Post-doctoral researcher in Geology. Onshore-offshore link of the Upper Palaeozoic in Svalbard and northern Barents Shelf (2 years)

General

UNIS

UNIS is the world's northernmost educational institution, located in Longyearbyen. UNIS has technical and scientific equipment, laboratories and infrastructure well suited for teaching and research in Arctic natural science and technology for sea, land and atmosphere. The disciplines include Arctic Biology, - Geophysics, - Geology and - Technology. All courses are taught in English, and about half of the staff and students are from abroad. UNIS is a state-owned corporation.

Longyearbyen is located in Svalbard, in the midst of a varied and beautiful Arctic nature with good opportunities for outdoor activities. Longyearbyen is a modern town with approx. 2200 inhabitants and has a good service offering including kindergartens, swimming / sports hall and a varied association, sports and cultural life

The Department of Arctic Geology of the University Centre in Svalbard has a vacancy for a post-doctoral researcher position for two years focusing on Upper Palaoezoic tectonics, basin fill and petroleum systems characterization in the northern Barents Shelf, including the Svalbard archipelago. The Department for Arctic Geology presently consists of 4 professors, 4 associate professors, 8 Ph.D. students, 10 adjunct professors, 1 post-doctoral researcher and 1 department technician. Additional information about the Arctic Geology Department can be found at http://www.unis.no/research/arctic-geology/.

The Post-doctoral researcher position is financed by the Research Centre for Arctic Petroleum Exploration (ARCEx), and will be affiliated with ARCEx’s work package “Geology”. ARCEx aims primarily to improve knowledge of petroleum resources in northern and Arctic areas, with the complementary aim of providing essential knowledge and methodology for eco-safe exploration in the high north. Eco-safe refers to the use of best available technology and practices in order to minimize impacts and risks to the sensitive Arctic environment. ARCEx is a multi-disciplinary research center hosted at the University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway, with nine national research partners and six sponsoring companies. More information about ARCEx can be found at http://www.arcex.no

Description of the vacant position

We seek a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual with strong academic ambitions and a corresponding track record that has the ability to work successfully within the large project team of ARCEx. The Post-doctoral researcher will specifically work with basin studies in Svalbard using available 2D seismic, borehole and outcrop data to quantify the links between the Svalbard archipelago and the subsurface of the northern Barents Shelf. This will be conducted using, amongst others, recently released exploration well data from Svalbard, seismic data, literature integration and outcrop-based studies. The scientific focus will be on the Upper Paleozoic succession and, in particular, the onshore-offshore correlation of Devonian and Carboniferous basins.

Some of the envisioned work tasks may include (but not limited to):

• Co-ordinate integration of new analyses of available material from exploration boreholes in Svalbard to existing material and synthesize these in the context of burial histories and regional significance
• Regional well-outcrop correlation across Svalbard and the surrounding Barents Shelf
• Integrated geological fieldwork involving structural and sedimentological logging, facies analysis, core description and analysis to address the regional and basin-scale tectono-stratigraphic evolution
• Digitally characterize relevant outcrop geometries using primarily Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry, utilising boat-, ground- and drone-based acquisition
• Conduct synthetic seismic modelling of virtual outcrop models for comparison with available 2D seismic data
• Contribute to ongoing ARCEx studies utilising Svalbard as an analogue to the Barents Sea , and to the synthesis publication efforts planned by ARCEx

The Post-doctoral researcher is expected to disseminate its findings to the scientific community through presentations at relevant conferences and the publication of several peer-reviewed journal articles. Furthermore, outreach to the general public as well as relevant ARCEx stakeholders is desired.

Qualifications

The successful candidate must, at the time of commencing the position, hold a PhD degree or equivalent in an appropriate field (structural geology, sedimentology, seismic interpretation, etc.).

The evaluation committee will especially consider the following:

• Experience with modern data integration and analysis platforms (e.g., Petrel, Lime, SeisRoX, MetaShape) and data types (e.g., borehole, 2D seismic, gravity-magnetics, virtual outcrop models, synthetic seismic)
• Experience with conducting independent geological fieldwork in Arctic and remote areas, including collecting and analyzing quantitative sedimentological and structural data using traditional field techniques and virtual outcrop models
• Strong publication track record relevant to the proposed topic
• Demonstrated experience in compiling and digitalizing data for regional geological studies
• Personal suitability and demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Excellent English written and oral communication skills
• Possession of a full driving license (for snowscooter-based field work)

Salary and Employment Conditions

All salaries are set in accordance with the Norwegian government's University salary scale. Post-doctoral researchers start at salary step 59, which currently is a gross salary of NOK 523 200. As a resident in Svalbard an annual allowance of NOK 34 560 (Svalbardtillegg) will be added to the salary. A social security contribution of 2 per cent, to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, will be deducted from the salary. Income tax on Svalbard is currently 8 per cent, plus 8.2 per cent toward National Insurance coverage. The employment contract is a fixed term for a period of two years. The successful candidate must live in Longyearbyen, but will have the opportunity for shorter research stays where relevant. She/he is expected to contribute actively to ongoing scientific activities in ARCEx and in the Arctic Geology department. It is also expected that the post-doctoral researcher takes an active part in the advancement of his/her field of research, and she/he must also be willing to contribute to the development of UNIS in a more general sense.

Selection and appointment

An expert Committee appointed by the Managing Director of UNIS will evaluate the qualifications of the applicants. The Committee will review the applications in detail and summarize their assessments in a written report. This report and the derived recommendations form the basis for Skype interviews with selected candidates, which will be summarized by the expert committee. The interviews shall among other things aim to clarify the applicant’s personal suitability for the position. The Committee report to the Appointment Committee and the Managing Director of UNIS, which makes the final appointment. As UNIS would like to increase the percentage of females in academic positions, women are especially invited to apply.

Applications and further information

Inquiries about this position can be directed to Associate Professor in Structural Geology and Basin Analysis Kim Senger, e-mail kim.senger@unis.no, phone +47 95 29 15 92.

As a minimum, please include the following documents in the online application form:

• A statement describing your research interest, how these relate to the announced position, your research motivation and a condensed project proposal (mandatory – max 1 page)
• CV summarizing education, positions and academic work including a list of publications
• Publications and academic works (including a copy of the PhD thesis or equivalent) that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Diploma and transcript from your PhD degree or equivalent
• Diploma and transcript from your Master’s degree or equivalent
• Names and contact details of two to three references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

All documents should be provided in English or a Scandinavian language and uploaded using the online application form.

Deadline for application is 1.11.2019.

Please apply online by using our application form found at www.jobbnorge.no.

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