Overview

The British Antarctic Survey is inviting applications for an experienced ocean modeller with an excellent academic profile including a strong mathematical background and a track record of running ocean or coupled-climate models on high-performance computing facilities and interpreting the results. Direct experience of models based on the MITgcm and/or experience of setting up and using adjoint models would be considered a significant advantage. This is a 36 month (or equivalent part time) position for a suitably qualified postdoctoral researcher and will contribute to two projects funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC): ORCHESTRA (Ocean regulation of climate by Heat and Carbon sequestration and Transports), and SMURPHS (Securing Multidisciplinary UndeRstanding and Prediction of Hiatus and Surge events).

These projects both require high-resolution adjoint ocean models in the Southern Ocean region based on the MITgcm to be implemented on the UK’s supercomputer ARCHER. The postholder will need to demonstrate that they have training/experience in implementing closely related modelling initiatives on the same or very similar computing infrastructures. Within the ORCHESTRA project (66% of the post), the adjoint models will be used to test the sensitivity of the Southern Ocean heat uptake and subduction/export to various physical surface forcing effects (wind, buoyancy etc.) as well as test the influence of model setup on the obtained results. The postholder will use this output to inform likely perturbation experiments of regional forward model runs in other elements of ORCHESTRA. The SMURPHS project (33% of the post) will make use of the same or similar adjoint to investigate the role of the Southern Ocean overturning circulation in mediating global ocean/atmosphere heat exchange, and specifically its role in climate ‘hiatuses’ both past and present. This project will involve comparison of ocean/atmosphere interaction under hiatus and warming conditions and will be conducted in collaboration with researchers at the National Oceanography Centre Southampton working on equivalent NEMO based adjoints. The postholder will need an understanding of the global climate system, and specifically the role that Southern Ocean dynamics play in mediating the wider climate.

Any successful candidate will need a strong mathematical background and a track-record of delivering high-quality scientific results and disseminating them in leading journals, and at national and international conferences.

Qualifications: PhD in ocean/climate dynamics or equivalent postgraduate experience

Duration: Fixed-Term Appointment (3 Years or part time equivalent)

Salary: In the range of £28,200 to £30,600 per annum

On-line application forms and further information are available on our website at www.bas.ac.uk/jobs

These are also available from the Human Resources Section, British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET. Tel: (01223) 221508.

Please quote reference: BAS 122/16
Closing date for receipt of application forms is 8th January 2017
Interviews are scheduled to be held on w/c 30th January 2017
Proposed start date: July 2017

We welcome applications from all sections of the community. People from ethnic minorities are currently under-represented and their applications are particularly welcome.

See: https://secure.antarctica.ac.uk/employment/vacancies/job.php?JobID=1236