Senior Principal Investigator in Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy

Organisation/Company FUNDACIÓN PARA LA INVESTIGACIÓN MÉDICA APLICADA Department Administration Research Field Biological sciences » Other Researcher Profile Leading Researcher (R4) Positions Research Support Positions Application Deadline 31 Oct 2026 - 00:00 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Permanent Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description The Center for Applied Medical Research (Cima) at the University of Navarra is launching an international call for applications to recruit a Senior Principal Investigator in Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy. This position is aimed at attracting established scientific talent capable of leading a high-impact research team and driving a competitive, innovative, and independent line of research on an international scale.
We are seeking a candidate with a proven track record of scientific excellence, demonstrated research independence, and a competitive profile for securing European funding of excellence (such as ERC grants). The position is designed to recruit a scientific leader capable of strengthening and expanding strategic research areas in immunology and cancer immunotherapy, contributing significantly to Cima's international visibility and the scientific objectives of the Severo Ochoa program.
The successful candidate will join Cima's Immunology and Immunotherapy Division, within an exceptionally collaborative environment that combines basic, translational, and clinical research thanks to close interaction with the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, one of Europe's leading academic medical centers.
This position offers the opportunity to develop an independent scientific program with access to:
State-of-the-art scientific infrastructure.
Advanced technology platforms.
Biobanks and well-characterized clinical cohorts.
Clinical research and immunotherapy trials.
Direct collaboration with oncologists, hematologists, pathologists, and other clinical specialists.
Institutional support for securing competitive national and international funding, including ERC grants.
The objective is to recruit a researcher capable of developing an internationally visible program and contributing to positioning Cima as one of the European leaders in cancer immunology and immunotherapy.
Scientific area We are seeking candidates with outstanding expertise in one or more of the following areas:
Mechanisms of response and resistance to immunotherapy.
Immunomodulation of the tumor microenvironment.
RNA-based immunotherapies.
Bispecific antibodies and advanced multispecific chimeric and immunological constructs.
Next-generation cell therapies and immunotherapies.
Translational research in solid tumors.
Advanced preclinical models (murine and others) for studying immunotherapy and its mechanisms.
Immunomonitoring using multi-omic technologies in solid tumors.
Precision immunology applied to cancer.
Candidates with expertise in the following fields will also be of particular interest:
Single-cell omics.
Spatial transcriptomics.
Systems biology.
Artificial intelligence applied to immunology.
Computational biology.
Advanced in vivo imaging.
Key responsibilities The successful candidate will be responsible to:
Leading an independent and competitive research program in cancer immunology and immunotherapy.
Defining and developing their own scientific vision with a long-term international perspective.
Lead and consolidate an independent research group, with a starting "start-up package" to fund predoctoral and technical staff, with the possibility of expansion based on external competitive funding secured.
Securing competitive national and international funding, including excellence programs such as the ERC.
Driving scientific collaborations within Cima and with the Departments of Oncology and Pathology at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra.
Contributing to the strategic development of the Immunology and Immunotherapy Division.
Actively participating in institutional initiatives linked to the Severo Ochoa program.
Training and mentoring early-career researchers, including PhD students.
Promoting knowledge transfer and the development of research with potential clinical impact.
What Cima offers The successful candidate will join as an independent Principal Investigator, with full scientific autonomy to develop their research program.
Cima offers:
A stable position at one of Spain's most prestigious biomedical institutions.
A highly collaborative, international scientific environment.
Integration into a unique ecosystem connecting basic, translational, and clinical research.
Laboratory space and resources for the developme