USP-CEU is seeking excellent postdoctoral researchers interested in applying for the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF 2026).
USP-CEU holds the HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award and is strongly committed to attracting and supporting international research talent. Candidates hosted at USP-CEU will receive specialized guidance for proposal writing and development.
The University has secured 10 MSCA-PF fellowships since 2017, including a 100/100 score in 2021. USP-CEU also offers an International Talent Retention Programme, providing successful MSCA Fellows with an additional 6–12-month contract after the fellowship, with potential pathways towards long-term career stabilization.
Hosting Research Group
The Research Group on Skills, Employment, and Talent Development studies the impact of skills on career development, including labor market access, reskilling, and upskilling within companies. Its goal is to understand, assess, and enhance the relationship between transferable skills and professional success. The group analyzes soft skills, their importance in the workplace, and their influence on securing employment and career advancement. It also seeks to identify methods to measure these skills, aligning them with current and future labor market demands. Additionally, the group explores how these skills vary across different fields, cultures, and socioeconomic environments to understand their broader impact. The ultimate aim is to propose strategies to strengthen soft skills in educational and professional settings, improving employability and performance.
Supervising Professors
Ángel Bartolomé (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7056-8855) is Professor and Vice-Rector at CEU San Pablo University, with a distinguished career in communication, advertising and academic leadership. He holds a PhD in Communication, a degree in Advertising and a degree in Philosophy, a background that underpins his interdisciplinary approach to strategic communication, advertising creativity and educational innovation. His research focuses on talent development, transversal competencies and employability in higher education, positioning him as a key reference for innovative and impact-driven academic projects.
Sonia Martín (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9377-1941) is Professor in the Business Organization Area at the Faculty of Economics and Business at CEU San Pablo University, where she has held multiple leadership and coordination roles since 1992. She holds a PhD with a focus on strategic business decision-making and is ANECA-accredited in several academic categories. Her research centers on teaching innovation, digital skills, employability and the application of artificial intelligence in higher education, bringing strong expertise in transformative learning and institutional impact.
WEB:
https://www.uspceu.com/investigacion/talento/sobre-nosotros
https://www.uspceu.com/investigacion/grupos-investigacion/id/talento
Relevant publications and projects
- Luna, A. B. M. de, & Gomez, S. M. (2025). The Three-Factor Model and Skills for Employability. Journal of Posthumanism, 5(2), 836–853. https://doi.org/10.63332/joph.v5i2.459. https://posthumanism.co.uk/jp/article/view/459
- Cortejoso Lino, M., Bartolomé Muñoz de Luna, Ángel, & Martín Gómez, S. (2025). Research on the Concepts of Employability and Competencies as a Driver of Educational Change through a Bibliometric Study. Street Art & Urban Creativity, 11(2), 195–216. https://doi.org/10.62161/sauc.v11.5743. https://visualcompublications.es/SAUC/article/view/5743
- Gomez, S. M. and Luna, A. B. M. de (2025). The current state of e-learning in university studies: bibliometric analysis and study of networks. Campus Virtuales (Vol. 14, Num. 01). 63-82. https://doi.org/10.54988/cv.2025.1.1429. http://www.uajournals.com/campusvirtuales/es/revistaes/numerosanteriores.html?id=412
- Cortejoso Lino, M., Bartolomé Muñoz de Luna, A., & Martín Gómez, S. (2024). Assessment of Employment Competencies from the Perspective of University Graduates : Using a Reflective Structural Equation Model. VISUAL REVIEW. International Visual Culture Review Revista Internacional De Cultura Visual, 16(6), 147–164. https://doi.org/10.62161/revvisual.v16.5337. https://visualcompublications.es/revVISUAL/article/view/5337
- Martín-Gómez, S., & Muñoz de Luna, Ángel B. (2025). ¿Coinciden la comunidad científica y la sociedad sobre el uso de la Inteligencia Artificial en educación? [Do the scientific community and society agree on the use of Artificial Intelligence in education?]. Pixel-Bit. Revista De Medios Y Educación, 72, 139–157. https://doi.org/10.12795/pixelbit.107530. https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/pixel/article/view/107530
- Corporate Training: Skills 2 Market (Project under the Spanish National Research Plan, in which we are involved as scientific coordinators) The project is presented as a key initiative to boost the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and technology-based companies (TBCs), which are essential for the sustainable growth and strategic positioning of the Community of Madrid. These companies not only represent the economic engine of the region but are also crucial for establishing Madrid as a national and international benchmark in technological innovation.
Research Project Description
The proposed project investigates employability and transversal competencies as key drivers of labor market integration, career sustainability, and professional mobility in contemporary knowledge-based economies. In a context shaped by digital transformation, automation, and increasing labor market uncertainty, transversal, or “soft”, skills have become essential for individual adaptability and long-term employability.
The project aims to advance both the theoretical and empirical understanding of transversal competencies by analyzing their structure, development, and impact on employment outcomes across occupational sectors and diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts. It adopts a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, drawing on labor economics, organizational psychology, and education studies.
A central innovation of the project lies in the development and validation of advanced methodological frameworks for measuring transversal competencies. These frameworks will combine psychometric assessment tools with data-driven and AI-supported analytical models, aligned with current and emerging European labor market needs. Particular attention will be paid to how transversal competencies interact with educational, institutional, and organizational factors to shape employability, career progression, and professional resilience.
The project is designed to generate high-quality empirical evidence with strong academic and policy relevance, supporting evidence-based strategies for enhancing transversal competencies in higher education and workplace environments. Expected outcomes include high-impact scientific publications, contributions to European skills and employability policies, and significant career development opportunities for the postdoctoral researcher through advanced training, interdisciplinary collaboration, and international knowledge transfer.
Candidate requirements: Postdoctoral candidates of any nationality (max. 7 years after defense) with:
- Advanced research skills in employability and transversal competencies,
- strong quantitative and analytical abilities,
- experience in psychometric assessment and data-driven methods,
- excellent scientific writing,
- interdisciplinary collaboration skills.
Applicants are encouraged to submit an expression of interest to abartolome@ceu.es and margom@ceu.es (Attn.: Dr. Ángel Bartolome and Dr. Sonia Martín). The application should include the following documents:
- A short CV (Max. 2 pages)
- A one-page research proposal
- A short statement explaining why CEU would be the best host institution for your research.
- Two letters of reference.
For MSCA-PF 26 call, at the deadline for the submission of proposals (09/09/2026) candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activities in Spain or more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the above mentioned deadline.
Those files received before 15th of June will be considered for MSCA-PF 2026 call. Applications received after this date, will be considered for other calls after discussion with the candidate.
Keywords: Employment, soft skills, career development, Upskilling, Micro credentials