The position

The Department of Physics and Technology is thrilled to announce a vacant position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the area of Sea Ice Forecasting at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Science and Technology. The position is connected to the Sea Ice Physics Division of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and the NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL).

General information about the position.

The position is a fixed term position for a duration of 3 years. Appointment to the position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow is mainly intended to provide qualification for work in top academic positions. It is a prerequisite that the applicant can carry out the project over the full course of the employment period. No person may hold more than one fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

The position's field of research

The position is funded by the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant: SI/3D (Summer Sea Ice in 3D). SI/3D aims to produce a 15+ year high-accuracy record of pan-Arctic sea ice thickness without interruptions in the summer, allowing us to close the Arctic sea ice volume budget, pinpointing the mechanisms driving seasonal decay and breakup of the ice pack and the feedbacks of sea ice loss on Arctic temperatures, and to upgrade seasonal sea ice forecasts from state-of-the-art modelling systems by assimilating summer ice thickness observations.

The role of this position is to support the development of a sea ice model-data assimilation framework in WP3 of SI/3D and perform seasonal sea ice forecasting experiments. The postdoc will set up the data assimilation framework for summer sea ice thickness (SIT) observations within the FESOM2-ICEPACK modelling system, in collaboration with Dr. Frank Kauker’s group at AWI. The postdoc on WP3 will spend between 6 and 12 months working at the AWI early in the appointment, supported by funding from SI/3D, to train with the modelling system and develop the assimilation framework through PDAF. Tasks will include: preparing the assimilation framework for accepting SIT observations from radar altimetry into the multi-sea ice thickness-category FESOM2-ICEPACK model, testing the assimilation of data at different processing levels (ITDs, freeboard, and different snow depth products), and performing seasonal sea ice edge forecasts.

The postdoc will work directly with other members of the SI/3D team, including the PI, another Postdoctoral Researcher, and a PhD Student. The candidate will further join a growing team of researchers studying polar sea ice within the Earth Observation Group at the UiT Department of Science and Technology.

The role of the position

The position will be 100% devoted to research and development tasks. The candidate will be required to take on a leadership role within the associated ERC project, including collaboration with project partners, participation in project meetings, communication & dissemination at conferences, and contribution to reporting.

The candidate will participate in research towards some of the following project work; however, there is flexibility for the candidate to propose and direct their own research:

Set up the data assimilation framework for summer sea ice freeboard & thickness observations within FESOM2-ICEPACK, in collaboration with Dr. Frank Kauker’s group at AWI
Spend between 6 and 12 months working at the AWI, supported by funding from SI/3D, to train with the modelling system and develop the assimilation framework through the PDAF
Work with the PI and other Postdoc in SI/3D to improve the quality and suitability of remotely-sensed sea ice products for model-data assimilation
Test the assimilation of ITDs, freeboard, and different snow depth products versus simply using the mean SIT
Intercompare seasonal forecasts for the sea ice edge location based on the assimilation of SIT observations into the different ensemble prediction systems, including those at AWI and GFDL
Test the utility of regional sea ice forecasts for Norwegian Ice Service operations in the Barents Sea and around Svalbard, to identify for instance how early atypical ice conditions can be predicted with the assimilation of near real-time satellite SIT observations

About the workplace

UiT The Arctic University of Norway, with its main campus located in Tromsø, is the northernmost university in the world. Its focus on climate and the environment is clearly dictated by its geographical location at the edge of the Arctic. The main task of the Faculty of Science and Technology is to conduct research and teaching at a high national and international level. Prioritized research areas include energy, climate, environment, maritime, marine, nano-, space-, and information technology, addressing both general topics and topics relevant to the High North.

The Department of Physics and Technology consists of six research groups: Earth Observation, Renewable Energy, Machine Learning, Complex Systems Modelling, Space Physics, and Ultrasound, Microwaves, and Optics. The department provides education at the Bachelor, Master, and PhD levels.

Contact

For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Jack Landy:

email: jack.c.landy@uit.no

Qualifications

This position requires:

a Norwegian doctoral degree within a field relevant for the research theme of the position (i.e., computer science, physics, mathematics, or environmental science), or a corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognised as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree.
fluency in English and good communcation skills. Nordic applicants can document their capabilities by attaching their high school diploma

Qualification with a PhD is required before commencement in the position. If you’re at the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply if you have submitted your PhD thesis for doctoral degree evaluation within the application deadline. You must submit the thesis with your application. You must have completed your defense before the start-up date of the position.

We are looking for a strongly motivated person, who has:

an excellent academic record and potential, with analytical and problem-solving skills
a strong background in applied mathematics
a suitable candidate should have experience working with climate models, preferably on model development and/or data assimilation
a strong background in computer science, and good programming skills, to suit the Department of Physics at UiT
experience coding within Unix-based HPC environments, and a background in MATLAB and Python programming languages would suit working with our existing code base

Emphasis is also given to personal suitability.

A working knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language is desirable. Applicants must document proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at a minimum of level A2. If the candidate does not document proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at level A2, then the postdoctoral fellow must complete a language course equal to 15 ECTS before the end of the fixed-term period. UiT will facilitate this.

In the assessment the main emphasis will be attached to the submitted works and the project proposal for the qualifying work. Emphasis shall also be attached to experience from popularization/dissemination and academic policy and administrative activity.

At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of the research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).

We offer

We offer the chance to work in a leading European polar research group on a large cutting-edge project funded by the ERC, to collaborate with leading European and US scientists on sea ice forecasting for polar climate research, opportunities to travel, independence in work, a fantastic work environment with nice colleagues, competitive salary, and a cosy hometown of Tromsø surrounded by the stunning landscape of Northern Scandinavia. We hope your research, training and networking will prepare you to be competitive for future faculty positions.
Annual funding is available through the ERC project to support travel. Project funds are also available to support fieldwork campaigns that benefit the research goals, including planned campaigns on the Norwegian Icebreaker Kronprins Haakon to the Central Arctic, and on the AWI IceBird Polar 5 and 6 aircraft out of Greenland and northern Canada.
Good career opportunities
Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement 
Pension scheme through the state pension fund 
If you have to relocate to Tromsø then the Faculty of Science and Technology may reimburse your moving costs. Further details regarding this matter will be made available if you receive an offer from us.

Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

Inclusion and diversity

UiT The Arctic University i Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity is a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.

Application

Your application must include:

CV (max 2 pages)
Introduction and motivation letter, including a description of how your background and expertise relates to the position’s field of research, and a vision statement for the position’s research activities (max 2 pages)
Description of your academic track record highlighting the three works you consider most relevant to the advertised position (max 1 page)
List of academic works, up to ten. The doctoral thesis is regarded as one work.
List of funded research proposals, as principal or co-investigator, and fellowships (max 1 page)
Diplomas and transcripts (all degrees)
Documentation of English proficiency
Contact information to 2-3 references, preferably including a PhD supervisor

If available: Documentation of proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish at a minimum of level A2. (if you do not, then you will be offered A1 and A2 level courses in Norwegian at UiT, after commencement of the position)

If you’re at the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply if you have submitted your PhD thesis for doctoral degree evaluation within the application deadline. You must submit the thesis with your application. Documentation of your completed PhD degree must be submitted before commencement.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline.

Assessment

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants.

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. A trial lecture may also be held.

General information

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

The remuneration for Postdoctoral research fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1352. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted. You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which gives you many benefits in addition to a lifelong pension: You may be entitled to financial support if you become ill or disabled, your family may be entitled to financial support when you die, you become insured against occupational injury or occupational disease, and you can get good terms on a mortgage. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no.

The successful candidate must be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

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