JUNIOR RESEARCHER (M/F) in the area of biological sciences - 1 VACANCY

Reference: CCMAR/IJ/07/2022

Project: MARAFRICA

The Algarve Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) opens a call for 1 position of Junior Researcher (M/F) of any nationality, including stateless candidates, under an uncertain term employment contract within the research project MARAFRICA: “A network monitoring, integrating and assessing marine biodiversity data along the west Africa to understand, predict and mitigate climatic / oceanographic changes.” reference no 540316524 funded by Aga Khan, Network for Development and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. and connected activities, under the following conditions:

Job Summary and Duties: 

MARAFRICA project aims to develop a marine biodiversity data network and training program for the Atlantic coast of Africa. Duties and responsibilities of the Researcher include:

• Collaborative scientific research, production and analyses of marine biodiversity data for the African Atlantic coast;
• Marine biodiversity databases for the African Atlantic coast;
• Training and capacitation of students;

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 from January 2023, and will last only for the time necessary to complete the described work plan.

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

Working Schedule: 35 hours per week.

Monthly Remuneration: Gross monthly Remuneration is 2.153,94€, 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 Decree Law No 109-A/2021 of 7th December 2021.

Application Period: Between 07th November 2022 and 21th November 2022 at 23:59 (Lisbon time, Portugal).   

Required Profile: 

1. PhD on Marine Biology, Marine Evolution or related areas;
2. Background in taxonomy and systematics, evolution and biogeography of marine invertebrates, preferably crustaceans and/or non-indigenous species.
3. Experience in monitoring marine biodiversity, especially intertidal organisms;
4. Experience in DNA barcoding and metabarcoding using Sanger and Next-Generation sequencing technologies;
5. Fluent in modern analytical tools and programming languages (namely R, Perl and Python), expertise in use of bioinformatic pipelines and software;
6. Demonstrated experience in teaching and mentoring students;
7. Fluent in English and Portuguese;

Provision of false documentation will be punished by law.

Selection panel: in accordance with article 13º of RJEC the selection panel is composed of Professor Ester Serrão, coordinator of the project, Professor at Algarve University (President), Doctor João Neiva, researcher at UALG and CCMAR (member) and Doctor Gareth Pearson, researcher at CCMAR (Member).

Evaluation and Selection Procedure:

The evaluation and selection of applications will consider the candidate’s scientific and curricular career path focusing on the relevance, quality, and timeliness of the criteria referred to in Article 5 (2) (a) to (d) of the RJEC, as follows (scored on a scale from zero to twenty (0-20)):

CA) Scientific and technological production in the last five years, deemed most relevant by the candidate to perform the project tasks, in accordance with the value defined. The content of the scientific production is more relevant than the publication metrics, or the publisher entity. (5%);

CB) Activities of applied research or based on practice, developed in the last five years, that the candidate considers with greater impact for the tasks to perform in the project, in accordance with the value defined (70%);

CC) Activities of extension and dissemination of knowledge, namely in the promotion of the culture and the scientific practices and developed in the last five years, that the candidate considers more relevant and experience in orientation (15%);

CD) Management activities of scientific projects and programmes of research, technology and innovation, or experience in observation, monitoring and evaluation of the scientific and technological system, or higher education, in Portugal or abroad. Included here are the activities of preparation and submission of applications for science, technology, and innovation projects (10%).

Criteria CA will be classified in accordance with the scientific production presented in the CV and highlighted in the motivation letter.

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 jury may contact the candidates for any additional information or clarification.

Functioning of the Selection Panel

Evaluation (from 0-20 points) is performed through the documental assessment of the motivation letter (including a personal assessment of the relevance of the activities of the last five years for the present application), and the CV that will include the activities of the specific field and of the scientific and professional path of the applicant.

The score of each candidate is obtained from the sums of the scores of each criterion multiplied by the weights according to the formulation:

C = CA*5% + CB*70% + CC*15% + CD*10%

After determining the final score C of all candidates, each member of the selection panel will rank the candidates according to the final scores assigned to them from the highest to the lowest. This is followed by the vote to the first place and for each successive place. The position will be awarded to the candidate that receives the majority of votes. If this does not happen in the first round of voting, the least ranked candidate is eliminated, and the procedure is repeated with the remaining candidates. In case of a draw the vote of the President of the selection panel is decisive.

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 mandatory documents:

Applications must be complete and submitted through the CCMAR website 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) must include:

• A Motivation Letter (in English), including a personal assessment of the relevance of the activities of the last five years for the present application.
• Detailed CV (in English) including the activities of the specific field and of the scientific and professional path of the applicant, organized according to the evaluation criteria CA to CD.
• A copy of the Doctoral Degree Certificate.

Non-compliance with these documents/information determines the immediate rejection of 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 the assessment of all applications the jury will write a provisional minute with the description of the admission process, assessment and selection, including the list of the ordered candidates and their classification and decision. All candidates will be notified by email of the provisional decision of the jury. In accordance with article 121 of the Portuguese Administrative Procedure Code, after being notified by electronic email all candidates have 10 working days, counted from the date of dispatch of the notification by electronic email, to contest the preliminary decision sending an email to the jury of the present call.  The final decision will be validated by the CCMAR board of Directors and all candidates will be notified by electronic email within 90 working days counted of the application deadline.

Candidates holding degrees awarded by a foreign university should have their degree recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution by the time of contract signing. 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, due to a change in circumstances at the date of the present announcement, to cancel the present call without any recruitment.

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 03rd November 2022.