IDIVAL announces a call for the position of scientific director via free appointment

The Marqués de Valdecilla Research Institute Foundation (IDIVAL) has announced, via a free appointment procedure, the filling of the executive position of Scientific Director, with a special full-time senior management employment relationship. The resolution is signed by the president of the Board of Trustees, César Pascual Fernández, in Santander on October 18, 2026, and is published in the Official Gazette of Cantabria number 204, dated October 23, 2026, in section 2.2 regarding courses, competitive examinations, and contests, with the official reference CVE-2026-8246.

The succession in scientific leadership

The call comes after the resignation, at his own request, of Marcos López Hoyos as Scientific Director of IDIVAL, agreed upon by the Board of Trustees and published in the Official Gazette of Cantabria on October 14, 2026 (CVE-2026-7961), with a resolution date of October 5, 2026. The position is now being filled through free appointment to perform the functions outlined in Article 35 of the Founding Statutes.

The resolution is based on Article 34.1 of the Foundation’s Statutes, published in the Official Gazette of Cantabria number 7, dated January 13, 2014, Article 11 of the Institute’s Organization and Operation Regulations, and the powers conferred by the Board of Trustees through an agreement dated December 18, 2024.

Requirements: doctorate and fifteen research projects

Applicants must demonstrate a top-level researcher profile in the health sector. The guidelines require:

• Possession of a university degree of Doctor.
• A minimum of ten years of experience in leading research groups in the health sector.
• At least three health research projects as Principal Investigator funded through national competitive calls, with at least one active within the last five years.
• At least three health research projects as Principal Investigator funded through international competitive calls, with at least one active within the last five years.
• Possession of Spanish nationality or falling under one of the cases for equal access provided for nationals of the European Union, spouses and descendants, persons covered by international treaties, and foreigners with legal residence in Spain.
• Not having been dismissed through disciplinary proceedings nor being disqualified from public employment.

Ten-day deadline and resolution by the Board of Trustees

Applications shall be submitted electronically through the IDIVAL employment portal (https://www.idival.org/empleo/) within ten calendar days starting from the day following the publication of the call in the bulletin. Along with the application, the DNI or document proving nationality, the academic degree, documentation proving experience and projects, the curriculum vitae, and the required responsible declarations must be provided.

The Management Directorate of IDIVAL will verify compliance with the requirements and send the list of admitted candidates to the president of the Board of Trustees. The call will be resolved by agreement of the Board of Trustees upon a reasoned proposal from the president, based on the suitability and adequacy of the curriculum, and the position may be declared vacant if no suitable applicants apply. The appointment will be published in the Official Gazette of Cantabria and the selected person must take office within a maximum of three business days.

Remuneration of 90,000 euros and renewable contract

The remuneration scheme, established in accordance with the agreement of the Governing Council of October 1, 2026, establishes:

• An annual gross amount of 90,000 euros, paid in fourteen installments, twelve monthly and two extraordinary payments in June and December.
• Up to a maximum of 36,000 euros additional in the form of variable productivity, linked to scientific objectives such as scientific production, internationalization, granted projects, funding obtained, or certifications and accreditations.
• No specific supplements or equivalent concepts, with future updates according to the General Budget Law of Cantabria.

The working day will be full-time at 40 hours per week, with a prohibition on overtime. The senior management contract, regulated by Royal Decree 1382/1985, will have a duration of one year, automatically renewable for equal periods, unless expressly terminated with fifteen days’ notice, and will include a three-month probationary period. Dedication shall be full-time and subject to Law 53/1984 on incompatibilities.

Impact on Cantabrian health research

The scientific direction of IDIVAL is the piece that organizes the research strategy of the main biomedical institute in Cantabria, linked to the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital and the University of Cantabria. The required profile—a doctorate, a decade leading active national and international groups and projects—and the variable remuneration of up to 36,000 euros confirm that the position is aimed at attracting scientific leadership with the capacity to attract competitive funding. Furthermore, the ten-calendar-day deadline leaves a very tight margin for the submission of candidacies.

Source: Official Gazette of Cantabria, no. 204, of October 23, 2026, section 2.2 (Courses, competitive examinations and contests), pages 54796-54799 (official reference: CVE-2026-8246).