Reference: 158_26_LS_ESB_R2Job title: Postdoctoral Researcher – Protein Computational Biophysics (R2)
About BSC
The Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) is the leading supercomputing center in Spain. It houses MareNostrum, one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe, was a founding and hosting member of the former European HPC infrastructure PRACE (Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe), and is now hosting entity for EuroHPC JU, the Joint Undertaking that leads large‐scale investments and HPC provision in Europe. The mission of BSC is to research, develop and manage information technologies in order to facilitate scientific progress. BSC combines HPC service provision and R&D into both computer and computational science (life, earth and engineering sciences) under one roof, and currently has over 1000 staff from 60 countries.
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We are particularly interested for this role in the strengths and lived experiences of women and underrepresented groups to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights in science and IT research. In instances of equal merit, the incorporation of the under‐represented sex will be favoured.
We promote Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, fostering an environment where each and every one of us is appreciated for who we are, regardless of our differences.
If you consider that you do not meet all the requirements, we encourage you to continue applying for the job offer. We value diversity of experiences and skills, and you could bring unique perspectives to our team.
Context And Mission
The Evolutionary Systems Biophysics group, led by Dr. R. Gonzalo Parra at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to investigate how local energetic frustration shapes protein evolution, dynamics, and function.
This position builds on recent work exploring the evolutionary trajectories of energetic frustration from ancestral to extant proteins, combining ancestral sequence reconstruction, structure prediction, and statistical energy models.
The successful candidate will extend this research line toward a general framework linking protein evolution, energetics, and function, with particular emphasis on:
- the emergence and conservation of frustrated interactions
- the role of neutral frustration as an evolutionary intermediary
- the relationship between frustration, epistasis, and functional adaptation
The Life Sciences Department at BSC hosts a highly interdisciplinary environment spanning genomics, structural bioinformatics, and computational biophysics. The group collaborates closely with national and international partners and has access to state‐of‐the‐art HPC infrastructure.
Research Objectives
- Modeling the evolutionary dynamics of local frustration across protein families using phylogenetic and structural approaches.
- Investigating how functional sites (e.G., catalytic or interaction interfaces) emerge and are maintained as highly frustrated regions.
- Quantifying the interplay between mutations, energetics, and evolutionary constraints, including epistatic effects.
- Developing or applying machine learning approaches to predict or redesign frustration patterns in proteins.
- Extending current methodologies (e.G., FrustraEvo, Potts models, structure prediction pipelines) to large‐scale protein datasets.
Key Duties
- Conduct independent and collaborative research on protein evolution and biophysics.
- Develop computational pipelines integrating ASR, structure prediction, and energetic analysis.
- Apply and/or develop ML/AI methods for protein design and evolutionary inference.
- Analyze large‐scale protein datasets using HPC resources.
- Publish results in high‐impact journals.
- Contribute to grant writing and project development.
- Supervise junior researchers (PhD/MSc students).
Requirements
Education
- Ph.D. in Structural Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biophysics, or related field.
Essential Knowledge and Professional Experience
- Strong experience in protein sequence–structure analysis.
- Background in statistical or physical models of proteins (e.G., Potts models, energy landscapes, coevolution).
- Strong background in biophysics.
- Programming skills in Python, R, C++.
- Experience working with large‐scale biological datasets.
Additional Knowledge and Professional Experience
- Experience with:
- Ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR)
- Protein structure prediction (AlphaFold, ESMFold, etc.)
- Energetic frustration or protein energy landscape analysis
- Machine learning in protein science
- +2 years of experience after PhD
- Knowledge of evolutionary biology concepts (phylogenetics, epistasis).
- Familiarity with HPC environments.
Competences
- Ability to drive independent research directions.
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Collaborative mindset.
Conditions
- Location: BSC within the Life Sciences Department.
- Contract: Full‐time (37.5h/week);
open‐ended due to technical and scientific activities.
- Working environment: highly stimulating with state‐of‐the‐art infrastructure, flexible working hours, extensive training plan.
- Benefits: restaurant tickets, private health insurance, support for relocation procedures.
- Holidays: 22 days of holidays + 6 personal days + 24th and 31st of December per our collective agreement.
- Salary: competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, according to cost of living in Barcelona.
- Starting date: ASAP.
Applications Procedure and Process
All applications must be submitted via the BSC website and contain:
- A full CV in English including contact details.
- A cover/motivation letter with a statement of interest in English, clearly specifying the specific area and topics the applicant wishes to be considered. Two references are required.
Applications without this documentation will not be considered.
Recruitment Process
The selection will be carried out through a competitive examination system ("Concurso‐Oposición"). The process consists of two phases:
- Curriculum Analysis: Evaluation of experience, training, and other professional information. Score: 40 points.
- Interview Phase: Highest‐rated candidates invited. Evaluation of technical competencies, knowledge, skills, and professional experience. Score: 60 points. Minimum 30 points out of 60 required.
The recruitment panel will consist of at least three people, ensuring at least 25% representation of women.
In accordance with OTM‐R principles, a gender‐balanced recruitment panel is formed for each vacancy. At least one technical and one administrative interview will be conducted, along with a personality questionnaire and a technical exercise.
Following interviews, all participants receive feedback with details on acceptance or rejection.
Deadline
The vacancy will remain open until a suitable candidate is hired. Applications will be reviewed regularly.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement
BSC-CNS is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or any other basis protected by applicable law. BSC-CNS is committed to the principles of the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers of the European Commission and the Open, Transparent and Merit‐based Recruitment principles (OTM‐R).
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