Post-Doctoral Research Associate

About us

We are seeking to appoint a postdoctoral research associate (PDRA) to join an international team working on the BELS project: “Bubble Exchange in the Labrador Sea”. Dr Helen Czerski (UCL) and Professor Ian Brooks (University of Leeds) are leading the part of BELS focused on understanding bubble-mediated gas transfer between the atmosphere and ocean during high-wind conditions, and the PDRA’s work will focus on the management and analysis of data collected in the Labrador Sea to understand the small-scale (0.1mm – 5m) bubble-related mechanisms responsible for the uptake of carbon dioxide and oxygen at the ocean surface.

About the role

A postdoctoral research associate is required to join the BELS team, working mostly in London but with regular visits to Leeds. The post is funded until the end of January 2027, and ideally the PDRA would start work as soon as possible, likely to be in the early summer of 2024 (dates negotiable). The motivation for the whole BELS study is that the current uncertainty in the magnitude of global air-sea carbon dioxide flux is of the order of 30%, and also that the best models underestimate mean oxygen annual oxygen uptake in the Labrador Sea region by 50-70%. Our work is directly targeted at understanding the near-surface mechanisms responsible for gas uptake, in order to reduce these critical uncertainties.

About you

The successful applicant will have a PhD in a relevant branch of the physical or mathematical sciences, and experience of managing and analysing experimental data. Some familiarity with fluid flows, multiphase flows, bubbles, air-sea gas transfer or broader oceanic and atmospheric science is highly desirable. Excellent organisational skills are essential. Experience in programming for data analysis (Matlab, Python, etc.) is required, as is the ability to work both independently and as part of a team, and a flexible approach to problem-solving. You should have good communication skills and a track record of publishing research in high quality journals.

What we offer

For information about our rewards and benefits please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian, and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people and LGBTQI+ people.

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