UNIS is a state-owned limited company with five of Norway’s universities represented on the board. UNIS is located in a modern working environment in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, and is well equipped with both technical and scientific equipment and laboratories. The institution has an infrastructure for both marine and terrestrial field research on Svalbard.
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.
Faculty position in Arctic Geophysics at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)
General
The department of Geophysics at UNIS is seeking candidates for a full time, 3 year position as a postdoctoral research fellow in Space Physics. Currently, the department constitutes 4 professors, 4 associate professors, 3 post-doctoral research fellows, 6 PhD students, and 10 Adjunct Professors.
The research within the department is currently focused into two groups, one in Air-Cryosphere-Sea Interactions, and the other in Space Physics. The announced position is within the Space Physics group.
Description of the vacant position
The announced position will be part of the Space Physics group within the Arctic Geophysics Department (AGF) at UNIS. The Space Physics group at UNIS is a part of a center of excellence - the Birkeland Centre for Space Science (BCSS), and the group’s ambition is now to strengthen its competence in the boundary region connecting the mesosphere and ionosphere/magnetosphere regions.
The Space Physics Group owns and operates two world class research facilities. The Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO) is an optical observatory for middle and upper atmospheric studies. The Svalbard SuperDARN radar is part of a global network of radars used primarily to study global plasma convection in the ionosphere. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to capitalize and potentially expand on these unique facilities. The candidate is expected to contribute to the operation of the two research facilities, and is expected to have knowledge of ground-based observations and physics of the upper polar atmosphere.
The candidate is expected to be a part of the Birkeland Centre of Space Science and to take an active part in the appropriate research topics connected to the position. The UNIS space physics team is involved in research related to determining the most important scales in the ionospheric processes, as well as in the characterization of the energetic particle precipitation and its interaction with the neutral atmosphere. We invite the applicants to suggest research projects within this topical frame.
Qualifications and personal qualities
• The applicant must have completed a doctoral degree in space physics, or have submitted the doctoral thesis for assessment. It is a condition for employment that the PhD has been awarded.
• Should be proficient in programming, e.g. Python, IDL or Matlab.
• Should have the ability to work independently and willing to cooperate with others.
• The applicant must have proven skills and an interest in scientific writing and good oral presentation skills in English.
• Teaching and supervision experience at a University level will be considered an advantage.
• Experience in field-work and the use of ground-based instrumentation will be considered an advantage.
• Experience from Svalbard and/or an Arctic/Antarctic environment will be considered an advantage.
• A valid (international) driver’s licence will be considered an advantage.
Employment conditions
The employment contract is of 3 years and will include some teaching duties. All salaries are set in accordance with the Norwegian government's University salary scale. Post-doctoral research fellows start at a gross salary of NOK 522 800 annually. The salaries depend on experience/seniority. 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 percent, to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, will be deducted from the salary. Income tax on Svalbard is 8 percent, plus 8.2 percent toward National Insurance coverage. UNIS offers a membership in the Norwegian Public Pension Fund.
Selection and appointment
A committee appointed by the Director of UNIS will evaluate the qualifications of the applicants, and invite the highest ranked person(s) for an interview. The appointment will be made by the Director of UNIS based on the recommendation from the committee.
