The Iriaf announces a six-month research contract in Valdepeñas

The Regional Institute for Agri-Food and Forestry Research and Development of Castilla-La Mancha (Iriaf) has announced a call for a support research staff employment contract, for six months full-time, based at the Cersyra center in Valdepeñas (Ciudad Real). The call is formalized through the Resolution of 09/10/2026, of the Iriaf, published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha no. 203, of October 22, 2026 (reference 2026/7556). Interested parties have ten business days from the day following the publication to submit their application.

The Iriaf is a public body with its own legal personality, assets, treasury, and management autonomy, attached to the Department competent in agri-food and forestry production. It was created by Law 4/2015, of March 26 (DOCM no. 67, of April 8, 2015), which in its article 11 empowers it to enter into employment contracts charged to its budgets according to the research staff modalities of article 20 of Law 14/2011, of June 1, on Science, Technology, and Innovation.

The resolution justifies the call on the grounds that the projects supporting these contracts enjoy their own autonomy and substantivity and mostly require work of a circumstantial and extraordinary nature that cannot be handled by the permanent staff, hence the need to incorporate qualified human resources under the supervision of said staff.

One position linked to the genetic improvement of sheep milk

Annex I details a single position, Position 1, for support research staff, classified in group I and with an estimated duration of six months. Its funding comes from ERDF funds corresponding to the State Plan for Scientific, Technical, and Innovation Research 2024-2027.

The line of research focuses on the study of the individual variability of the technological properties of sheep milk for its implementation in breeding programs. Among the assigned tasks are:

• Assessment of the technological properties for the coagulation of Manchega sheep milk using a lactodynamograph and estimation of the yield for curd production.
• Development of near-infrared prediction models for physicochemical quality, color, and technological and yield properties.
• Study of heritabilities and genetic variances of technological and yield parameters.
• Study of the milk microbiome using molecular techniques and determination of casein fractions.
• Statistical data analysis, drafting of reports and scientific articles, and transfer of results to the livestock sector.

Master’s degree and electronic submission

Those in possession of a University Master’s degree in Animal Genetic Improvement and Reproduction Biotechnology, a University Master’s degree in Animal Production and Health, or a University Master’s degree in Agronomic Engineering may apply. Additionally, Spanish nationality or nationality of a European Union member state, functional capacity, and not being disqualified from public employment are required.

Applications, according to the model in Annex III (procedure 110034, SIACI code SKNN), shall be addressed to the Personnel and General Affairs Service of the Central Services of the Iriaf in Tomelloso (Ciudad Real) and may be submitted in person or electronically with an electronic signature through the electronic office of the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha. Additional information is available at the email investigacioniriaf@jccm.es and by telephone at 925 266789.

Merit-based competition with a scale of one hundred points

The selection process is resolved by competition, with the exclusive valuation of merits alleged and documented before the closing of the deadline. Annex II establishes six criteria:

• Professional experience in the areas of the position: up to 40 points (1.5 per accredited month).
• Scientific articles or conference communications: up to 15 points (2 per publication, 0.1 per abstract).
• Participation in R&D projects, technical publications, or organized activities: up to 15 points (2 per merit).
• Specific training: up to 20 points (3 per course of at least 20 hours).
• Languages: up to 5 points (5 for C1 or C2 English, 3 for B2, and 1 for B1).
• Type B driver’s license: 5 points.

The Selection Committee will be chaired by the Head of the Agricultural Research, Dissemination, and Training Service of the Iriaf, with two members holding higher degrees and the Head of the Legal Service as secretary; substitutes exist for the three positions. The committee may call for a personal interview and declare the position vacant if no candidate is found suitable. The hiring resolution corresponds to the director of the Iriaf, José Luis Tenorio Pasamón, and will be published on the Institute’s website, replacing the notification.

An administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed against the resolution before the Counselor of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development, in his capacity as president of the Iriaf, within one month from the day following its publication.

The call offers a path for labor incorporation into the regional agri-food R&D system for master’s graduates in a field—the quality and genetics of Manchega sheep milk—that is strategic for the sheep sector of Castilla-La Mancha, although limited to a single position and a duration of six months conditioned on the project’s funding.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 203, of October 22, 2026, section V (Announcements), pp. 37476-37484 (official reference: 2026/7556).