Postdoctoral position within Paleoclimate

GEUS is looking for a postdoc to join our paleoclimate research team. You will work on the project: “Denmark under IPCC scenarios – a view from the Eemian and Miocene past warm periods (EeMi)”. The objective of the EeMi project is to estimate the variability of the Gulf Stream current near Scandinavia in a warmer-than-present climate investigating marine sediment cores using organic proxies for precipitation and temperature. The project focuses on the Miocene Climatic Optimum and the Eemian periods as reference points for the future climate scenarios outlined by the IPCC.

Moreover, EeMi will establish a modern baseline to contextualize the climatic variability recorded in these periods by applying the same methods to 20th-century sedimentary archives, which overlap with existing instrumental climate time series.

The position is a part of the EeMi project funded by Geocenter Denmark and led by Senior Researcher Kasia K. Sliwinska. The position has a fixed term of 18 months, starting from 1st of August 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with other group members and project partners based at Aarhus University and Copenhagen University.

About the position

To reconstruct the climate state and variability in the northern middle latitudes (Danish North Sea) under a warmer-than-present climate the postdoc will analyse marine sediment cores using analytical approaches from organic geochemistry. Specific tasks will include generating sea surface temperature records using membrane lipids and alkenones (high-resolution), as well as changes in precipitation patterns using leaf waxes (low resolution). The postdoc will collaborate with other members of the EeMi project working on sedimentology, stratigraphy, inorganic geochemistry, elemental analysis, and other proxies.

The position is based in the Department of Geo-energy and Storage at GEUS in Copenhagen. All laboratory facilities at the Department of Geo-energy and Storage will be available for the research project. This includes an Agilent HPLC-MS and GC-MS/FID, which are set up with relevant methods/analysis. GEUS hosts a core repository, where relevant core material is stored. All samples and cores are available for the project.

Who are you?

The appointment will be made based on academic qualifications. The candidate must hold a PhD degree (or have at least submitted their PhD thesis for assessment before the deadline of this call) in Natural Sciences or Analytical Chemistry (e.g., Chemistry, Geology) and have documented experience working with molecular biomarkers (such as membrane lipids and alkenones). Experience working with leaf waxes is beneficial but not crucial.

Experience with working in a laboratory is essential, and particular emphasis will be placed on the following qualifications:

1. Experience and hands on skills with GC-MS FID and HPLC-MS
2. Wet lab skills in organic geochemistry (lipid extraction, separation and cleanup protocols)
3. Experience running and troubleshooting HPLC-MS is crucial for the position

Desirable skills include experience in multidisciplinary research, knowledge of Cenozoic paleoclimate or palaeoceanography, along with the capability to analyze, interpret, and report on geochemical data sets. Proficiency in spoken and written English is essential, along with strong collaboration, organizational, and communication skills. Experience with statistical techniques, paleoclimate reconstruction methods, and dating methods is an advantage.

Meet your new colleagues

You will join the Department of Geo-energy and Storage, which focuses on energy and underground storage, organic carbon, mineralogy, and biostratigraphy. The department also serves as an advisor to authorities and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities. Its work is guided by the UN's sustainability goals #7 (affordable and clean energy) and #13 (climate action), reflecting GEUS' commitment to supporting the green transition and CO2 neutrality targets. With increasing focus on CO2 and biological carbon storage, energy storage, and geothermal energy, the department is expanding its efforts in these areas.

There are currently approximately 24 employees in the department, including researchers, consultants and laboratory technicians. The department includes a large fully equipped internal laboratory facility and access to an extended data and sample archive.  

This position is a key part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary paleoclimate research group, collaborating closely with other GEUS departments, such as Surface and Glaciology, as well as external institutions like Geocenter Denmark. The group specializes in studying past climate and cryosphere evolution to better understand future climate changes, using advanced facilities at GEUS for geochemistry and sedimentary DNA analysis.

In addition to research, the paleoclimate group contributes to global climate strategies by generating insights into both past and present climate systems. GEUS promotes values of gender equality, collaboration, responsibility, research excellence, and continuous development.

Focus on professional development and well-being

There are many good reasons why you should choose a working life at GEUS.

We are a diverse staff of about 300 committed employees. Trust and flexibility are keywords. The working environment is lively, informal and international. Our tasks are versatile and there are plenty of opportunities for you to influence the development of your task portfolio.

We prioritise professional development, among other things by offering access to courses and other relevant activities. Socialising is also very important at GEUS, and we have a rich social life with a staff club, an art association and more.

At GEUS, we prioritise the well-being of every single employee. We prioritise that the Heads of Departments are close to the employees, and we have flexible working hours that allow you to organise your life so that there is time for what matters to you. If you need to work from home occasionally, that is also possible. Furthermore, we have a gym with associated physiotherapists

Salary and terms of employment

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the relevant trade union agreement.

The appointment area is the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities and its institutions.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities considers diversity to be an asset and encourages anyone regardless of gender, age, religion or ethnicity to seek the position.

Further information

If you would like additional information, please contact the Head of Department Charlotta Lüthje on +45 91333974 or [email protected] or Kasia Sliwinska on +45 91333723 or [email protected].

If you are a international applicant, you can read more about living and working in Denmark on GEUS’ website.

Are you interested?

If you are interested in the position, we would like to hear from you. The application must include a CV, incl. your ORCID, a list of publications with a separate indication of articles registered in ISI Web of Science. All publications relevant for the position should be highlighted. The list of publication should also include a list of presentations at scientific conferences, and if applicable, other science communication activities. Please enclose Master and PhD diplomas in either Danish or English as well as other material documenting qualifications at postdoc level. Submitted PhD theses that have not yet been defended may be sent with the application and will be included in the assessment. If possible, please provide a pre-approval.

Please apply for the position by clicking “Apply for position”. We must have your application at the latest on Sunday April 20th 2025 (Danish time).

Applications or other material received after the deadline, or send by mail will not be considered.

The employment procedure

A professional assessment committee consisting of two internal assessors at minimum senior researcher level will carry out an individual assessment of all applicants’ professional qualifications, and the applicants will be assessed as qualified or unqualified for the position. Afterwards, an internal employment committee will decide which of the professionally qualified candidates will be invited for a job interview. This procedure is in accordance with the “Order on employment and assessment of scientific staff at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland § 4 and 7”.