Post doctor position on benthic habitat mapping with AUV

The Benthic Communities Research Group is seeking a postdoctoral researcher in biological benthic habitat mapping with new technologies. You will be involved in our mapping programmes, of which MAREANO is the largest, where we map inshore and offshore benthic communities and are facing new challenges in deep-sea sampling and increased data collection. You will be involved in the development of state-of-the-art sampling and analysis methods - especially developing workflows for the use of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) in benthic habitat mapping. This will include the handling and analyses of large image datasets (~10 000 images per mission) and pursuing machine learning techniques to speed up analyses. You will also have the freedom to pursue your own interests within related fields and publish peer-reviewed research using existing and new datasets from these mapping programmes. The position has a duration of four years. 25 % of the position will be dedicated to general responsibilities at IMR, such as advisory tasks and contributing to the analysis of publication of data from other related projects.

The Benthic Communities group focuses on research, mapping and monitoring of benthic ecosystems, from seagrass and kelp in coastal waters to coral reefs and soft bottom communities in deep waters. Research and monitoring will support our national advisory task on ecosystem-based management of our seas and coastal areas, where both climate and human activities are important factors. Marine ecological research is rapidly developing and collaboration with leading developers on new technology is central to our work. The research group currently has 35 employees with workplaces in Bergen, Tromsø and Flødevigen. This position will be in Bergen.

• Development of AUV image analysis workflows
• Contribution to the development of AUV sampling protocols
• Contribution to the development of machine learning/computer vision annotation methods
• Contribution to the development of other state-of-the-art sampling and analysis techniques
• Ecological statistical analyses of benthic community mapping datasets
• Participation in inshore and offshore research cruises 

• PhD in marine biology, computational biology, or a related field
• Skills in mapping, monitoring and/or video/image analyses
• High numerical/statistical/computational competency

We will emphasize:

• Skills in state-of-the-art techniques for mapping, monitoring, and video/image analyses
• Skills in computer vision/machine learning image analyses
• Skills in analytical programming like R, Matlab, Python, Julia
• Skills in spatial ecology analyses
• Skills in benthic species identification
• Experience from research and mapping cruises
• Experience from national and/or international interdisciplinary collaborations
• Experience of remote sensing datasets
• Experience with acoustic data
• Published relevant research in international peer-reviewed journals
• Good written and oral skills in English

The working language at IMR is Norwegian and good communication skills in Norwegian will be beneficial for both the applicant and IMR. Language training will be offered to candidates without documented Norwegian B1 level.  

At the IMR we believe that personality affects how we work, communicate, and thrive in the workplace. For this position we are interested in candidates who:

• Thrives well in collaboration with others and at the same time works independently
• Have good communication and collaboration skills
• Work structured, solution-oriented and deliver with high quality
• Are concerned about a good working environment
• Likes to participate in cruises and field work

The Institute of Marine Research value diversity. Therefore, we welcome all qualified candidates to apply for the position, regardless of age, gender, functional ability, nationality or ethnical background. We are an Inclusive Working Life Enterprise, and we aim to facilitate for applicants with disabilities.

Upon receiving applications from candidates with reduced abilities, gaps in CV or immigrant background, we will invite at least one qualified candidate from each category to an interview. In order to be considered for affirmative action, certain requirements should be met. Please read more here (https://arbeidsgiver.difi.no/positivsaerbehandling).

If you wish to be considered for affirmative action, please specify when submitting your application.

• Work at one of Europe's leading marine research institutions with great social impact
• A challenging, creative, and international working environment
• Flexible working hours, good pensions and welfare schemes
• Good pension scheme through the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

The Institute of Marine Research offers a government-regulated salary as 1352 Post Doctor, an excellent pension scheme through the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, and other welfare benefits (see https://spk.no/en/ (https://spk.no/en/) for more information).

Applications should be submitted electronically via the link on this page and should be accompanied by a cover letter summarizing relevant skills and reasons why they are applying for the position, a complete CV, publication list, copies of maximum 5 peer reviewed publications, three references and transcripts of academic degrees.

Please note that information about applicants may be made public even if an applicant has requested to be exempted from the list of applicants. Applicants will be notified about this in advance.

The Institute of Marine Research value diversity. We therefore encourage all qualified candidates to apply for the vacancy, regardless of age, gender, functional ability, nationality or ethnical background. We are an Including Working Life Enterprise, and we aim to facilitate for applicants with reduced abilities.

For more information about the position, please contact Rebecca Ross (rebecca.ross@hi.no) or head of research group Frithjof Moy (moy@hi.no, phone +47 478 00 024)

You can also visit our web site at www.hi.no/en.

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