#4791

Public Notice - International Selection Procedure

Recruitment of  a Research Technician  with a Master Degree (employment contract)

FCiências.ID/2024/ MARE/7

FCiências.ID - Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências, through its Chairman of the Board of Directors, hereby announces the opening of an international call for the recruitment of  a Research Technician  with a MSc Degree, of the FCiências.ID Science and Technology Management Career, within the scope of the project EÓLICAS OFFSHORE: Specialized services in the Study of abundance, spatial distribution, and diversity of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and demersal fauna communities (Ref. CPS58/2024), financed by National public entities (IPMA, I.P), in the form of a(n) full-time   indefinite duration fixed-term employment contract , according to the Portuguese Labour Code and complementary legislation.

I. Admission Requirements

Portuguese nationals, foreign and stateless persons may submit applications to this selection procedure, with a MSc degree* in Biology or similar areas, and fully comply with the following requirements:

1. The Master's degree must have been awarded within the past three years;
2. Expertise in marine community ecology (fish and/or invertebrates), including functional community ecology - information provided in the CV and/or in the motivation letter;
3. Knowledge on habitat mapping techniques and spatial analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - information provided in the CV and/or in the motivation letter;
4. Competence in programming languages, preferably R - information provided in the CV and/or in the motivation letter.

* Please note that Degrees obtained in foreign countries need a Portuguese Recognition issued by a Portuguese high degree Institution, according to the Decree-Law nr. 66/2018, of August 16th and the Ministerial Order nr. 33/2019, of January 25th. The presentation of such Recognition is mandatory for contract signature. More information can be obtained in: https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/pagina/degree-and-diploma-recognition.

II. Preferential Requirements

1. Experience in laboratory R&D activities, including the identification of marine fish and/or invertebrate species - information provided in the CV and/or in the motivation letter;
2. Expertise in modelling and preparing environmental data to analyse spatial and temporal patterns - information provided in the CV and/or in the motivation letter;
3. Expertise in image analysis, preferably video-based, for extracting information on marine communities - information provided in the CV and/or in the motivation letter;
4. Demonstrated experience and/or strong motivation to participate in research campaigns aboard research vessels, - information provided in the CV and/or in the motivation letter;
5. Capability to work independently while receiving guidance from project researchers or academic supervisors, as reflected in recommendation letter;
6. Fluency in Portuguese and English (written and spoken) - information provided in the CV and/or in the motivation letter.

III. Applicable Law

1. Portuguese Labour Code, as approved by Law No. 93/2019, of September 04th, in its current version (CT);
2. Administrative Procedure Code, as published in Decree-Law No. 4/2015, of January 7th, in its current version (CPA).

IV. Work plan

The PRR C21-i07_01 project (hereafter PRR EÓLICAS) aims to perform a comprehensive environmental characterization of areas designated for offshore wind energy infrastructure, as defined by the Ocean Renewable Energy Allocation Plan (PAER) in mainland Portugal. These studies are intended to provide critical insights for the development of offshore wind farm projects and establish a reference framework for future environmental impact assessments.

The research will focus on various aspects, including the chemical characterization of the water column and sediment, circulation patterns and larval dispersion, primary and secondary productivity, and the ecological dynamics of marine benthic, demersal, and pelagic communities. It will also examine birds, mammals, reptiles, biodiversity, trophic interactions, ecological quality, and the conservation status of vulnerable ecosystems and species. Furthermore, the studies will assess the relative importance of fishing activities in the proposed wind farm areas.

The research will integrate historical and bibliographic data with new data collected through regular monitoring campaigns conducted by IPMA and project-specific campaigns. Data will be managed, stored, and visualized using the SOMOSATLÂNTICO and GIS platforms provided by IPMA.

