ArcticWATCH – Post-Doc

Type: Post-doctoral scholarship

Position: Full-time for 36 months (3 yr)

Net salary: 2900-3100 €/month (incl. social insurance and transportation to/from work)

Start date: As soon as possible

Keywords: CMIP6, DCPP, initialized predictions, sea ice predictability

Description of the work:

The selected applicant will contribute to advancing our understanding of the sub-decadal fluctuations of the Arctic sea ice cover in observations and in models. First, the candidate will explore the reasons behind the acceleration of sea ice retreat observed in the first decade of the 21st century using numerical simulations carried out with the NEMO-SI3 model at resolutions of 1°, ¼°, and 1/12°. Additionally, he/she will elucidate the causes of the slow-down of sea ice retreat observed since the early 2010s. Following this, the candidate will evaluate a vast array of initialized decadal predictions from the DCPP archive of CMIP6 to determine whether they can anticipate sub-decadal fluctuations in Arctic sea ice such as the observed ones. Lastly, the candidate will investigate the non-stationarity of sea ice predictability in the warming Arctic to help constrain and predict future variability.

The work will be conducted in the framework of the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant funded project “ArcticWATCH: early warning of future rapid Arctic sea ice loss (2023-2027).

Expected profile:

The successful candidate should

• hold a PhD thesis in climatology, Earth science, or related field;
• have published in peer-reviewed international journals;
• have acquired experience in analyzing climate model output;
• demonstrate verbal and written communication skills in English;
• demonstrate autonomy, sense of initiative and proactivity.

Applicants should send to François Massonnet (francois.massonnet@uclouvain.be), a single PDF file containing:

1. i. A 1-page statement mentioning the position applied for, the research experience, the qualification, and the interest in the position.
2. ii. A complete CV including a list of publications.
3. iii. The name and contact information of two scientists who would agree to send a letter of recommendation.

The candidates will be short-listed based on the materials received in the application and the top-ranked candidates will be interviewed remotely. The review of applications will start on May 20. The positions are open until they are filled.