Date

Position Announcement
Two Postdoctoral Researchers
Land Cover Transitions and Ecosystem–Atmosphere Carbon Balance
University of Eastern Finland

Application deadline: 25 February 2021

For more information, go to:
https://rekry.saima.fi/certiahome/open_job_view.html?did=5600&jc=16&id=…

For questions, contact:
Timo Kumpula
Email: timo.kumpula [at] uef.fi
Phone: +358 50 372 8566

The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) invites applications for two postdoctoral research positions. One position will focus on remote sensing. The second position will focus on ecosystem-atmosphere biogeochemistry. The positions will be filled initially for a fixed-term of two years from 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2023 (or as agreed) with a possibility of extension.

The postdoctoral researchers will join the Academy of Finland funded project “Land use as a modulator of land cover transitions and the ecosystem–atmosphere carbon balance (LANDMOD)” that is associated with the Digital Geosciences Research Group in UEF.

**Within the project, there are two postdoctoral researcher positions:

1) Postdoctoral Researcher in Remote Sensing**
The postdoctoral researcher will be in charge of creating a detailed map of wetland vegetation under the contrasting reindeer grazing regimes, and by retrospectively examining past changes in land cover under the two grazing intensities through the use of satellite archives. The researcher will make use of available remote sensing imagery (e.g. Landsat, Sentinel-2, WorldView-3, and false-color aerial photographs) and collect and process new land cover data using unmanned aircraft systems (i.e. applying structure-from-motion methods and photogrammetry). Vegetation identification skills will be a merit. According to personal preference, the postdoctoral researcher will be provided the possibility to apply collected data in dynamic vegetation models (ArcVeg) or apply hyperspectral data classification and analysis to gain information on plant status. Besides LANDMOD activities, the postdoctoral researcher will be provided the opportunity to participate in CHARTER project activities (“Feedbacks and Drivers of Changes in Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity”, funded by the EU’s Horizon2020 “Changing Cryosphere” programme).

2) Postdoctoral Researcher in Ecosystem-Atmosphere Biogeochemistry
The postdoctoral researcher will be in charge of designing and performing ecosystem-atmosphere carbon exchange and energy balance measurements using a combination of eddy covariance technique and chamber measurements. The postdoctoral researcher will process ecosystem-scale carbon dioxide, latent and sensible heat fluxes, albedo, and short-and long-wave radiation balances collected with the eddy covariance technology and calibrate these fluxes with ancillary data and plot-wise carbon exchange measurements from the same field site and from further areas across northern Fennoscandia. Experience in the processing of eddy covariance data will be required.

Applicants must hold a doctoral degree completed within five years of accepting the position. In this context, not including maternity leaves, parental leaves, or military service etc. If the applicant pleads to the above-mentioned reasons, these need to be stated in the application.

Qualifications include:

  • PhD in the field of physical geography, remote sensing, earth system science, or a related field (for position 1 in remote sensing), or in atmospheric sciences, biogeochemistry, environmental sciences, ecology, or a related field (for position 2 in ecosystem-atmosphere biogeochemistry);
  • Excellent spoken and written English skills;
  • Willingness and ability to travel extensively for fieldwork; and
  • Driving license.

Experience should include:

  • Fieldwork in remote sites;
  • Scientific publication, especially in English;
  • Applying for and winning grants or other awards;
  • Working independently and organizing own work schedule to achieve a specific goal;
  • Working successfully within a team and supervising student work; and
  • Experience and interest in interdisciplinary work.

Applications must include:

  • A personal motivation letter stating clearly which position the applicant is applying for and including a description of why the applicant is interested in this position and how they can contribute to the research consortium (maximum two pages);
  • Curriculum vitae;
  • List of publications;
  • A PDF copy of the PhD thesis;
  • Copies of the applicant's doctoral degree certificates/diplomas and copies of certificates/diplomas relating to the applicant’s language proficiency, if not indicated in the academic degree certificates/diplomas;
  • At least two references and contact details of reference persons; and
  • Other supporting documents the applicant wishes to append.

Application deadline: 25 February 2021

For more information, go to:
https://rekry.saima.fi/certiahome/open_job_view.html?did=5600&jc=16&id=…

For questions, contact:
Timo Kumpula
Email: timo.kumpula [at] uef.fi
Phone: +358 50 372 8566