The Work Plan and activities for the position are:

- Collaborate with the project team in planning and conducting sampling campaigns aboard research vessels or equivalent platforms, employing experimental fishing techniques and video collection;

- Collect and process samples of fish and invertebrates from the project’s sampling locations, including species identification, abundance quantification, and size measurements, in coordination with team members;

- Analyse video samples to characterize benthic communities and identify sensitive habitats (image analysis);

- Compile functional information for sampled species across various taxonomic groups (e.g., fish, invertebrates);

- Contribute to the development of project indicators, including:

(i) Taxonomic and functional structure/composition of communities;

(ii) Dominance patterns and abundance/biomass metrics in taxonomic and functional communities;

(iii) Abundance/biomass of key indicator groups or species;

- Assist in drafting project reports and contributing to the dissemination of results

V. Composition of the Jury

The members of the jury are:

• President - José Lino Costa (FCUL/MARE);;
• 1st Member of the jury - Teresa Moura (IPMA);
• 2nd Member of the jury - Cátia Bartilotti (IPMA);
• 1st Alternate Member of the jury - Bernardo Quintela (FCIL/MARE);
• 2nd Alternate Member of the jury - Alexandra Silva (IPMA).

VI. Place of work

Work will be developed at the facilities of Research Center MARE-ULisboa – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre-ULisboa, in Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal, with regular visits to IPMA - Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere, in Lisboa.

VII. Contract Duration

The full-time  indefinite duration fixed-term employment contract , is expected to start in January 2025, and will last until the Work Plan referred to in section IV is completed. It will have an expected duration of 18 months, will not exceed the limits set in the RCD, including an initial experimental trial period of 30 days.

VIII. Monthly Allowance

 The gross monthly salary corresponds to 1.385,99 Euros, on a full-time regime,which complies with one of the Levels of the Salary Table (NTS) for a Research Technician, in step 5level 16, equivalent to the same level of the Single Remuneratory Table, as approved by Government Order No. 1553-C/2008, of December 31st, in its current version, on which legal discounts will apply, plus holiday and Christmas allowances, as well as food allowance in the amount and conditions set out for workers with a legal employment relationship under the Labour Code.

IX. Evaluation of applications

1. Failure to comply with the Admission Requirements implies the non-admission of candidates in absolute merit.
2. The final classification of candidates is given on a scale of 0 to 100%.
3. Based on the assessment of the candidates' scientific and curricular background in the last five years each member of the jury presents a justified proposal for admission (final classification equal to or greater than 60%) or exclusion (final classification below 60%) for each candidate, according to the evaluation criteria referred to in no. 4.
4. Evaluation of the relative merit of candidates, will rely on the following criteria:

• Proven experience in sampling work - 20%;
• Proven experience in sample processing and functional characterization of invertebrates and fish - 20%;
• Proven experience in spatial analysis and modelling of communities and habitats - 20%;
• Evaluation of reference letter(s)- 15%;
• Evaluation of the motivation letter - 15%;
• Knowledge dissemination activities, particularly in promoting scientific practices, organizing courses, seminars, and conferences related to the field of the call - 10%;
• Interview, if deemed necessary by the jury - 20%.

