Do you hold a university degree or an advanced vocational qualification (Spanish Técnico Superior de FP) and are you interested in working at a leading research institute in wastewater treatment, nature-based solutions, membrane technologies, bioelectrochemical technologies, water reuse, water quality, economic and institutional analysis, ecotoxicology, antibiotic resistance, algae and cyanobacteria, cyanotoxin bioremediation or microbial ecology?

IMDEA Water is looking for technical staff to work in the Laboratory of the Institute’s Chemical Analysis Unit. The candidates selected in this process will be put forward by IMDEA Water to the Grants for R&D&I Technical and Management Staff Contracts 2026 (PTA 2026) call of the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI).

This call funds a 3-year, full-time employment contract. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, so recruitment is subject to the grant being awarded by the AEI.

Profiles

• Analytical Technician: analysis of emerging contaminants and method development using mass spectrometry techniques. Qualifications: a master’s-level university degree in Chemistry EQF Level 7 (MECES 3) or a Higher Vocational Training diploma in Analysis and Quality Control Laboratory, Chemistry and Environmental Health.

Requirements

• University degree or Higher Vocational Training diploma, obtained no later than 10 December 2026.
• Not holding an employment contract with IMDEA Water on the application submission date.
• Not holding an active PTA contract from previous calls.
• Applying to the call only through an R&D centre.

Previous professional experience is not required, although it will be considered an asset. The call reserves a share of the grants for people with a disability of 33% or higher.

What IMDEA Water offers

• 3-year, full-time employment contract in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid).
• Minimum gross annual salary of €27,185 for university degree holders and €20,263 for Higher Vocational Training diploma holders.
• Work in close contact with research groups.
• Support throughout the preparation of the application to the AEI.

IMDEA Water

IMDEA Water works in a multidisciplinary environment across four areas: sustainable water resources management; water quality and pollution; water treatment and reuse; and economic and institutional analysis.

The institute has chemical analysis, soil, biology and microbiology, and geomatics laboratories, as well as pilot plants. In addition, its own infrastructure supplies real wastewater and groundwater from the campus to the pilot plants, enabling work under real-world conditions. More information: https://water.imdea.org/scientific-infrastructure/

What do you need to send us now?

Send your CV and a cover letter of no more than one page, stating the profile you are applying for, to (empleo@agua.imdea.org), with the subject line “Expression of Interest PTA 2026 – [full name]”. If you are applying under the disability reserve, please also attach the corresponding certificate.

DEADLINE: Friday 13 November 2026, inclusive, although we recommend sending your documents as soon as possible.

What happens next?

By Wednesday 18 November at the latest, IMDEA Water will inform all candidates of the outcome by email.

IMDEA Water will support the selected candidates in preparing their application and will guide them through each step by email. They must keep the following dates free:

• From 24 November to 10 December 2026 (14:00): registration with the AEI and submission of the application form, together with the abbreviated CV (CVA) and the activity report.
• By Friday 11 December 2026: submission of the signed documents to IMDEA Water.

The AEI is expected to resolve the call in 2027. If the grant is awarded, the successful candidate will join within the following three months.

More information

PTA 2026 call on the AEI website: https://www.aei.gob.es/convocatorias/buscador-convocatorias/ayudas-contratos-personal-tecnico-gestion-idi-2026

IMDEA Water will process the personal data received solely to manage this process and, where applicable, the grant application.

IMDEA Water promotes equal opportunities and diversity in its selection processes.