Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Satellite and Airborne Altimetry for Observing Arctic Summer

9 Feb 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Department

Department of Physics and Technology

Research Field

Technology » Communication technology
Technology » Computer technology
Technology » Information technology
Technology » Space technology

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

Country

Norway

Application Deadline

6 Mar 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Oslo)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

37,5

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description
The position

The Department of Physics and Technology , at the Faculty of Science and Technology  announces a vacant position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the area of satellite and airborne altimetry for studying Arctic summer sea ice at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Science and Technology. The position is connected to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre  and the University of Maryland (UMD)  in the US.

The position is a fixed term position for a duration of three years. The candidate may be offered opportunities to teach which, if they accept, they will receive a contract extension up to a maximum 6 months of a full-time employment on top of the three 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 position is funded by the European Research Council  (ERC) Starting Grant: SI/3D (Arctic 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 appointment will use observations from satellite altimetry, primarily NASA’s ICESat-2 mission, and/or from multisensor Arctic airborne campaigns including AWI’s IceBird, ESA’s CryoVex, and NASA’s Operation IceBridge, to improve our understanding of the physical properties and melt evolution of Arctic summer sea ice. Remotely-sensed observations will be complimented by dedicated fieldwork campaigns in the Arctic.

The candidate will join a growing team of researchers using satellite altimetry to study polar sea ice within the Earth Observation Group  at UiT. The position builds on the legacy of research conducted within the Centre for Integrated Remote Sensing and Forecasting for Arctic Operations  (CIRFA).

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/position's field of research

The position will be 100 % devoted to research and development tasks. The candidate is required to take on a senior role within the associated ERC project and the UiT EO Group, including collaboration with project partners, participation in project meetings, preparation for and participation in fieldwork campaigns, and contribution to reporting. Their research will target the development of cutting-edge new techniques for processing satellite laser altimetry and airborne multisensor observations, and their use in studying the changing Arctic Sea ice cover.

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:

• Working with project partners at UMD and NASA to build a new database of labelled ICESat-2 summer sea ice samples from coincident Sentinel-2 images
• Apply the label database for training and testing a new deep learning classification algorithm for interpreting ICESat-2 summer sea ice observations, building on the methods developed for radar altimetry here https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0034425721004648
• Improving methods for obtaining accurate laser freeboard from melt-pond covered sea ice floes, following e.g. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2020GL090644
• Understanding the seasonal evolution of the ICESat-2 freeboard and reflectance signatures https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/17/4165/2023/  at key reference sites such as the Beaufort Gyre Exploration Program mooring array and Nansen Legacy mooring array in the Barents Sea
• Analysis of summer sea ice snow cover, freeboard, reflectance, and sea ice density https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/17/4873/2023/  from multisensor airborne EM-bird, laser scanner, and melt pond photography datasets
• Public dissemination of prototype sea ice freeboard and thickness datasets

Contact

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

• E-mail:  [email protected]
• Phone: +47 776 44 000

Qualifications

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.

This position requires a Norwegian doctoral degree within a field relevant for the research theme of the position (i.e., remote sensing, physics, signal processing, mathematics, environmental science, or computer science), or a corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognised as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree.

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 dissertated 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. The suitable candidate should be an expert in satellite remote sensing, ideally experienced working with satellite radar altimetry data for applications in the polar regions. The candidate should have a strong background in computer science, and good programming skills, to suit the EO Group at UiT. It is preferred that the candidate has experience with MATLAB and Python programming languages to work with our existing code base. Prior experience with Unix-based HPC (high performance computing) environments is also beneficial.

Other required qualification skills include:

•    Independence and self-motivation
•    Creativity and ability to think outside the box
•    Excellent work ethic and commitment to the job
•    Fluency in English is required and working knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language is desirable. Nordic applicants can document their capabilities by attaching their high school diploma.
•    International experience is an advantage.

Emphasis is also given to personal suitability. We are looking for candidates who:

• Have good collaboration skills
• Have good communication and interaction with colleagues and students
• Wants to contribute to a good working environment

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

We offer the chance to work in a leading European remote sensing research group on a large cutting-edge project funded by the ERC, to collaborate with the leading European scientists on satellite altimetry for polar sea ice research through ESA consortia, 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.

Annual funding is available for every employee to travel to conferences and workshops, with additional funding available through the ERC project to support extra trips. 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.

We also offer:

• 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

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 (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
• List of funded research proposals, as principal or co-investigator, and fellowships (max 1 page)
• Diplomas and transcripts
• Two references, preferably including a PhD supervisor

Documentation of English proficiency. This can be documented in the following ways:

• Diploma from a Norwegian upper secondary school with both spoken and written English (140 hours)
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
• IELTS (International English Testing Service)
• Completed university MSc or PhD degree written in English
• One year of completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or USA, for which English was the language of instructions.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. 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.

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. 

Eallju - Developing the High North 

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is a multi-campus comprehensive university at the international forefront. Our vision is to be a driving force for developing the High North. The Northern Sami notion eallju, which means eagerness to work, sets the tone for this motive power at UiT. Along with students, staff and the wider community, we aim to utilise our location in Northern Norway and Sápmi, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio and interdisciplinary advantage to shape the future.

Our social mission is to provide research-based education of high quality, perform artistic development and carry out research of the highest international quality standards in the entire range from basic to applied. We will convey knowledge about disciplines and contribute to innovation. Our social mission unites UiT across various studies, research fields and large geographical distances. This demands good cooperation with trade and industry and civil society as well as with international partners. We will strengthen knowledge-based and sustainable development at a regional, national and international level.

Academic freedom and scientific and ethical principles form the basis for all UiT’s activities. Participation, co-determination, transparency and good processes will provide the decision-making basis we need to make wise and far-sighted priorities. Our students and staff will have the opportunity to develop their abilities and potential. Founded on academic integrity, we will be courageous, committed and generous in close contact with disciplines, people and contemporary developments.

We will demonstrate adaptability and seek good and purposeful utilisation of resources, so we are ready to meet the expectations and opportunities of the future. We will strengthen the quality and impact of our disciplines and core tasks through the following three strategic priority areas.

Requirements

Research Field

Technology » Communication technology

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Research Field

Technology » Computer technology

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Research Field

Technology » Information technology

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Research Field

Technology » Space technology

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Country

Norway

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/256743/postdoctoral-research-fel…

Contact

City

Tromsø

Website

http://en.uit.no/om/art?p_document_id=343547&dim=179040

Street

Hansine Hansens veg 18

Postal Code

N-9019

STATUS: EXPIRED