Postdoctoral Researcher position for Creation and Fusion of Digital Twins in Northern River Basins

We at the University of Oulu work as part of the international science community to produce new scientific information and science-based solutions. We are committed to educate future pioneers to build a more sustainable, intelligent and humane world. Creating new, taking responsibility and succeeding together are values that build a strong foundation for all our actions. We offer a working environment where individuals can cultivate their skills, do meaningful work, and develop professionally. Our university's several specialized research and service units enable extensive and diverse development and career opportunities for experts in various fields.

Water, Energy and Environmental Engineering research unit, at the Faculty of Technology, carries out research on land, water and energy systems and their interaction. Climate change, environmental degradation and energy transition are societal challenges that motivate the research to find sustainable solutions. Our water research includes a strong focus on water engineering, hydrological modelling, hydrological process, groundwater, water quality, water supply, treatment and protection. In cold climate hydrology the research includes studies at Oulanka research station and collaboration at Pallas study site in the Finnish Arctic. The water research is organized in three research groups. More information: https://www.oulu.fi/en/university/faculties-and-units/faculty-technology/water-energy-and-environmental-engineering

We are opening a 2-year position for

a Postdoctoral researcher

for research on creating and fusion of digital twins of river basins. We are looking for a talented and motivated Postdoctoral scientist dedicated to combining high resolution field research (high frequency sensors, 3D lidar mapping, etc), multi-scale environmental data and data fusion analysis. Work is led by assistant processor Hannu Marttila as part of Hydrology and Water Quality -research group.

Job description

You will work on research tasks in a Green-Digi-Basin project funded by Academy of Finland and linked to National Freshwater Competence Center Hydro-RDI-network (https://hydrordi.com/ ). Hydro-RDI is a consortium formed by the University of Turku, University of Oulu, the Finnish Environment Institute, Aalto University and Finnish Geospatial institute besides several private companies. Hydro-RDI gathers the highest competence in hydrological Research, Development, and Infrastructure in Finland. It is funded by the Academy of Finland through three projects: The Hydro-RDI network, Hydro – RI platform and the Green-Digi-Basin. Education, Infrastructure, Research, Development, and Innovation within Hydro-RDI is shared among all partners.

What we expect

The objective of the Green-Digi-Basin project is to create highly accurate thematic digital replicas of the river basins, called Digital Twins. The Digital Twins will help measure, model and predict environmental change and human impact, in order to develop and test scenarios that would support sustainable development, and digital and green transition in river basin management. The successful candidate will join the team formed from several national institutes and develop different components in river basin Digital Twins, namely physical parametrizations of land, hydrology and river processes. Major emphasis will be on the data fusion and assimilation of various high resolution data sets and improving the modelling of these aspects at high-resolution to enable a more realistic representation of the real world.

To succeed in the position, you are required to have:

- Doctoral degree in an engineering, physical, mathematical or environmental science or equivalent experience. The doctoral degree must have been received no more than 10 years ago.

- Very good programming and scripting skills and experience with developing and maintaining large scientific codes

- Experience in handling large observational and/or modelling datasets, their statistical analysis and data assimilation

- Strong English language skills both in oral and written communication

We also appreciate the following know-how and experience in:

- Basic knowledge of hydrological processes. Knowledge from hydrological modelling is advantageous.

- Ability to work both independently and with different research groups and teams

- Good track-record of scientific publishing in top journals of the research field

What we offer

We offer you an interesting and versatile position in strong group on water and hydrological research and the possibility to develop professionally with the help of an experienced and enthusiastic team. Furthermore, we offer the development opportunities of a big organisation with flexible working hours, excellent work-life balance, sports- and culture benefits and occupational healthcare services. Regular salary is paid 12 months per year, including paid leave and an additional holiday bonus in the summer.

Oulu is a combination of beautiful, northern nature, vivid cultural life and modern technology. The city is also known for its highly educated people and friendly, easy-going atmosphere. Oulu enjoys the high standard of living Finland is known for, while the cost of living is still affordable in national comparison. The Oulu region is home to over 200 000 people making it the largest urban centre in northern Nordics and one of the fastest growing regions in Finland. Find out more about Oulu: https://www.oulu.fi/university/living-in-oulu

Salary

The salary will be based on the level 5 of the demand level chart for teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. In addition, a salary component based on personal work performance will be paid (maximum of 50 % of the job-specific component). Typical monthly salary for a starting postdoctoral fellow is 3300-3800 € (before taxes).

Applications and selection process

Apply online latest on March 1st, 2022 (23:59 Finnish time). Please include the following attachments in your application:

1) A letter of motivation with contact information

2) Curriculum vitae following the guidelines of the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity: http://www.tenk.fi/en/template-researchers-curriculum-vitae

3) List of publications following the guidelines of the Academy of Finland: https://www.aka.fi/en/research-funding/apply-for-funding/how-to-apply-for-funding/az-index-of-application-guidelines2/list-of-publications/  

4) Brief account of research merits (max 1 page)

5) A copy of the applicant’s Doctoral and Master of Science degree diplomas, or, if not available at the time of application, a statement from the applicant and their supervisor(s) regarding the expected completion date. The degree must be completed prior to beginning the employment.

6) Contact details of 2–4 persons available for recommendation.

The eligible applicants fitting best in the expected research profile may be invited to an on-site or remote interview. All applicants will be notified when the selection process is completed.

Further information

The duration of the position is 2 years, beginning on 1st of April 2022 (or as soon as possible thereafter). A trial period of 6 months is applied in the position.

Further details are available from

Assistant professor Hannu Marttila, hannu.marttila(at)oulu.fi

We are looking forward to your application!