Postdoc in coupled climate and terrestrial carbon cycle modeling

The Department of Environmental Science at Aarhus University (AU-ENVS), Roskilde, invites applications for a 2.5 year position as postdoc in coupled climate and terrestrial carbon cycle modeling. The position is to be filled by September 1, 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter. This is subject to negotiation.

Description of the position

This position is part of the 

GreenFeedBack project (Greenhouse gas fluxes and Earth system Feedbacks)

 funded under the Horizon Europe framework.  The GreenFeedBack project is led by AU-ENVS and brings together scientists doing fieldwork and modelers from across Europe. The aims are to enhance our knowledge of greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes within terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems at high northern latitudes. In the project, we will investigate the impacts that human pressures have on ecosystem GHG fluxes, how the GHG fluxes will respond to a changing climate, and how changes to ecosystem GHG exchanges in the boreal and Arctic regions affect feedbacks in the global system.

This postdoc project is within work package 6 focusing on the latter, namely how high-latitude ecosystem responses feed back onto the global carbon cycle and modulate projected climate changes. The specific focus of the postdoc will be to use the coupled earth system model EC-Earth (v3 to begin with, perhaps transitioning to v4) and implement the terrestrial carbon cycle model developments achieved in other work packages into the dynamic vegetation-terrestrial ecosystem component of EC-Earth, LPJ-GUESS, and perform global-scale sensitivity and future simulations. The work will be done in close collaboration with teammates from Uppsala University (working with EC-Earth on the marine carbon cycle) and GreenFeedBack partners locally at AU-ENVS (working with the land surface model ORCHIDEE) and at Lund University (working with LPJ-GUESS).

Qualifications/profile:

• Phd in physics, chemistry, biology, geophysics, engineering, environmental science, or other disciplines with relevant specialization.
• Experience developing and executing dynamical vegetation and ecosystem models and using them to study carbon cycle feedbacks.
• Experience with programming in C++, Fortran or similar languages and executing large code complexes in script-based environments on high-performance computing resources.
• Sharing code using Git, Subversion or other source code management tools.
• Experience running either EC-Earth or another coupled climate or earth system model is an advantage.

Further requirements are English fluency, good writing and verbal communication skills and the ability to work independently and in an interdisciplinary international academic environment.

Applicants should hold scientific qualifications at the PhD graduate level and demonstrate publication activities. Participation in applying for external funding is an advantage, but not a requirement.

Application

Please see below for guidance and formalities regarding the application procedure. Per default, the application system requires upload of

• Cover letter – please state your reasons for applying and your relevant qualifications
• Curriculum vitae
• Degree certificate
• Complete list of publications
• Statement of research plans and research activities – please indicate your previous research and your intentions and visions with regard to carrying out the work involved in the position
• Teaching portfolio – please be aware, however, that apart from possible supervision activities, teaching is not planned for this position

Department of Environmental Science

The 

Department of Environmental Science

 is an interdisciplinary department under the Faculty of Technical Sciences at Aarhus University. The expertise of the department ranges from physics, chemistry, microbiology, social science, geography, economics, to policy analysis. Basic as well as applied research is conducted on some of the major challenges facing society, such as pollution and pollution control mechanisms, management of land, soil, water, air and biodiversity, protection of ecosystem services, and climate change. Advisory services within these areas are offered to ministries and other authorities. Currently, the department employs about 140 staff, postdocs and PhD students. We believe in values of equality, diversity and inclusion, and creating an attractive work/life balance. Further information can be found at 

www.envs.au.dk

.

The selected candidate will be affiliated with the Section for Atmospheric Environment  in the Group of Atmospheric Modelling which includes expertise in, i.a., atmospheric physics and chemistry; mathematical and numerical methods and computer science; hemispheric-to-local scale transport and air-quality modelling with linkages to health effects; climate, ice sheet and vegetation modelling with a particular focus on Arctic climate feedbacks.

Work location

The place of work will be at Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark. The city of Roskilde (www.roskilde.dk) is located approx. 30 km from Copenhagen. The area provides immediate access to a wealth of cultural and recreational pursuits.

International candidates may find information concerning living and working in Denmark at www.workindenmark.dk. AU International Center offers a full range of services to make your transition to Denmark as smooth as possible (http://www.au.dk/en/internationalcentre/ias/), and the department will assist foreign candidates with finding a suitable place to live.

Further information

Further information may be obtained by contacting Professor of Climate Modeling and iClimate centre leader, Peter L. Langen 

[email protected]

 +452061 8369.

Deadline

All applications must be made online and received by: 22.03.2023

Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

Formalities and salary range

Technical Sciences refers to the

Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation

.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities .

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here . Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here .

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here .

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.