Postdoctoral position in field-based research and modelling of permafrost-affected ecosystems in Greenland at Center for Permafrost

Center for Permafrost (CENPERM) at University of Copenhagen is recruiting a postdoctoral associate to work with field-based ecosystem manipulations and upscaling of ecosystem processes with a focus on soil physics and biogeochemical processes in Greenland. The position is for two years.

CENPERM is a Center of Excellence financed by the Danish National Research Foundation (2012-2022) and hosted by the Geography Section of the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management. CENPERM is focusing at interdisciplinary research of biogeochemical and physical processes in an approach to integrate “climate-vegetation-soil-microorganism-permafrost” along transects across the major climate zones of Greenland. The ambition is to improve the quantification and predictions of changes in element pools and fluxes relevant for Arctic ecosystems.

Research project
In the last seven years, CENPERM has performed field manipulations and measurements in the Arctic. New field activities include a winter warming experiment in Greenland and year-round measurements of subsurface greenhouse gas production and exchange with the atmosphere. We want to recruit a strong candidate to support the continuation of these field activities and to use previously collected and new data for upscaling to landscape and regional scales with process-based modelling and/or statistical methods, in order to extend the findings in time and space.

We expect the candidate to have qualifications and interests in a combination in at least 3 of the following topics:

• Field-based ecosystem manipulation experiments
• Monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions, with a particular focus on winter measurements of soil-atmosphere greenhouse gas exchange
• Laboratory investigations of subsurface greenhouse gas production and transport
• Process-based modelling of ecosystem processes with a focus on improved understanding of field manipulation results
• Remote sensing-based upscaling of field measurements
• Structural equation modelling, or similar

Qualifications
The postdoctoral associate can expect to work within a well-established interdisciplinary research group and take part in co-supervision of master- and PhD-students. We specifically seek a candidate with documented knowledge and interest in field-based experiments and process-based modelling of the environment, with hands-on experience using specific models - preferably with experience from Arctic ecosystems.

Candidates should have a PhD degree preferably in Earth or Environmental Sciences, Biogeochemistry or Biological Sciences with documented research in soil including interactions with organisms and/or the environment, and preferably linked to greenhouse gas production/transport.

Salary and terms of employment
The place of work will be in Copenhagen. The position is for 24 months (with a possibility of extension) starting on 1 November 2019 or as early as possible thereafter.

The starting salary is currently up to DKK 430.569 including annual supplement (+ pension up to DKK 73.627). Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.

The position is covered by the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.