Postdoctoral Researcher position at NORCE

We are offering a 2-year Postdoctoral Position in the field of regional climate modelling. The position is available within the NATURACT project which explores the potential of nature-based solutions to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

The position will be based in Bergen at NORCE Climate and Environment which is affiliated with the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research (BCCR). NORCE Climate and Environment division has approximately 60 researchers conducting both basic and applied research on the past, present, and future climate system, on anthropogenic climate change, its impact on society, and on the feasibility of climate change mitigation options. BCCR is the largest climate research centre in the Nordic countries and among the leading centres in Europe. The working environment is highly international with around 200 scientists from 37 countries.

NATURACT is an exciting new research project financed by the Research Council of Norway (2021-2026). Rapid and far-reaching climate action is needed to avoid severe climate change and achieve climate-neutrality before the end of the century. Nature-based solutions as an agent for large-scale transformation in land use and land cover are a promising path forward for massive, no-regret solutions to this problem. The overall goal of NATURACT is to understand the impact, feedbacks, synergies and trade-offs of nature based solutions to recommend their upscaling for optimising climate adaptation and mitigation strategies

This position will initially focus on the research topics ?Developing Nature Based Solutions (NBS)/Land Use Change (LUC) scenarios" and ?Assessing the impact and viability of NBS/LUC on the regional climate system". The research position is expected to provide new insights into the regional and local response of the climate system to nature-based solutions as large-scale land use and land cover changes.

This is an exciting and challenging area of science and offers the opportunity to connect with scientists across multiple disciplines to develop innovative nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Project partners include experts in natural hazards from NGI, biogeochemistry at NTNU, cultural heritage from NIKU, landscape architecture and design from AHO. We are looking for a motivated, curiosity-driven person, preferably with experience in regional climate modelling.

• Jointly select scenarios for nature-based solutions with project partners.
• Implement selected NBS into WRF model.
• Perform modelling experiments according to agreed protocol with partners.
• Identify the impact of selected NBS scenarios on the local and regional climate.
• Effectively communicate pertinent research findings with the consortium.
• Ensure a timely delivery of research findings.
• Publish research in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals.
• Disseminate research findings to the research community and the broader public through activities organised by the project.

• A PhD within climate dynamics, meteorology, physics, mathematics, biology or related fields is required.
• A strong background in regional climate modelling, especially with the WRF model.
• Good knowledge of land-atmosphere interactions and land surface models.
• Skills in handling, analysing, and visualizing large data sets.
• Experience in working with Linux/Unix environments and with high level programming languages (e.g. FORTRAN, Matlab, R, Python).
• Strong track record in publishing and disseminating research appropriate to career stage.
• Ability to work across disciplines.
• Good team working skills while being proactive.
• Proficiency in both written and oral English.
• Excellent communication skills.

• Expertise in land surface modelling.
• Experience making code and data open access.
• Familiarity with cloud computing, open-source analysis tools, big data platforms, and Github.
• Experience running and analysing variable resolution global models, experience with WRF would be especially beneficial.

• A good and professionally challenging working environment.
• A competitive salary.
• Opportunities for independent project development.
• Possibility to influence your own work, work time and choice of solutions.
• Opportunities for career development.

• A brief account of your research interests and motivation for applying for the position.
• The names and contact information of two references.
• CV including a list of scientific publications.
• Transcripts, diplomas and relevant certificates.
• If a PhD has not yet been awarded: An official confirmation that the doctoral thesis has been submitted.
• The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at our recruitment portal Jobbnorge.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact: Dr. Priscilla A. Mooney (prmo@norceresearch.no). Questions about the application process can be directed to HR adviser Julia Dale (jdal@norceresearch.no).

Application deadline: October 31st, 2022.