Postdoctoral Research Fellow on Sea Ice Microbial Diversity & Molecular Genetics

The position

A Postdoctoral Research Fellow position on the study of microbial (i.e. algae, bacteria, fungi) taxonomic and functional (prokaryotic) diversity in the sea ice biome is available at The Department of Arctic and Marine Biology (AMB), Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics (BFE). The position is affiliated with the Arctic Marine System Ecology research group and the European Research Council Starting Grant project Micro-SHIFT.

The position is a fixed term position for a duration of 3 years from spring 2026. No person may hold more than one fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution.

As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will have the opportunity to advance your scientific career and further qualify for academic positions. If you do not already have the educational competence that meets the requirements for an Associate Professor position in Norway, UiT will arrange such competence during the employment period.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position between March and May 2026.

About Micro-SHIFT - Microbial life of Sea ice Habitats Investigated for The Arctic
The project will comprehensively assess the biodiversity and productivity of microorganisms living in association with sea ice in the Arctic. It will evaluate the potential for these microbial communities to acclimate to environmental change. The project is based within the Laboratory for Sea Ice Biome Research (iSI-Bio) at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

The project

You will generate and analyse 16S/18S rRNA targeted gene sequencing data across the microhabitats comprising the sea ice biome, contrasting taxonomic diversity of algae, bacteria and fungal communities present. Prokaryotic metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses will also be completed to assess functional diversity and activity. The candidate is expected to assist with the isolation of microbial communities for the purposes of culture within the project. There is also potential for sequencing of select specimens.

The project will include fieldwork for sample collection and analyses of sequencing data. You must carry out project duties over the full term of employment.

You will work collaboratively with other members of the Micro-SHIFT project and, will be integrated into the networks of UiT and the Arctic Science Partnership.

Qualifications

Required qualifications:
• A Norwegian doctoral degree in the field of molecular genetics, microbiology, marine sciences or similar field. Or a corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognised as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree, or competence at a corresponding level documented by academic work of the same scope and quality. A PhD degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your PhD degree, you may still apply.
• Experience working with cold filtration, DNA extraction and quality control.
• Experience working with 16S/18S rRNA sequencing data and metagenomes.
• Experience working with Linux environment and using bioinformatics approaches.
• Experience conducting fieldwork on sea ice.
• Multiple first-author publications in peer-reviewed literature.
• Presentation experience at academic meetings/conferences.
• Documented good oral and written communication skills in English language. Nordic applicants can document their capabilities by attaching their high school diploma.

In the assessment the main emphasis will be attached to the submitted works and the project proposal for the qualifying work. Personal suitability and motivation for the position, including the ability to work independently and function well as part of a team will be emphasized.

Additional desirable qualifications, experience with:
• Pelagic microbes of the Arctic Ocean and/or other systems of the cryosphere.
• Culturing (microalgae, bacteria and/or fungi).
• Measuring microbial rates, particularly as it relates to oxygen.
• Conducting complimentary microbiological & biogeochemical measurements (e.g. nutrients, flow cytometry, pigments).
• Using machine learning as a tool in analyzing diversity data.

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. 

We offer

• Involvement in an interesting research project 
• Good career opportunities 
• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues  
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement  
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund 

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 

Application

Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the information submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you include all necessary documents demonstrating your qualifications for the position.

Your application must include:

• Application letter.
• Project proposal with description of research interests and motivation as it relates to the position. The project proposal should be 1 page in length.
• CV containing a complete overview of education, experience and professional work. Include a list of published works in the peer-reviewed literature.
• PhD thesis.
• Diploma, diploma supplements and transcripts (all degrees, in original language and translated).
• Documentation of English proficiency
• Contact information to 2-3 references.
• Documentation of educational competence, if available.
• A list of your academic production.
• Description of your academic production, stating which works you consider most important.

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.

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 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.