PhD candidate for a project about Reduction of waste from dry aged meat through strategies to m[...]

European Commission; España; Presencial; EUR 30.000 - 45.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

A leading organization is seeking a motivated PhD Candidate for a dynamic research opportunity in meat quality and safety within their Food Quality and Technology Program in Monells, Spain. The position involves engaging with innovative strategies to minimize waste during the dry-aging process and develop value-added products, contributing to sustainability in food science.

Formación

• Candidates must hold a relevant Master’s degree.
• Not to have a PhD.
• Proficiency in English is required.

Responsabilidades

• Conduct experiments related to meat quality and safety.
• Characterize physicochemical properties of meat.
• Maintain quality control procedures in the lab.

Conocimientos

Chemical lab skills

Microbiological lab skills

Analytical skills

Organisational skills

Teamwork skills

Communication skills

Educación

Master’s degree in Food Science and Technology

Master’s degree in Biological sciences

Master’s degree in Food Engineering

Master’s degree in Chemistry

Master’s degree in Physics

Descripción del empleo

Biological sciences » Biological engineering

Biological sciences » Other

Organisation/Company IRTA Department Human Resources Research Field Biological sciences » Biological engineering Biological sciences » Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Master Positions Country Spain Application Deadline 10 Aug 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37,5 Offer Starting Date 16 Oct 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

We are currently seeking a PhD Candidateto join our Food Quality and Technology Program and Food Safety and FunctionalityProgramteams located in Monells, offering a great opportunity to work in a dynamic and collaborative environment within our organization.

We invite applications from motivated candidates with passion and a strong interest in conducting research and innovation activities on the topic meat quality and safety, with a particular focus on dry-aged beef production, joining the project entitled Reduction of waste from dry aged meat through strategies to minimise microbial contamination of surface trimmings (SMART-TRIM).

The project aims to the beneficial role of microbial communities in flavor development during dry-aging, while also investigating innovative strategies to reduce trimming waste. This includes evaluating effective decontamination methods and the development of value-added ingredients or products for human consumption, thereby enhancing the sustainability of the process. Specific approaches under consideration include the use of edible coatings, essential oil-based treatments, and other decontamination techniques.

• Collaborate with the design, set-up, and running of experiments.
• To contribute to meat sample preparation, from raw and aged meat to the application of processing technologies.
• Characterize physicochemical, nutritional, and techno-functional properties of trims from dry aged meat.
• To characterise the microbiological quality of aged meat and crusts
• To maintain detailed written record of work performed, including analysis of experiment results and findings, data collection, entry and curation, advanced statistical analysis, and graph/table creation.
• To conduct literature review and drafting of manuscripts for publication in international peer-reviewed journals. To contribute to project reporting and disseminating the scientific outputs in conferences and workshops.
• Assist in maintaining and monitoring all equipment and procedures for quality control at the laboratory
• Supervise graduate and master students and seek opportunities to collaborate with other IRTA researchers, as well as other external academic partners and stakeholders.

Research Field Biological sciences » Biological engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• Candidates must hold one of the following degrees: Master’s degree in Food Science and Technology, Biological sciences, Food Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, agriculture engineer or similar.
• To be eligible to access a doctoral programme according to the requirements of Catalan universities, i.e., accrediting between 60 and 120 ECTS credits at the official university master's degree level or equivalent.
• Not to have a PhD.
• Shortlisted candidates invited for an interview must provide a certified copy of their Master’s degree and/or other relevant qualifications, along with an official academic transcript detailing the grades of all courses completed.
• Proficiency in English
• Strong teamwork skills, ability to adapt to multidisciplinary environments and a focus on professional growth and development.

Specific Requirements

• Chemical and/or microbiological lab skills.
• Knowledge of techniques related to food characterization in terms of nutritional and/or techno-functional properties (e.g. proximate composition, rheology, spectroscopy, gelling and emulsion capacity).
• Knowledge of food design, formulation, and technology.
• Good analytical and organisational skills.
• Good communication skills, proactivity, and ability to work as part of a team.
• Basic engineering, chemistry, and or physics skills.
• Valid driving licence.
• Understanding of basic statistical concepts and tools.
• Catalan and Spanish are valued.
• French is valued.

Languages ENGLISH Level Basic

Research Field Biological sciences » Biological engineering Years of Research Experience 1 - 4