Postdoctoral Researcher OR Doctoral Researcher in Atmospheric Sciences / Environmental Sciences

Job title:

Postdoctoral Researcher OR Doctoral Researcher in Atmospheric Sciences / Environmental Sciences

Company

UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI

Job description

The Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR) is a large multidisciplinary research unit based in physics, chemistry, meteorology, forest sciences, environmental sciences and social sciences in the University of Helsinki. INAR aims to strengthen the internationally leading, integrated multidisciplinary research and education environment for atmospheric and Earth system science and to feed in scientific results for the national and international environment and climate policy. It performs multiscale research from molecular to global scale and focuses on climate change, air quality, biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem processes.Faculty of Science invites applications forPostdoctoral Researcher and/or Doctoral Researcher in Atmospheric Sciences / Environmental SciencesThe starting date is negotiable, preferably in autumn 2025 or in 2026.BackgroundNorthern wetlands emit large amounts of methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas. There are high uncertainties in the estimation of wetland CH4 emissions due to the large temporal and spatial variations in CH4 emission and its underlying processes. The lack of continuous observations of CH4 turnover hinders our understanding of CH4 emission variability and the predictability of mechanistic CH4 models. We aim to fill the knowledge gap in the project “A holistic view of Methane turnover in northern Wetlands by Novel isotopic approach (MeWeN): Coupled above/belowground automatic measuring and isotope labelling”.In the MeWeN project, we use the year-round atmospheric measurement of CH4 fluxes from pristine peatlands with the eddy covariance (EC) technique and static chambers, in combination with the novel continuous surface and subsurface measurements of 13C stable isotope and concentration to infer CH4-related processes in the peat profile. The comprehensive dataset will provide us with detailed information on CH4 turnover dynamics and responses to biotic and abiotic factors along the year, especially during the less studied winter and shoulder seasons. We will develop an isotope version of a process-based CH4 model and update the representation of different wetland types in the model using a data inversion approach. Additionally, we will analyze the spatial heterogeneity of CH4 emission using analytical footprint model and a lagrangian stochastic transport model.About the positionDepending on the appointee’s competency and the type of employment, the appointee’s work will cover some of the following areas:

• Development of an isotope version of the process-based CH4 model and parameter optimization for different wetland types. Coupling the updated CH4 model with the land surface model to conduct regional simulations;
• Flux and concentration footprint modelling;
• Post-processing of eddy covariance data, gap filling and data analysis;
• Plan, coordinate and conduct field manual sampling campaigns (e.g stable isotope labelling, soil water sampling) and associated sample analyses in the laboratory;

In addition, the successful candidate should be able to:

• Design, conduct, and report research within the scope of the project;
• Contribute to teaching and supervising students within the departments;
• Contribute to preparing funding and travel grant applications;
• Synthesize data into high-quality scientific publications;
• Travel to fieldwork activities and meetings;
• Work in interdisciplinary teams;
• Engage with the scientific community, research partners and the wider public through sci-entific publications and conference presentations

RequirementsWe are looking for highly motivated and skilled researcher with Ph.D. (for postdoctoral re-searcher position) or Master’s degree (for doctoral researcher position) in atmospheric sci-ence, physics, environmental science or a related field.The candidate is expected to have the following:Education, experience and technical skills

• Competency in or willingness to learn process-based modelling
• Strong data management skills and proficiency with analytical tools e.g. Matlab, R, Python
• Previous experiences with eddy covariance, stable isotopes, wetland methane pro-cesses and field work are assets.
• A demonstrated record of scholarly achievement.
• Fluency in English and excellent writing skills. The working language is English.

Personal attributes and competencies

• High motivation for academic research
• Initiative and capability to work independently as well as in team environments
• Excellent research planning and problem-solving skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

For the postdoctoral researcher position, the candidate should meet the degree require-ment by the beginning of the employment. For doctoral researcher position, the candidate should either already have the right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Helsin-ki by the start of the appointment or apply for the right and obtain it within the probation-ary period of six months of their appointment. If the candidate does not already have the right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki, it must be applied for separately ( ). The requirements for pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki can be found at: .The candidate will be able to attend international conferences and present their scientific work in local and international meetings. As an employee of the University of Helsinki, the researcher will receive occupational health care, and will be entitled to sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development.Why work for usFinland is a member of EU, has high quality free schooling (also in English), generous family benefits and healthcare, and was recently ranked as the best country in the world for expat families and in the world’s top ten most livable cities. Finland and the Helsinki region possess top expertise in sciences in terms of a vibrant talent pool, leading research, strong support services and functioning collaboration networks.The starting gross monthly salary of the postdoctoral researcher will be ca. 3800-4000 and that of the doctoral researcher will be ca. 2700-2900, depending on the ap-pointees’ qualifications and experience. The employment contract will include a probationary period of six months.How to applyPlease submit your application in English using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System by clicking the button “Apply now”. The application should include: * A cover letter and research interest. Candidate should highlight the strengths of the candidate’s experience in developing and implementing the proposed research, the suitability for the position and future research goals;

• Curriculum vitae and list of publications;
• Recommendation letter or contact information of three persons for references at a later stage of consideration;
• Copies of PhD degree (for postdoctoral researcher) / Master’s, and Bachelor’s degree certificates (for doctoral researcher) and official transcripts of the records, and their translations (if the originals are not in Finnish, Swedish or English).

Deadline for applications is 15 August 2025.Further information

• For more information about the position, please contact the project PI, University Researcher Xuefei Li
• The successful candidate will be joining the

, University of Helsinki * The working place is at
, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland * Support for international staff:
and

Expected salary

€2700 – 4000 per month

Location

Helsinki

Job date

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 04:50:25 GMT

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