Ledig stilling på Universitetet i Oslo

Blindern og Urbygningen (Foto: Wikimedia og Colourbox)

Researcher position in data assimilation related to snow and permafrost

Deadline: 15.11.2019

Job description

Universitetet i Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.


The geosciences are the studies of planet Earth; the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and cryosphere, the earth's surface and it’s interior. The Department of Geosciences is Norway’s widest ranging academic geoscience research environment, encompassing four sections (Meteorology and Oceanography, Geography and Hydrology, Geology and Geophysics, Physics of Geological Processes) and one Centre of Excellence (Centre of Earth Evolution and Dynamics).


In addition we participate in other centres and hold several ERC grants. The staff consists of 40 professors and associate professors, in addition to postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, researchers, technical staff and administrative personnel, to a total number of 240.

Flere stillinger fra Universitetet i Oslo

A researcher position is available at the Department of Geosciences at the University of Oslo. The position is for a period of 1 year and 7 months, with starting date 1 December 2019. The candidate will primarily work with algorithm development in the international CCI Permafrost project funded by the European Space Agency ESA, together with scientists with expertise on remote sensing methods and permafrost modelling. The project contribution of the University of Oslo is led by Sebastian Westermann .

More about the position

Within the ESA CCI Permafrost project, the University of Oslo is responsible for algorithm development, combining remote sensing data with ground thermal models to develop spatially and temporally resolved products of active layer thickness and ground temperature. The processing chain is based on the CryoGrid permafrost models, implemented on a supercomputing cluster within Norway. A particular emphasis is put on the representation of the naturally occurring spatial variability within model pixels.

The candidate will mainly work with the implementation of remotely sensed snow extent products in the processing chain. The goal is to make use of ensemble-based data assimilation methods which can both help quantify uncertainty and characterize the subgrid variability of remotely sensed data. The results of the processing chain, including different subroutines, will be compared against field data sets from world-wide locations, in close collaboration with the international ESA CCI Permafrost validation team. Scientific publications in international journals are expected as part of the project.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition of being a leading research faculty. Candidates will be selected in accordance with this, and are expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials. Applications are encouraged from dedicated candidates with excellent writing skills and the ability to work in a highly team-orientated environment.

  • The successful candidate must have a PhD degree or the equivalent with a track record in numerical modeling and remote sensing.
  • The candidate must in particular demonstrate experience with data assimilation methods (in particular the Ensemble Kalman Filter and related methods), remote sensing of snow extent and fractional snow covered area, as well as numerical modeling of snow mass balance based on surface energy balance formulations.
  • The expertise in all topics should be reflected in the candidate’s publication record (including submitted work).
  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in English (evt.) and a Scandinavian language.

The successful candidate should further demonstrate:

  • Technical expertise in programming, in particular MATLAB, julia, C, and/or FORTRAN
  • Experience with numerical permafrost models, in particular CryoGrid or similar models
  • Experience with representing small-scale (i.e. subgrid) variability of natural processes in numerical models
  • Hands-on experience with field measurements of snow cover and permafrost
  • Evidence of creativity and capability of independent research

About the research group

The position is affiliated with the Section for Physical Geography and Hydrology, which has long-term experience in investigating the terrestrial cryosphere (permafrost, snow, glaciers) and is involved in various high-level research projects and centers.

See for instance:

http://www.mn.uio.no/geo/english/about/organisation/geohyd/,http://www.mn.uio.no/geo/english/research/groups/remotesensing/ or http://www.mn.uio.no/geo/english/research/groups/cryospherehttp://www.mn.uio.no/geo/english/research/groups/cryosphere/

We offer a lively, friendly and collaborative research environment in cold regions sciences, in particular in cryospheric sciences, remote sensing, geohazards, and geomatics. We participate in projects by the European Union and the European Space Agency such that the successful candidate will have excellent opportunity to participate in international research networks.

We offer

  • salary NOK 523 200– 573 100 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Researcher (position code 1109)
  • a professionally stimulating working environment
  • attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

  • Application letter including a statement of research interests
  • CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work, and other qualifying activity)
  • Copies of educational certificates and transcript of records
  • List of other academic works and publications and/or awards and stipends that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
  • Names and contact details of 2-3 referees (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

Formal regulations

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

  • Sebastian Westermann, email: sebastian.westermann@geo.uio.no, tel: +47 2285 5927

For technical questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR adviser Torunn Standal Guttormsen, email: t.s.guttormsen@mn.uio.no, tel: +47 22854 272

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