Offer Description
Organization: Asociación ADROCHES para el Desarrollo Rural de la Comarca de Los Pedroches (Córdoba, Spain)
Project: MONALISA – MONitoring and Assessing prevention and restoration solutions to combat desertification in LIving labs for achieving Soil heAlth (Grant Agreement No. 101157867, Horizon Europe)
Location: Dos Torres (Córdoba, Spain)
Contract Type: Temporary / Project-based (Horizon Europe)
Job Summary
Asociación ADROCHES is recruiting a Research Technician / Case Study Leader to lead field implementation, soil monitoring, and stakeholder engagement within the Los Pedroches Living Lab under the EU Horizon Europe project MONALISA. The MONALISA initiative aims to identify, test, and scale out innovative, tailored solutions to prevent and reverse land degradation and desertification (LDD) across Mediterranean drylands.
Main Responsibilities
- Field Experimentation & Soil Monitoring: Coordinate and monitor experimental pilot sites in the Los Pedroches region (covering dehesa agrosilvopastoral ecosystems and mountain olive groves). Oversee field trials related to precision livestock grazing (GPS collars and virtual fencing), conservation agriculture (cover crops, reduced tillage), organic amendments/biochar, afforestation plots, and soil erosion control structures (albarradas).
- Data Integration & Teledetection Support: Collect in-situ soil physicochemical parameters, supervise soil sensor/datalogger networks, and assess crop and pasture yields to supply essential "ground truth" data for satellite remote sensing (Sentinel) and biogeochemical predictive models (e.g., RothC, Agricolus DSS).
- Living Lab Management & Co-creation: Act as the primary local contact for farmers, livestock owners, agricultural cooperatives (e.g., COVAP, OLIPE), and local institutions. Organize capacity-building workshops, co-design sessions, and systematically maintain the Living Lab daily logbook.
- EU Consortium Collaboration: Work closely with international academic and technical partners (CREAF, UNISS, ISPRA, Agricolus, etc.), participate in Work Package coordination meetings, and contribute to EU project technical reporting.
Candidate Profile & Requirements
- Education: University Degree (BSc/MSc) preferably in Agronomy, Environmental Sciences, Forestry, Agricultural Engineering, Biology, or a related discipline in Earth/Soil Sciences.
- Core Expertise: Background in soil science, land degradation/desertification, conservation agriculture, and Mediterranean agrosilvopastoral systems (dehesa).
- Technical Skills: Proficiency in Geographic Information Systems (GIS: QGIS/ArcGIS), interpretation of Remote Sensing data (Copernicus Sentinel series), and management of environmental sensor datasets.
- Soft Skills: Strong communication, active listening, and group moderation skills suited for working directly with rural communities, livestock farmers, and local stakeholders.
- Languages: Professional fluency in Spanish (essential for local field operations and stakeholder relations) and working proficiency in English (for EU consortium meetings, documentation, and reporting).
- Other Requirements: Residence in Los Pedroches as the job is on-site. Valid driving license (Category B), own car and willingness to travel across field sites in the Los Pedroches region.
Where to apply
Requirements
Research Field: All
Education Level: Bachelor Degree or equivalent
Languages: ENGLISH
Level: Excellent
Languages: SPANISH
Level: Mother Tongue
Internal Application form(s) needed: ANEXO_I-_SOLICITUD.pdf (English)
Additional Information
Website for additional job details: https://www.adroches.org/index.php/gdr/trabaja-con-nosotros/168-abierto-proceso-de-seleccion-de-tecnico-a-de-asociacion-adroches-proyecto-monalisa-2026
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: Non-profit Rural Development Association / Local Action Group (LAG - LEADER Program)
Country: Spain
State/Province: Córdoba
City: Dos Torres
Postal Code: 14460
Street: Calle Ronda de Los Pedroches, s/n
Contact
State/Province: Córdoba
City: Dos Torres
Website: http://www.adroches.org
Street: Ronda de Los Pedroches, S/N
Postal Code: 14460
E-Mail: cooperacion@adroches.org