PhD position in Smart Ocean Observations and Drift Modelling for Marine Applications

About us and the project

The Division for Oceanography and Maritime Meteorology (OM) at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (MET Norway) in Bergen, Norway, is announcing a four-year PhD position in Smart Ocean Observations and Drift Modelling for Marine Applications

About us

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute forecasts the weather, monitors the climate, and conducts research. Since its establishment in 1866, Norwegian meteorologists have played a central role in the development of the field. Today, the institute is a leading international center of expertise. Our ability to communicate weather and climate information to different user groups results from the work of various professional groups within the institute. Collecting weather data and managing and efficiently analyzing large datasets are crucial for performing these tasks. Equally important is understanding how to present this information so that users can benefit from it. The institute develops and provides a wide range of useful services. We conduct extensive research and deliver climate data that can be used, among other things, to help society adapt to future climate conditions. We have a free and open data policy, meaning that anyone can use our data freely for the benefit of society. A common goal across all our work is to help safeguard lives and property. At the OM division in Bergen, maritime safety is a key focus guiding our activities. We are responsible for developing wave forecasting services and operational emergency models that simulate drift at sea (e.g., oil spills, vessels, and search-and-rescue objects). In recent years, we have invested significant resources in developing the new climate archive NORA3. We are also responsible for making meteorological and oceanographic (metocean) data available to public agencies, the offshore industry, and the offshore wind sector. These analyses involve extracting historical climate data on wind, waves, and sometimes currents, with the aim of providing an overview of average conditions and extreme values for specific locations or larger geographical areas. 

About the project

The position is part of the EU Horizon project EU-FUSION and the WaveForce project funded by Norwegian Research Council. The EU-FUSION aims to develop a Digital Twin Ocean (DTO) by integrating ocean, coastal, ecological, and socio-economic models into a modular and interoperable framework. The WaveForce project aims to improve the state of the art of oil spill models through a coordinated programme of research, technology development, lab and field work. The position also includes 25% duty work related to operational/research activities at MET Norway, including metocean studies, development of data processing workflows, and software tools.

About the position

The work will include:

• Development of small directional buoys with telemetry for coastal applications in areas of intense wave-current interaction.
• Develop the drift modelling framework, OpenDrift, to integrate observational data into drift simulations using Machine Learning (ML) techniques
• Extending buoys with acoustic sensors
• Field work at sea and along the coast
• Contributing to the integration of developed tools and datasets into the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EDITO) platform 
• Supporting the development of visualization tools and open-access datasets
• Collaborating with international partners and stakeholders to improve ocean monitoring and prediction systems

Qualifications and expected skills

• The applicant must have obtained an MSc or similar in data science, computer science, physics, applied mathematics, oceanography, meteorology, or a similar field.
• The applicant must satisfy the requirements for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Bergen, Norway (average grade: C or better).
• The candidate must be able to work effectively in English and demonstrate fluency, both written and oral. The working language at MET Norway is Norwegian. Foreign candidates must be willing to learn basic Norwegian.
• Experience with programming in Python is required.
• Experience with machine learning is an advantage.
• Experience in embedded-systems programming and electrical engineering or similar is an advantage.
• Experience with signal processing, Fourier analysis and acoustic modeling and analysis is an advantage.
• Experience in field work or similar work is an advantage. 
• Experience with git version control is an advantage.
• The applicant should be independent and enjoy teaming up to reach common goals. 

Personal characteristics will be of importance, as well as ambition level and potential. The candidate must expect some traveling to present results at conferences, meetings, and research visits abroad of up to six months. Employment is contingent on the candidate meeting the academic requirements of the University of Bergen for enrolment in their PhD programme. The successful applicant will be enrolled at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Bergen and will be situated on the university campus.

We offer

• Salary as a PhD research fellow (code 1017). This constitutes a gross annual salary span from NOK 575 000,- to NOK 650 000,-. Further salary increases are made according to length of service in the position.
• Flexible working hours with summer time.
• Possibility of one hour of training during working hours per week.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse (SPK) with good schemes for pensions, insurances and mortgages (read more here: https://www.spk.no/Medlemskap-i-SPK/). A 2% statutory contribution to the Statens Pensjonskasse is deducted from the salary.
• Insurance and mortgage through SPK.
• A pleasant working environment in a dynamic and enthusiastic group.
• The first six months are a mutual trial period.

Diversity and positive action

We believe that diversity is a strength, and want employees with different skills, subject combinations, work experience, gender, life experience and perspectives. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply for a job with us regardless of ethnic background, age or ability.

MET practice positive action, and will call at least one qualified applicant in each of these groups for an interview: applicants with a disability, immigrant background or gaps in the CV. To be considered in one or more of these categories, you must mark the appropriate category in your application.

Functional impairment: applicants who need accommodation in the workplace or in the working relationship.

Immigrant background: applicants who have themselves immigrated to Norway. Or who was born in Norway with two parents who both immigrated to Norway.

Gaps in CV: applicants who have had a break from work, education or training for a total of at least two years in the last five years due to e.g. physical or mental illness or injury, intoxication or punishment.

The ticks can be used for anonymised statistics or reporting purposes.

Publication of applicant lists for public sector positions is an important principle to ensure transparency. If you want your name to be excluded from the applicant list, you must ask for it yourself, and give us a reason. In order to be exempted from the public applicant list, your justification for exemption must outweigh the consideration of transparency in the applicant list. If your request is not accepted, you will have the opportunity to withdraw your application.

The application

The application must be submitted electronically via Jobbnorge.no. Please attach CV, motivation letter, original and translated diplomas and transcripts of record in English or a Scandinavian language, list of publications (if relevant), and the names of two references.

Attach certificates and all pages of diplomas. The documents must be in Norwegian, a Scandinavian language or English. Translations must be authorized. Before any employment, we will check the documents. In the case of foreign education, we ask that you attach an explanation of the grading system.