JUNIOR RESEARCHER (M/F) IN MARINE ECOLOGY - 1 VACANCY
Reference: CCMAR/IJ/03/2021

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 ref. PTDC/BIA-CBI/6515/2020, PARIS, “The Paris Agreement and the global redistribution of marine biodiversity”,  funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT).

Job Summary and Duties: 
The Junior Researcher will contribute for the development and execution of PARIS the project, specifically for the task: “Provide a global overview of marine connectivity across major biodiversity groups, for present-day conditions and future scenarios of global change”. 
The main duties  to perform include: 
1. To use big data pipelines developed by the team’s project to produce high-resolution (spatial and temporal) bio-physical models to estimate marine  biodiversity connectivity at global scales. This will use hindcasted data (e.g., last decade) as well scenarios of future climate change (e.g., years 2030-2100).
2. To use network analyses (graph theory) pipelines developed by the team’s project to allow connectivity visualization (e.g., between regions / countries) and depicting the major oceanographic regions and barriers.
3. To participate in the project dissemination by writing scientific papers, presentations and reports.

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 May 2021 and will only last  for the necessary execution of the working plan.

Workplace: The workplace is CCMAR (Gambelas Campus of the Algarve University). 

Working Schedule: 35 hours per week.

Monthly Remuneration: Gross monthly Remuneration is 2.134,73€, 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 no . 10-B/2020 of 20th March 2020.
Application Period:  Between march the 19th and April de 6th 2021. 

Required Profile: 
1.    PhD in the field of  Marine Ecology or  related areas.

Non-compliance with this requirement invalidates the application. Provision of false documentation will be punished by law.
 

Preferencial Profile:
It is considered preferencial to hold proven experience in the following techniques as demonstraded in the applicant CV: data analyses with R or Python applied to Ecology or similar field.  It is also considered preferential to hold experience in scientific writing in the field of dispersal and connectivity of natural populations and/or population genetics and /or  the effect of climate change on marine or terrestrial biodiversity and to have a high proficiency in written and spoken language.

Selection panel: in accordance with article 13º of RJEC the selection panel is composed of Dr. Jorge Assis, researcher at UALG/CCMAR and project coordinator (President), Dr. Maria Ester Serrão, Professor at  Universidade do Algarve and researcher at  CCMAR (member), and Dr.  João Neiva, researcher at UALG/CCMAR (Member). 
 

Evaluation and Selection Process:
The evaluation will result in a final classification between 0 and 20 points rounded up to the decimal place.

First phase: Curricular assessment
The selection will be 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 and technological 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, including experience in students supervision;
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. 

Second phase: Interview

If the selection panel considers it necessary some candidates might be interviewed. Interviews will serve the sole purpose of clarifying aspects related to the results of scientific research of the candidates. 

Functioning of the Selection Panel
The curricular assessment (C) of each candidate is obtained according to the following formulation, expressed to the first decimal.
C = CA (70%) + CB(20%) + CC(5%) + CD(5%)
Each member of the selection panel will assess all the candidates in all the factors from CA to CD scoring between 0 and 20, and must present the reasons for the scores attributed.  Abstention is not allowed.

The final result  (FS) of the applicants not called for the interview will be obtained from the average of the scores given, independently and in writing, by each jury member.

The final score (FS) of the candidates called up to a interview  will be obtained according to the average of the final results of the curricular assessment and of the interview (I), weighted as follows, expressed to the first decimal:

FS = C(90%) + I(10%)
During the assessment: abstentions are not allowed and in case of a draw the vote of the President of the selection panel decides. 

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, the selection committee reserves the right to close the call without any recruitment. In the event that the selected person does not take up the position because of failure to comply with documentary requirements or any other reason or later, during the contract,  if they resign 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) should include:
⦁    a Motivation Letter (in English) including a personal assessment of the relevance of the activities of the last five years for the present competition.
⦁    Detailed CV (in English).
⦁    a copy of the Doctoral Degree Certificate (if awarded by a Portuguese Higher Education Institution) or copy of the certificate of recognition of the Doctoral Degree by a Portuguese Public Higher Education Institution or by DGES – Directorate General for Higher Education (if the degree was awarded by a foreign University).
⦁    a declaration available in the application platform if you are unable to provide a copy of the Doctoral Degree certificate or a copy of the recognition of the Doctoral Degree certificate, as indicated above.
⦁    Email contacts of up to 3 referees.
⦁    Other documents deemed as relevant for the application.

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.

Candidates holding degrees awarded by a foreign university should have their degree recognized in Portugal no later than the date indicated in the communication of selection for the position.  Non-compliance justifies exclusion from the procedure. Information about the recognition procedures can be obtained at any Portuguese university or here. The board of directors reserves the right, upon request from the candidate, to extend the compliance period provided it does not impact negatively the programmed activities.

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 March 16th 2021.