an ordered list of candidates, their classification, and the final decision. The CCMAR Board of Directors shall validate the final decision of the selection panel.

In the event that no applicant has the necessary profile, or the funding conditions have significantly changed since the announcement of this position, the selection committee reserves the right to close the call without any recruitment. In the event that the selected person does not accept the position or resigns during the contract, the jury reserves the right, upon convenience and opportunity, to assign the post to the next applicant in accordance with the ranking positions.

Application submission process and documents:

Only applications submitted through the CCMAR website will be considered: https://www.ccmar.ualg.pt/list/job. Applications are considered to be correctly submitted only after the candidate has received a confirmation e-mail from CCMAR. Applications (in English or Portuguese) should include a Motivation Letter (including a personal assessment of the relevance of the activities of the last five years for the present competition, highlighting the chosen scientific publications), copy of the candidate’s Ph.D. certificate, a detailed CV (in accordance with the requirements and selection criteria of the application), digital copies (e.g PDFs) of up to 3 relevant publications, other documents deemed as relevant for the application, and the email contacts of up to 3 referees.

Results:

The lists of admitted and excluded candidates, and the final classification list, shall be posted on the CCMAR website at https://www.ccmar.ualg.pt/list/job-closed and all candidates will be notified by email. 

Preliminary Hearing and Final Decision Deadline:

After notification, candidates have 10 working days to contest the preliminary decision. The final decisions will be announced within 90 days of the application deadline.

Disabled candidates shall be preferred in a situation of equal classification, and said preference supersedes any legal preferences. Candidates must declare, on their honour, their respective disability degree, type of disability and communication / expression means to be used during selection period on their application form, under the regulations above.

CCMAR’s non-discrimination and equal access opportunities policy – No candidate can be privileged, benefited, jeopardised or be deprived of any right or exempt of any claim in regards to descendent, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, economic situation, origin, social economy, genetic heritage, disability, chronic disease, nationality, ethnicity, territory of origin, language, religion, politics, ideology or union membership.  

The members of the jury approved this announcement on October 29th 2018.