Post Doc in Historical Geobiology using high-stratigraphic resolution geochemical analyses for cyclostratigraphic analyses and paleoclimate reconstructions

The Dahl Group at the Section for Geology is offering a Post Doc position for an excellent, ambitious, and highly motivated candidate with background in experimental sedimentary geochemistry and reconstruction of Earth’s climatic and/or environmental history. The position is temporary and is available from 15 April 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The position is associated with the Research Group for Sedimentary Systems at the Section for Geology, and the Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth section at the Niels Bohr Institute. The successful candidate will have a degree in geoscience with strong experimental skills within geochemistry, geobiology and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. The candidate should have in-depth knowledge of Earth’s long-term environmental and biological history, and experience with geochemical data analyses of sedimentary records, preferably cyclostratigraphic tools and/or wavelet analysis. Experience and expertise with other forms of numerical Earth system data analyses and/or modeling is a plus.

Information on the department can be found at https://ign.ku.dk/english/.

Our research
The Dahl group is working with numerous geochemical proxies aimed at unraveling the climate and redox dynamics of the Earth system even hundreds of million years back in time. The postdoc will work in an interdisciplinary project funded by the Villum Foundation focusing on using high-resolution core scanning XRF data and new advanced computational methods to refine the geological time scale by multi-dimensional cyclostratigraphic analyses. We have developed a new algorithm, called ProBE4T, which will be tested against traditional methods. This will lay out timelines across past climate events in hitherto unprecedented detail, allowing us to elucidate the governing processes and rates of climate change in the past by combining geochemical proxies with dynamic Earth system models.

Your job
The work requires an ability to work focused and carefully with large geochemical data sets from drill cores through Paleozoic sedimentary archives. You will have demonstrated an aptitude to handle and analyze geochemical data and ability to work dedicatedly towards publication in peer-reviewed journals. Your daily work will include numerical analyses, fitting data to astronomical solutions (solar forcing), and advancing cyclostratigraphic analyses in collaboration with mathematical geoscientists. The development will require in-depth knowledge of sediment genesis and diagenetic processes. Knowledge about specific past climate events where unsolved dynamic problems exist and access to sediment core material spanning relevant periods is a plus but not a necessity.

Further information about the position can be obtained from Professor Tais Wittchen Dahl, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management: [email protected], or Prof. Klaus Mosegaard, Niels Bohr Institute: [email protected]

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Profile
We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic scientist with the following competencies and experience:

Essential experience and skills:

• You have a PhD in geoscience, geochemistry, geophysics, geology or equivalent
• You are highly experienced in collecting and handling data from sedimentary records
• You have in-depth knowledge about early Earth history problems.
• You have an active interest in developing new and more powerful tools for unravelling the history of life and the environment on Earth
• Proficient communication skills and ability to work in teams
• Excellent English skills written and spoken

Desirable experience and skills:

• Experience in collecting geochemical data from sedimentary records
• Knowledge of early Earth problems
• Capable of managing time and respect deadlines
• Capable of leading research projects towards publication (e.g. first authorship(s) on peer-reviewed papers, grants, fellowships, prizes).

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Section for Geology, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.

Further information on the Department is linked at
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk).

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is covered by the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.

Questions
For further information please contact Tais W. Dahl; [email protected]

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility).

Application procedure
Your online application must be submitted in English by clicking ‘Apply now’ below.

Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page).
2. Curriculum vitae incl. education, work/research experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position.
3. A certified/signed copy of a) PhD certificate and b) Master of Science certificate. If the PhD is not completed, a written statement from the supervisor will do.
4. Research plan – description of current and future research plans
5. List of publications.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 5 January 2025, 23:59 GMT +1.

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee.

All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.