Research Assistant/Associate in Arctic climate dynamics (Fixed Term)

We invite applications for a two-year Post-Doctoral Research Assistant/Associate (PDRA) to join our team at the Centre for Climate Repair at the University of Cambridge. The post holder will work with the departments of Earth Sciences, Engineering, and Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, as well as with industrial partners. There will be excellent additional opportunities for collaboration both within the university and with international partners.

Research Project: The Arctic region has warmed at least twice as rapidly as the global warming trend. Arctic sea-ice has declined dramatically over the past few decades and an ostensibly ice-free summer Arctic in the near future seems like a real possibility. This would have significant global and regional implications and could trigger undesirable feedbacks (e.g. albedo feedback, ocean circulation disruptions). The goal of this project is to explore possible interventions that can hinder the decline trend or help regenerate sea-ice more effectively. The postdoctoral work will focus on high-resolution realistic modelling of the Arctic region, with a focus on ice-ocean interactions. The project will focus on I) enhancing scientific understandings of the physics of sea-ice and its interaction with the density stratified ocean beneath, II) use such knowledge to inform their representation in state-of-art models, and III) use the models to inform possible intervention design and quantify their potentials and hazards.

The post-holder will help develop a state-of-the-art model of the Arctic region in collaboration with multiple UK research centers through CANARI. The model will resolve important processes that govern ocean interaction with sea-ice and Greenland ice shelves. The post-holder will also work with industry on implementing optimised algorithms for sampling of data in the Arctic for the purpose of improving the parameterization of various quantities in the model, which in turn will be used to inform potential interventions with the goal of protecting Arctic ice. Sensitivity analysis of model parameterizations will be used to help establish the range of uncertainties of impacts following different potential interventions. 

The successful candidate must have (or be about to obtain) a Ph.D. in physical oceanography, glaciology, or climate dynamics or a relevant field. Applicants will have experience in at least one and ideally more of the following: numerical modelling, climate modelling, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Applied Mathematics/Physics, digital image analyses, landslide or other hazard mapping, data interpretation, and numerical programming. Excellent communication and collaboration skills are essential, alongside a publication record (commensurate with their career stage) and an ability to work effectively as part of a team.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for two years in the first instance.

Earliest start date: October 2024.

Further information on the role can be found in the Further Particulars document.

For enquiries and further details on the project, please contact PI Prof Ali Mashayek (am3158@cam.ac.uk)

Please ensure that you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV), a covering letter and publications list in the upload section. If you upload any additional documents that have not been requested they will not be considered as part of your application.

Please quote reference LB42748 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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