RESEARCH ASSISTANT for ESGAP Project- Environmental sustainability indicators

About the Position

The Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) is opening a competitive call for applications for one Research Assistant position to work on issues related to environmental sustainability indicators. The selected person will take part in different projects aimed at developing novel environmental sustainability metrics based on the Environmental Sustainability Gap (ESGAP) framework.

In particular, the research in BC3 implies extending the country coverage of the Strong Environmental Sustainability Index (SESI) and computing the Monetary Environmental Sustainability Gap (M-ESGAP) of European countries. To that end the candidate will acquire knowledge on environmental-economic accounting to compute composite indicators that consider (1) environmental limits across a variety of topics and (2) options and investment needed to reach environmental sustainability in the future. The research will be conducted at BC3 and in collaboration with other international research institutions.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the tasks associated with ongoing research projects.
• Work with other team members further developing the ESGAP framework and its metrics.
• Contribute to deliverables for the European Environment Agency.
• Progressively, publish peer-reviewed research in international scientific journals.

Requirements

• University Master Degree in Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences, Biology, Geography, Ecological Economics or similar, with a solid background in quantitative methods.
• Experience or interest in sustainable development and sustainability monitoring frameworks.
• Interest in the science-policy interface of sustainable development.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills (both written and oral) in English.
• Knowledge of programming languages such as Python or R would be highly valued.
• Knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) would also be valued.
• Flexibility to collaborate in existing research projects.
• Desire to work in a diverse and multi-disciplinary research environment.

We Offer

• Interdisciplinary and inspiring work environment.
• Quiet and spacious workspaces.
• Possibility of participating in internal training and activities of the centre.
• 35-hour work calendar.
• 30 days of vacation per year.

Term of Contract

Starting in early 2026, The position will be for a period of two years with a possibility for extending it for two more years upon a positive assessment of the performance.

Salary

The position will carry competitive salary, matching the academic and professional profile of the applicant, and excellent work conditions.

Location

Basque Centre for Climate Change, Leioa, Spain.

As an HR Excellence awarded institution, BC3 is committed to conciliating research and academic requirements with care responsibilities. BC3 is particularly concerned with creating equal opportunities regardless of gender identity, cultural background, race, or any other condition. We strongly encourage applications from qualified candidates from underrepresented groups.

Application Procedure

Fill the form below and upload one PDF document with the following information:

1. Motivation letter.
2. Curriculum Vitae (including contact details of two referees).

Deadline

30 November 2025 (CET 17:00).

Informal enquiries can be made to Arkaitz Usubiaga-Liaño ([email protected]) noting in the subject of the message “RA: ESGAP”.

Please consider that only applications sent through the form included at the bottom of the BC3 web page will be considered (https://info.bc3research.org/job-offers/).

Contract financed by EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY, European Union, GRANT reference 3503/B2025/EEA.60504