Next-Gen Materials Traceability Researcher

Department: Unidad Transición Energética, Climática y Urbana
Location: Derio (Spain)
Working day: Full time
Sector: Real estate and architecture
Vacancies: 1
Discipline: R&D
Work modality: Hybrid

TECNALIA

Join TECNALIA !! In TECNALIA we promote sustainable growth and face the greatest technological challenges of humanity transforming them into opportunities. We help society and companies to grow through technological innovations. We are committed to gender equality, diversity and promote family-work balance policy. You will work in a highly qualified team of technological excellence, in an international and multidisciplinary environment.

Job description

We are looking for a highly experienced and skilled researcher with deep expertise in the development of next-generation high-resolution sensors, including multiphysics, spectroscopic, photonic, and other emerging physical technologies for material resource detection.

If you are passionate about leading scientific advances at the intersection of physics, engineering, and the quantum future, this is the right place for you!!

Tecnalia offers you the opportunity to work with professionals of different nationalities who form multidisciplinary teams in a collaborative and inclusive environment, where each person contributes their vision to build solutions that generate a real impact.

Your mission will be to drive innovation in sensor and system technologies for the extractive, construction, and recycling sectors from concept to validation bringing forward transformative technological perspectives that enable breakthroughs in precision, sensitivity, and scalability.

As a Next-Gen Materials Traceability Researcher you will be responsible for:

Design and develop advanced sensor architectures (multiphysics, quantum, spectroscopic, photonic)
Lead research lines exploring novel measurement principles, new materials, optical configurations, and quantum techniques in interferometry and detection
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams in construction materials, geology, electronics, AI/ML, spectroscopy, metrology, quantum technologies, and embedded systems
Participate in prototype design, system integration, and experimental validation
Evaluate emerging technologies and propose disruptive strategies to accelerate innovation

What we offer:

Becoming part of a leading research organization in Europe, with excellent opportunities for professional development
Working in an open, multi-cultural environment, contributing with creativity and rigor to research and innovation projects
Integration into a highly qualified and multidisciplinary team

Requirements

A recognized PhD or master’s in Physics, Engineering Physics, Photonics, or related fields
Demonstrable experience in high-complexity technological projects
Fluent English and Spanish
Required Technical Expertise:
- Advanced physics applied to sensing (optics, photonics, interferometry, spectroscopy, applied quantum mechanics)
- Design and modelling of multiphysics sensors (thermal, electromagnetic, optical, quantum, etc.)
- Spectroscopy techniques (Raman, FTIR, absorption, fluorescence, etc.)
- Signal processing and filtering (Fourier transforms, wavelets, physical inverse models)

Additional requirements:

Desirable Technical Skills:
- Quantum physics
- Knowledge of advanced materials (graphene, nitrogen-vacancy diamond, photonic materials)
- Machine learning algorithms for interpreting complex sensor data
- Industrial experience in translating lab technologies into market-ready products
- Advanced electronics for low-intensity signal acquisition (amplification, filtering, lock-in, high-resolution ADCs, etc.)
Desirable Soft Skills:
- Disruptive thinking: Ability to challenge assumptions and propose radically new solutions
- Scientific curiosity: Strong motivation to explore unconventional physical phenomena
- Clear technical communication: Skilled at adapting explanations for diverse audiences (engineering, business, academia)
- Multidisciplinary collaboration: Comfortable working with experts in optics, electronics, AI, and material science
- Technical leadership: Proactive in leading research initiatives and mentoring team members
- Experimental mindset: Practical, prototyping-focused, with a drive for rapid iteration and validation
- Resilience in uncertainty: Comfortable operating in domains where solutions are not predefined

This job offers you a unique opportunity to shape the future of sensing technology at the forefront of science and industry.

If you thrive in dynamic, innovative environments and are ready to make a real impact, we invite you to apply.

Apply now and let’s build a more sustainable future together.

*We will value positively applications of people with a certificate of disability equal to or greater than 33%, in compliance with current legislation, the General Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and their social inclusion (LGD)

Department: Unidad Transición Energética, Climática y Urbana
Location: Derio (Spain)
Working day: Full time
Sector: Real estate and architecture
Vacancies: 1
Discipline: R&D
Work modality: Hybrid

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