Postdoctoral Fellow in Weather and Climate Physics

Knowledge that shapes society

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Video: https://youtu.be/M5n6RnScNgA Postdoctoral position

At the Department of Geophysics and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, a position is vacant for a postdoctoral fellow in weather and climate physics, and representation of these through machine learning. The position is for a fixed-term period of three years and is linked to the project "Reaching AI Projections Trustworthy for Unseen Rainfall Extremes (RAPTURE)", funded by a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC).

About the project/tasks:

How can we simulate the properties and hazards of extreme precipitation under conditions we have never observed, in a trustworthy manner? RAPTURE is a five-year project focusing on this question, which lies at the core of understanding flood disasters in an increasingly warmer and wetter world. RAPTURE combines high-resolution physical simulations, machine learning-based climate emulators, and new perspectives on the dynamics of weather and climate to understand i) what current simulations of extreme precipitation already capture reliably, ii) where they need improvement, and iii) how they can be improved. Working as part of RAPTURE will provide expertise in dynamic meteorology, machine learning for the Earth system, and climate risk research, with opportunities to participate in European research collaboration.

The appointee will be a central part of RAPTURE, where they will train and further develop groundbreaking machine learning emulators and use new diagnostic tools to understand how well these emulators function, from a physical and meteorological perspective. The appointee shall seek answers to key, open research questions, including which data sources provide the most reliable climate projections, whether certain weather phenomena are more challenging to model with machine learning than others, and whether it is possible to develop emulators that can be used in parts of the world with sparse data availability. The appointee will have the opportunity to influence how these issues are handled, and it is expected that they will put their own stamp on their work.

Qualifications and attributes:

• Applicants must have obtained a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctorate (ph.d.) in atmospheric physics, meteorology, climate science, or machine learning. Ph.d. students may apply if the defense is completed by March 2027. It is a prerequisite that the doctorate is obtained before employment can take place.
• Good mathematical and analytical skills are required.
• Interest in meteorology related to extreme events and machine learning for the Earth system is required.
• Good and documented programming skills are required.
• Experience with geospatial data analysis in Python, working in scientific HPC environments, use of machine learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch), and version control tools (e.g., GitHub) is an advantage.
• Applicants must be able to work independently, structured, and have good collaborative skills.
• Applicants must have good English skills, both written and oral.
• Personal and interpersonal qualities will be emphasized. Research experience, ambitions, and potential will also count when assessing candidates.

Specific requirements for the position: UiB is subject to export control regulations, and these regulations apply when processing applications for the position.

About the postdoctoral position:

The postdoctoral position is a fixed-term position and its main goal is to qualify the appointee for work in top scientific positions. Candidates lacking teaching experience and/or other qualifying competence will be given the opportunity for qualifying work, either during the fixed-term period or through a possible extension of the fixed-term period (maximum four years in total). The position may be extended by up to one year if the candidate is granted research stays abroad from external sources (maximum four years in total). No one can be appointed to more than one fixed-term period as a postdoc at the same institution.

After commencement, the postdoc, in collaboration with the supervisor and head of department, shall develop a plan for the qualifying work, including a progress plan.

It is a prerequisite that the person appointed completes the project during the employment period.

We offer:

• a good and academically stimulating work environment
• employment as a postdoc (code 1352) in the state salary scale. This constitutes an annual salary of NOK 685,900. Further progression occurs according to seniority in the position. For particularly qualified applicants, it may be possible to consider a higher salary.
• membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (Statens pensjonskasse)
• good welfare schemes

The application must include:

A cover letter containing:

• a short description of research interests and the motivation for applying for the position
• a detailed justification of your qualifications in relation to the listed requirements, and how you meet each criterion. Additionally, you should address the mentioned "advantages", as these will be considered during the ranking of candidates.

(Note: Generative AI will not be used to evaluate applications, and it is expected that the cover letter is likewise prepared without the use of generative AI.)

• names and contact information for two references. One of these should be the primary supervisor from the doctoral education. If this is not the case, a short justification must be provided in the cover letter.
• CV
• transcripts and diplomas. If you have not yet completed your doctorate, you can submit a confirmation from the institution of the expected date of obtaining the doctorate. The doctorate must be documented with a diploma, or alternatively a confirmation from the awarding institution of the completed degree, by March 2027.
• relevant certificates
• a list of any scientific work you believe is relevant to document your professional production and your potential. This includes published articles or other contributions, including openly available submitted manuscripts, contributions to scientific software, organization of conferences or workshops, or science communication activities.

Applications and attachments with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded to JobNorge.

General information:

Further information about the position can be obtained by contacting Dr. Joshua Oldham-Dorrington, Department of Geophysics, University of Bergen, joshua.dorrington@uib.no, or Head of Department Tor Eldevik, Department of Geophysics, Tor.Eldevik@uib.no.

For HR-related questions, contact Magnus Larsen, e-mail: magnus.larsen@uib.no.

Diversity is a strength and enables us to solve our tasks even better. UiB therefore needs qualified employees regardless of gender, ethnicity, economic background, religion, belief, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and age.

The University of Bergen uses the principle of public access when hiring for scientific positions. Information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to be included in the applicant list. If the request is not honored, the applicant shall be notified.

We encourage applicants with disabilities, immigrant backgrounds, or gaps in their CV to apply. If you check this box in the application, you may receive positive preferential treatment. We always invite at least one qualified applicant from each of these groups to an interview.

More about the recruitment process here.