PhD Fellow in Remote Sensing of Rain-On-Snow Preconditioning Sea Ice Melt Onset

The position

A PhD position is available at the Department of Physics and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology with the Earth Observation Group.

The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % each year and will consist of teaching and other duties. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position.

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 

Rain-on-snow (ROS) events on sea ice are becoming increasingly frequent in both polar regions. ROS events modify snow and sea ice geophysical properties, amplifying the thermodynamic coupling at the ocean-sea ice-atmosphere interface. Melt onset timing is an important

indicator of the seasonal evolution of the sea ice cover. Moreover, it is not yet clear to what extent ROS events can precondition the snow/sea ice physical system and in turn advance, delay, or alter the timing and progression of seasonal spring melt.

The PhD position’s objective is to investigate this link using observations from multi-frequency satellite SAR (TerraSAR-X, Sentinel-1, RCM, NISAR, ALOS-2/-4) and laser and radar altimetry (ICESat-2, CryoSat-2, SWOT and forthcoming CRISTAL) missions, supported by meteorological data, climate reanalysis and in-situ observations. The project will focus on case studies from Arctic landfast sea ice regions in

the Atlantic and Canadian Arctic sectors, examining how ROS events modify snow/sea ice physical properties through the freeze-up and winter period and their consequent influence changes in spring melt onset timing.

The PhD position will have three interconnected objectives: 1) Detect and characterize ROS events and their impact on snow/sea ice physical system using reanalysis, meteorological, satellite data and in situ observations from past field campaigns; 2) Detect ROS-induced melt from

SAR+altimetry observations and investigate and determine whether ROS preconditions and changes the timing of seasonal spring melt onset; and 3) Improve melt onset detection and prediction, using information from previous ROS events, using multi-frequency SAR and altimetry

observations. If time allows, the project intends to also examine if the developed methods can be applied to Antarctic sea ice.

Qualifications

Required qualifications:

• A Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline (e.g. physics, remote sensing, geosciences, geodesy, environmental science, etc.). If you are near completion of your Master’s degree, you may still apply.
• Documented fluency in English and be able to work in an international environment. 
• Demonstrated practical experience using any of the satellite remote sensing systems listed in the project description above (ideally SAR for cryosphere applications)
• Strong programming skills (preferably Python or MATLAB)
• Strong background in statistics
• Fulfillment of the requirements for admission to the PhD program (next section)

Desired qualifications:

• Experience with cryosphere applications, snow in particular
• Working knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language

International experience is an advantage. Emphasis is also given to personal suitability. We are looking for candidates with:

• High self-motivation and interest in the topic
• Ability to work independently
• Great analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent work ethic and commitment to the job

As many people as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.

Admission to the PhD programme

For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Science and Technology and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.

Admission normally requires:  

• A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. 

In order to gain admission to the programme, the candidate must document sufficient potential for research. The applicant must have a grade point average of C (strong 3.0) or better for the master’s degree, which must contain an independent work. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here. 

If you are employed in the position, you will be provisionally admitted to the PhD programme. Application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after taking up the position. 

Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Depending on which country the education is from, one or two additional years of university education may be required to fulfil admission requirements, e.g. a 4-year bachelor's degree and a 2-year master's degree. UiT normally accepts higher education from countries that are part of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

Inclusion and diversity

UiT The Arctic University of 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 are 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 at 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

• The chance to work in a group with strong international collaborations
• Possibilities to participate in polar sea ice fieldwork, beyond the essential requirements of this project.
• Good career opportunities.
• A fantastic, lively work environment with an international research group of around 20 Faculty, Postdocs and Doctoral Students.
• Opportunities to travel and flexible working hours
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund
• A cosy hometown of Tromsø surrounded by the stunning landscape of Northern Scandinavia
• Involvement in an interesting research project 
• Good career opportunities 
• PhD Fellows are normally given a salary of 580 000 NOK/year with a 3% yearly increase
• If you have to relocate to Tromsø then the Faculty of Science and Technology may reimburse your moving costs. Further details regarding this matter will be made available if you receive an offer from us.

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 about working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

How to apply

Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the documentation submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you include all necessary documents demonstrating your qualifications for the position.

Your application must include: 

• Introduction and motivation letter, including an explanation of your interest in cryosphere research and this project. Please avoid using generative AI tools to produce this (max 1 page)
• CV
• Official diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degree in the original language 
• Official transcripts of grades/academic record for Bachelor's and Master's degree in the original language
• Official translation of diplomas and transcripts of records (ToR) to English or a Scandinavian language, if applicable
• Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
• Documentation of English proficiency. Nordic applicants can document their English capabilities by attaching their high school diploma.
• 2 references with contact information
• Master’s thesis, and any other academic works

Qualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must still submit your transcript of grades for the master’s degree with your application.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. 

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 engagement is to be made in accordance with the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment.

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

Remuneration for the position of PhD Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017. 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.

A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the PhD Fellow has already completed parts of their research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position PhD Fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years. 

We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to the Personal Data Act information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication, if you have requested non-disclosure. 

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. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants. 

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.