Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Sea Ice Model Parameter Optimization with EO Data

The position

The Department of Physics and Technology is excited to announce a vacant position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the area of sea ice model parameter optimization with Earth Observation data at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Science and Technology. The position is connected to the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Centre (NERSC) in Bergen.

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. 

If you successfully apply for a personal overseas research grant from NFR it is possible to extend the fellowship period corresponding to the length of the stay abroad (minimum three months, maximum 12 months).

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 project

The position is funded by the Norwegian Research Council (NFR) Grant: DynAMIC (Detecting episodes of Arctic sea ice Mass Imbalance). DynAMIC aims to observe three-dimensional changes in the Arctic’s sea ice cover from a multi-sensor constellation of satellites, developing a system for detecting rapid sea ice mass changes driven by deformation, and enabling updates to the constraints on sea ice model redistribution schemes for a new Arctic dominated by seasonal ice. The project is a partnership between UiT The Arctic University of Norway and the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) in Tromso, and NERSC in Bergen, with collaboration partners in France, the UK and US. 

Work Package (WP) 1 of DynAMIC will deliver high-resolution sea ice thickness distributions (ITDs) from satellite altimetry for the period between 2018-2024 when many polar-orbiting spaceborne altimeter and SAR sensors have been operating together. A PhD Student on WPs 1 & 2 in the project will match these ITDs to maps of sea ice deformation and linear kinematic feature (LKF) evolution observed with SAR, to detect changes in the ITD caused by sea ice divergence and convergence, during Arctic storm events. 

This Postdoctoral position fits into WPs 2 & 3 of DynAMIC. The researcher will prepare and use the spaceborne altimetry and SAR observations to optimize the sea ice redistribution transfer function parameters in a single-column version of the ICEPACK model. A set of sensitivity experiments will be performed to identify the modelled change in ITD that best matches the altimetry observations, over a case study deformation event, based on the integrated strain rate observed from SAR. These experiments will be repeated for a database of events covering different sea ice types, conditions, locations, and rates of ice deformation (from docile to violent). Machine learning techniques will then be used to find a global functional parameter set, from the single-column experiment results, that offers the best performance for the model redistribution scheme in modern Arctic conditions. 

Results from the work will feed directly into WP3 of DynAMIC, led by NERSC, to investigate pan-Arctic patterns in the sea ice deformation field and LKFs, with a newly-incorporated ridging scheme in the state-of-the-art neXtSIM: next-generation sea-ice model. 

The postdoc will work directly with other members of the DynAMIC team, including project investigators and the 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 candidate will be required to take on a leadership role within the associated NFR 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 ICEPACK model to run at UiT 
• Prepare a set of case study “deformation events” from the spaceborne altimetry and SAR observations delivered by other project members, matched to forcing data from atmospheric reanalyses 
• Perform model sensitivity experiments on the case studies to generate a range of scenarios for the evolution of the ITD under prescribed forcing, with different parameterizations for the sea ice redistribution transfer function 
• Apply machine learning methods to identify optimal model parameters that can be used in large-scale sea ice simulations (either global parameters, or as a function of existing model variables like ice thickness) 
• Work with colleagues at NERSC to set up pan-Arctic neXtSIM runs with a constrained sea ice redistribution function and support them in studying the impacts on sea ice convergence fields and LKF evolution 
• Prepare peer-review publications to disseminate the results

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 environment is clearly dictated by the 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 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 for 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.

Want to know more about the position?

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

We offer

• The chance to work in a leading European polar research group on a large cutting-edge project funded by NFR, to collaborate with leading European scientists on some of the most pressing questions 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 NFR grant to support travel and collaboration activities.
• 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 

Qualifications

• 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.
• A strong background in computer science, and good programming skills, tailored to meet the needs of the Department of Physics at UiT. Experience with Fortran, Python and/or MATLAB programming languages would suit the project requirements.  
• Experience working with climate models, remote sensing data, or both, preferably with experience running climate model routines
• Strong and clear motivation towards the position and the research project
• Excellent academic record and potential
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Good command of English orally and in writing. 

If you're in the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply for the position, provided that you submit parts of your dissertation along with your application. This enables the evaluation committee to assess the quality and likelihood of completion by the desired employment date. You must include a statement from your supervisor or institution stating the expected completion date for your PhD degree. Documentation of your completed PhD degree must be submitted before commencement.

• Independence and self-motivation 
• Creativity and ability to think outside the box 
• Excellent work ethic and commitment to the job 
• Demonstration of teamwork and research collaboration experience
• Working knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language.

Emphasis is also given to personal suitability. 

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).

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 and must be included
• Diplomas and transcripts (all degrees)
• Documentation of English proficiency
• Contact information to 2-3 references, preferably including a PhD supervisor
• If you have it: documentation of proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish 

If you're in the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply for the position, provided that you submit parts of your dissertation along with your application. This enables the evaluation committee to assess the quality and likelihood of completion by the desired employment date. You must include a statement from your supervisor or institution stating the expected completion date for your PhD degree. 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.

UiT wishes to promote gender equality. If two or more applicants are found to be equally qualified, the university will rank applicants from the underrepresented gender ahead of others.

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.