Postdoctoral Fellow – University of Bergen

There is a vacancy for a postdoctoral research fellow position at the Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen within the field of physical oceanography. The position is for a fixed term of 4 years and is associated with the research project, The Nansen Legacy (http://nansenlegacy.org). The successful candidate will be working the first 2 years at the Geophysical Institute in Bergen, and the final 2 years in Tromsø, at the Norwegian Polar Institute.

Description of the vacant position

The position is affiliated with the research project The Nansen Legacy (http://nansenlegacy.org).The Nansen Legacy is the Norwegian Arctic research community’s joint effort to establish a holistic understanding of a changing marine Arctic climate and ecosystem. The project will provide a scientific knowledge base needed for future sustainable resource management in the transitional Barents Sea and the adjacent Arctic Basin. It is a collaborative project between ten Norwegian research institutions, and will run from 2018-2023. Activities in the project will include international cooperation, and several cruises with the new, ice-going research vessel Kronprins Haakon.

The vacant position will be part of the Physical Oceanography Research Group at the Geophysical Institute. The research will aim to identify and quantify the processes that control 1) the heat budget north of Svalbard, with particular focus on the warm Atlantic boundary current, and 2) the position and variability of the thermohaline polar front in the central Barents Sea. The successful candidate will investigate the processes on scales from mesoscale eddies to small scale turbulence and mixing, including slope-basin exchanges, exchanges across fronts, winter convection, tides and internal waves. The research will be based on observations from ship surveys, underwater gliders, and moored instruments. The candidate will participate in research cruises on board the research vessel Kronprins Haakon and conduct dedicated oceanic measurements. In addition to the common modern shipboard and moored oceanographic instrumentation, microstructure measurement systems (an underwater glider equipped with microstructure sensors; ship-based vertical microstructure profilers) will be utilized. The research team has the necessary expertise for conducting these measurements. This work will be conducted in close collaboration with research groups from the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) andthe University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), as well as a strong international network. The successful candidate will also interact with a PhD student. The working place will be the Geophysical institute in Bergen in the first two years (with Prof. Ilker Fer), followed by two years in Tromsø at the Norwegian Polar Institute (with Dr. Arild Sundfjord).

Qualifications and personal qualities

• The applicant must hold a PhD or an equivalent degree within oceanography, meteorology, physics, applied mathematics or related fields, or must have submitted his/her doctoral thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the PhD has been awarded.
• Scientific requirements for the position is a thorough understanding of sub-mesoscale phenomena, small scale ocean mixing processes, and their interaction, a good relevant publication record, and experience on collecting and processing data from relevant measurement systems. Experience in design, planning and organization of field campaigns is an asset. Experience with underwater gliders is an asset. The candidate will take part in multiple 2-3 weeks duration cruises (typically once a year).
• Strong programming skills
• Experience in data analysis
• Work independently and in a structured manner, and have the ability to cooperate with others.
• Proficiency in both written and oral English.

About the position of postdoctoral fellow

The postdoctoral position is a fixed term position with the primary objective of qualifying the appointee for work in top academic positions. The fixed-term period for this position is 4 years. There is no teaching obligation attached to this position, but it is expected that the candidate will participate in the dissemination of project results. Individuals may not be hired for more than one fixed-term period as a postdoctoral research fellow at the same institution.

 For postdoctoral research fellow positions associated with externally financed projects, the completion of the project proposal for the qualifying work, as well as a progress plan, will be developed in cooperation with the supervisor and head of department.

It is a requirement that the project is completed in the course of the period of employment.

We can offer:

• A good and professionally challenging working environment
• Salary at pay grade 57 (code 1352 / pay range 24, alternative 1) according to the state salary scale upon appointment. This constitutes a gross annual salary of NOK 490 900. Further promotions are made according to length of service.
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• A position in an inclusive workplace (IW)
• Good welfare benefits

Your application must include:

• A brief account of the applicant’s research interests and motivation for applying for the position.
• The names and contact information for two reference persons. One of these should be the main advisor from the PhD programme.
• CV
• Transcripts and diplomas and official confirmation that the doctoral thesis has been submitted
• Relevant certificates/references
• List of any works of a scientific nature (publication list)
• Publications (as applicable)

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at JobbNorge.

General information

For further details about the position, please contact:  Professor Ilker Fer, Geophysical Institute, ilker.fer@uib.no

The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. Age and gender balance among employees is therefore a goal. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

Further information about our employment process can be found here.