Science for policy researcher in the EU Soil Observatory
Pubblicato il 21-08-2026 - EURAXESS Ireland in Ispra
European Commission - Joint Research Centre
Organisation/Company European Commission - Joint Research Centre
Department Joint Research Centre
Research Field Agricultural sciences and Soil science / Environmental science and Natural resources management
Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Recognised Researcher (R2) Established Researcher (R3)
Positions PhD Positions
Application Deadline 5 Aug 2026 - 00:00 (Europe/Rome)
Country Italy
Type of Contract Temporary
Job Status Full-time
Hours Per Week 40
Offer Starting Date 1 Oct 2026
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description The successful candidate will conduct scientific research on developing methodologies to assess changes in soil health by advancing EU soil monitoring and indicator development. The candidate will also develop methods to assess and report the evolution of soil health against the Soil Mission specific objectives. This research will not only deepen our scientific understanding of changes in soil health but would also propose new tools as AI agents for policy support and decision-making.
In addition, the candidate would provide scientific evidence and technical advice for the implementation and evaluation of policies aimed at advancing soil health at Member States.
We offer high-quality working conditions in a dynamic environment and in a multidisciplinary and multicultural team. The JRC encourages a collaborative workplace culture and interactions with policy makers,
academics and other leading stakeholders active in the field are foreseen. The job includes participation in (international) conferences and (hybrid) workshops, as well as occasional travel.
Requirements A PhD in soil sciences, Earth sciences, environmental sciences, biology, ecology, agricultural sciences or related issues. Alternatively, a university degree in those fields and at least 5-years proven job-related experience in a field relevant to the position.
Previous research or professional experience in the field of soil indicators development, soil health assessments, soil monitoring and modelling covering at least 1 year of activity.
Extensive knowledge and experience in geospatial data processing (e.g. ArcGIS or similar open source) and database skills and programming/scripting capacity (e.g. R, Python).
Experience in developing Dashboards and composite indicators.
Experience in writing policy briefs, science policy reports or technical reports relating to soil science.
Excellent knowledge of oral and written English (C1).
Desirable assets
Machine learning, deep-learning, artificial intelligence, advanced statistical inference.
A solid record of research activities, including relevant publications in international peer-reviewed journals.
Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent
Research Field Environmental science and Natural resources management
Years of Research Experience 4 – 10
Number of offers available 1 | Company/Institute European Commission - Joint Research Centre (JRC) | Country European Union | State/Province Italy | City Ispra | Postal Code 21027 | Geofield