PhD CANDIDATE (ELECTROmonoLITH_TEC)

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JOB

• Location: ICRA – Catalan Water Research Institute Foundation, Girona (Spain)
• Number of positions available: 1
• Expected start: 01/04/2026
• Expected duration of the contract: 37 months
• Annual Gross Salary: €20,000 – €44,000

JOB DESCRIPTION

ICRA is offering one PhD position in the scope of the ERC Consolidator Grant project ELECTROmonoLITH led by Prof. Jelena Radjenovic (www.electromonolith.com), Selective electrochemical separation and recovery of lithium and other metals using tailored monolith electrodes (Funded by the European Union, Horizon Europe Grant Agreement 101125304).

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them).

The successful applicant will work closely with the postdoctoral fellows and students employed at the project, as well as other researchers at ICRA working in the related fields.

The applicant will also be exposed to a multidisciplinary research environment at ICRA, have access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, and enjoy collaboration opportunities with ICRA´s international academic and industrial partners.

The key objective of the project is to develop innovative electrode materials and electrochemical systems for separation and recovery of lithium and other critical raw materials (CRMs) from complex secondary sources and waste streams. The project is thus heavily focused on developing sustainable technologies for resource recovery.

MAIN FUNCTIONS

1.- Design and synthesis of functional monolith electrodes using different 3D printing techniques.

2.- Set-up and operation of experimental lab-scale electrochemical systems.

3.- Sample analysis, including inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and other techniques available at ICRA.

4.- Data analysis and interpretation, compilation of scientific reports and publications.

5.- Attendance of international conferences.

6.- As with all PhD students and postdoctoral fellows working at ICRA, a small portion of time will be allocated to communal services such as joint laboratory cleanings, etc.

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Requirements

Field of Research or Area of ​​Knowledge:

Applicants should have a degree in environmental engineering, civil engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, or a closely related field with a good track record.

Also, if the undergraduate degree itself does not allow access to post-graduate studies,  MSc in water treatment/technologies, material science, chemistry or related areas is required.

Qualifications and Level of Studies:

Degree in environmental engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, or a closely related field.

Also, if the undergraduate degree itself does not allow access to post-graduate studies,  MSc in water treatment/technologies, material science, chemistry or related areas is required.

Abilities:

-Knowledge of water and wastewater engineering systems and/or material design for environmental engineering applications.

-Practical knowledge and skills in a technical research environment, in science and/or engineering disciplines

-Ability to efficiently learn new skills and gain knowledge within the scope of the position.

-Excellent skills in record keeping.

-Ability to attend to detail.

-Demonstrated skills in scientific report/manuscript writing.

-Excellent organisational skills.

-Ability to work effectively and independently with limited supervision, and as a member of a team.

-Self-motivated and able to resolve issues using own initiative.

-Good communication and organisational skills and ability to meet objectives within set deadlines.

Languages ​​Required:

Fluency in English language (written and oral).

Catalan, Spanish.

Experience Required:

Experience in working on alike research and development projects related to the topics of the project (i.e., material design, electrochemical systems, metal and/or resource recovery) will be positively evaluated.

desirable

Laboratory experience; international experience. Interest in pursuing a PhD would be an asset.

BENEFITS

Working conditions : Recruitment in compliance with Spanish legislation and regulations. Working people receive benefits from the Spanish Social Security System that cover illnesses, maternity/paternity leave and work accidents.

International Environment: Opportunity to join a prestigious international research institution and be part of a young and growing team.

Continuous training in a high quality environment.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND SELECTION PROCESS

All applications must include:

CV

Motivational letter

DNI or NIE (valid and with work permit in Spain). If you do not have a NIE, attach a declaration in which you undertake to carry out the necessary procedures to obtain a work and residence permit in Spain.

Academic degrees

Application Submission Deadline:

Submission of applications at ICRA – Offers

The deadline to submit the required documentation is February 27th, 2026

Selection process:

In accordance with the OTM-R principles, a gender-balanced recruitment panel is formed for every vacancy at the beginning of the process. After reviewing the content of the applications, the panel will start the interviews. A profile questionnaire as well as a technical exercise may be required during the process.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

At ICRA we are committed to maintaining and developing a work environment in which the values ​​and principles of our organization are respected and equal opportunities are promoted between women and men in each of the areas in which we operate, not tolerating discrimination by criteria of age, sex, marital status, race, ethnicity, disabilities, political tendency or sexual orientation.

The recruitment will be carried out in accordance with everything provided for in Article 15 of Royal Legislative Decree 1/1995, of March 24, which approves the text of the Workers’ Statute Law, in accordance with what establishes Article 2 of Royal Decree 2720/98, of December 18 (BOE, January 8, 1999), Law No. 12/2001, of July 9 (BOE, July 10) and corresponding rules.

The principle of equality between men and women is taken into account, in accordance with Article 14 of the Spanish Constitution, the EU Directive of 9 February 1976 and everything set out in the Agreement of the Council of Ministers of March 4, 2005, whereby the Plan for Gender Equality in the General Administration of the State is approved.

The universal accessibility of people with disabilities is taken into account, in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 1 of Law No. 51/2003, of December 2, on equal opportunities, and it is reserved 7% of the places as long as the candidates pass the selection process and can prove their disability and compatibility in the performance of the tasks, so that we will gradually reach 2% of the total workforce.

Basic information on Data Protection Responsible: Catalan Water Research Institute Foundation (ICRA); Purpose: The selection of candidates for current and future jobs offered by our organization; Rights: You have the right to access, rectify and delete the data, as well as other rights indicated in the additional information; Additional information: You can consult additional and detailed information on Data Protection on our website: http://www.icra.cat/politica-de-privacidad