5. The jury may decide to interview the 3 best ranked candidates [in criteria a) to f) of no. 4], for clarifications and improved explanations of curricular elements. If there is an interview, the sum of the classification obtained in the evaluation criteria a) to f) will correspond to 80% of the final classification and the interview will correspond to 20%.
6. The jury shall deliberate by means of a roll-call vote based on the evaluation criteria.
7. Minutes of the jury meetings are drawn up, summarizing all relevant elements considered by jury members, as well as their individual votes and justifications.
8. After completion of the evaluation process, the jury will draw up a ranking of successful candidates with their classifications.
9. Hiring will be decided by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of FCiências.ID, based on the final jury recommendation.
10. The evaluation results will be published on the website of the FCiências.ID ("Concursos" tab). The candidates will be individually notified of the evaluation results by e-mail sent to the address indicated in the "Personal Data" section of the submitted form.
11. With the notification referred to in no. 10, the hearing phase of interested parties referred to in Article 121 et seq. of the CPA will begin, and last for ten working days.
12. The possible pronouncement of the candidate in a prior hearing must be addressed to the President of the jury and submitted in writing to concursos@fciencias-id.pt. The President of the jury will convene a jury’s meeting to produce the final decision, within thirty working days.
13. Within five working days of the final jury decision, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of FCiências.ID will approve it and the candidates will be notified.
14. The communication between FCiências.ID (concursos@fciencias-id.pt) and the candidates will be electronic and will comply with the following rules:
    1. At the time of electronic submission of any document - namely in the case of no. 12 - the candidates must generate proof of "sent message".
    2. FCiências.ID will send an email message acknowledging documents received to the email address used by the candidates, within two working days.
    3. In case of absence of a confirmation receipt by FCiências.ID – showing the possibility of technical problems that should neither be the responsibility of the candidate nor FCiências.ID - the candidates should contact FCiências.ID, with the proof referred to in point (a), to ensure delivery and proper receipt of the documents concerned.

X. Processing of personal data

1. FCiências.ID - Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências, as the responsible for processing the personal data, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation, collects and processes the personal data requested in the context the job application, under paragraphs b) and c) of Article 6.1 of the General Data Protection Regulation (RGPD).
2. The personal data shall be kept for the period necessary for the execution of the purposes for which they are intended, and the processing and protection, in an appropriate and diligent manner, of the confidentiality and integrity of such data shall be ensured through appropriate technical and organisational measures.
3. Personal data may be transmitted to third parties, namely the entity funding the research project, solely for the purposes specifically established. In this sense, whenever necessary the transfer of personal data to countries outside the European Union and/or international organizations, compliance with the applicable legal provisions shall be ensured.
4. You have the right to request access, rectification, erasure, limitation of processing, the right to object and also data portability (if technically feasible) by sending an e-mail to: dpo@fciências-id.pt. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the National Data Protection Commission.
5. For more information, we recommend that you consult the Internal Rules of Data Protection of FCiências.ID - Association for Research and Development of Sciences at https://fciencias-id.pt/.

XI. Compliance with public policies

1. FCiências.ID actively promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, so that no candidate can be privileged, benefited, disadvantaged or deprived of any right or exempt from any duty due to, inter alia, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, economic situation, education, social origin or condition, genetic heritage, reduced working capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs and trade union membership.
2. Under the terms of D.L. No. 29/2001, of February 3rd, a disabled candidate has a preference in equal classification, which prevails over any other legal preference. Candidates must declare their respective degree of disability, the type of disability and the means of communication / expression to be used in the selection process, under the terms of the above-mentioned diploma.

XII. Submission of Applications

1. The present call will be open from the 25th of November 2024 to the 10th of December 2024.
2. The application and all the required documents must be submitted in Portuguese or English.
3. Applications will be submitted online, through the electronic platform of FCiências.ID (http://concursos.fciencias-id.pt).
4. On the electronic platform, applicants will complete a mandatory section on Personal Data [name, address, date of birth, contact email, nationality and scientific identifiers] and upload files with the documents listed below:

• Detailed curriculum vitae in PDF format- mandatory;
• A motivation letter clearly demonstrating that the candidate has an adequate profile for the position and fully complies with the Admission Requirements- mandatory;
• Reference letter(s) (maximum 1) - mandatory;
• Digital copies of documents proving formal academic degrees required in the call and/or other scientific and professional qualifications - original documents must be provided in case of actual recruitment - mandatory;
• Other documents that candidates consider relevant for the assessment of their scientific merit, or to declare the personal situation in the cases covered in section XI-2 of this Notice - optional.

5. By decision of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of FCiências.ID, candidates who do not submit the documents identified in no. 4 will not be admitted to the call. In case of doubts, the Chairman may also invite candidates to substantiate specific data or statements with official supporting documents, before accepting the candidates’ submission.

This Public Note was approved by the jury on the 22th of November 2024.