Postdoctoral Research Fellow position in remote sensing and modeling of the cryosphere

About the position

We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position in remote sensing and modeling of the cryosphere, available at the Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

Starting date as soon as possible.

The appointment is a full-time position and is for a period of three years (10% of which is devoted to other career-promoting work, usually in the form of teaching activities).

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo.

Place of work is Department of Geosciences at Blindern, Oslo.

Project description

The position is affiliated with the Department’s Section for Physical Geography and Hydrology, which has long-term experience in investigating the terrestrial cryosphere and is involved in various high-level research projects and centers. (See for instance http://www.mn.uio.no/geo/english/about/organisation/geohyd and https://www.mn.uio.no/geo/english/research/groups/remotesensing). We are a growing, lively, friendly and collaborative research environment in cold regions sciences, in particular in glaciology, remote sensing, geohazards, hydrology and geomatics. We participate in a number of international projects such that the successful candidate will have excellent opportunities to participate in international research networks. We also run an advanced drone lab on behalf of the entire faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (https://www.mn.uio.no/geo/english/research/about/infrastructure/facilities/observations/geosciences/the-drone-infrastructure-laboratory/).

• The position is embedded in a network of projects that involve remote sensing of the cryosphere and related data science methods: 

  the European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant SnowShifts with University of Oslo (Prof. A. Kääb), EPFL Sion and WSL/SLF (Prof. M. Lehning), and BOKU Vienna (Dr. F. Koch) as PI institutions, and GFZ Potsdam, CESBIO Toulouse and ANavS Munich as further key partners. (

  https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101224858) 
• the SchmidtSciences project MountAInWater (lead: F. Pelliciotti, ISTA, and W. Immerzeel, Utrecht, and further PIs from Canada, Singapore, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway and Germany.  (https://www.schmidtsciences.org/view/#modal-mountainwater-water-from-the-mountains-global-reanalysis-and-future-tipping-points) 
• various ESA projects including Glaciers_CCI, Permafrost_CCI, Karakoram Anomaly, and the forthcoming EarthExplorer 10 mission Harmony. (https://climate.esa.int/en/projects/, https://climate.esa.int/en/Cross_ECV_Projects/ , https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/ESA_selects_Harmony_as_tenth_Earth_Explorer_mission)

The candidate will develop and apply cutting-edge remote sensing or photogrammetry methods, in combination with data science approaches such as machine learning and data assimilation via cryospheric models. A main focus of this work is snow and glaciers in the mountains around the globe. Candidates with relevant prior research experience in these areas will therefore be given preference. The candidate will have ample opportunities to collaborate internationally with other world-leading research environments and space agencies, and for field work in mountain environments and the Arctic.

The exact focus of the position and its primary project affiliation will be developed together with the successful candidate.

The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.

What skills are important in this role?

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

Required qualifications:

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in geomatics, geosciences, geophysics, environmental sciences, computer/data science or relevant topics in other fields. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defence are eligible for appointment
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Must document a strong quantitative background and interest in remote sensing or photogrammetry, and related data science approaches, and a strong interest in geosciences/climate sciences.
• Must document scientific programming experience, specifically for data processing, analysis, or modeling of the cryosphere.
• The candidate must have proof of excellence in research as demonstrated through publications in refereed journals and presentations at scholarly conferences. The candidate’s publication record must show evidence of creativity and capability of independent research.

Desired qualifications:

• Good knowledge about cryospheric and mountain processes.
• Interest and willingness for, or experience with, field work in high-mountain/cold environments is an advantage.
• Previous experience in automated processing of large data volumes such as Earth observation data is beneficial. 
• It is an advantage if potential previous experience with data science approaches includes the application of Bayesian inference or probabilistic machine learning to geophysical models.

UiO is subject to the Security Act, which governs the organisation's protection of security-sensitive objects and knowledge, in addition to other relevant legislation concerning access to and handling of sensitive information. Based on this, it is a requirement that successful applicants are security-eligible. We may use background checks as part of our recruitment process.

What are we looking for in you?

Personal skills:

• You share our genuine enthusiasm for the cryosphere, and the technologies and methods to observe and understand its changes.
• You are a person who prefers being present at work and actively contributes to the professional and social environment you are a part of.
• You are able to work both independently and as part of a team.
• You look forward to working in an interdisciplinary and international scientific environment.

Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal skills.

We can offer you

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development
• Committed colleagues in a good working environment
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.  
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities
• Postdoctoral development programmes.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes
• Salary in position as Postdoctoral Fellow, position code 1352 in salary range NOK 595 000 - 690 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund

We need different perspectives in our work

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues, could you be the next one?

We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps (Norwegian), we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports. More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here. 

We hope you will apply for the position with us.

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records
• A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for this job".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

The best qualified candidates will be invited for interviews.

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

If an applicant has applied for and been granted funding for a fulltime research stay abroad while being employed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the employment will be prolonged with the equivalent time as the research stay, but for no longer than of twelve months ( thus extending the employment to a maximum of four years)

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we can't, you will hear from us.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results a.o.