Postdoctoral Research Associate in Greenland Ice Sheet-ocean interaction

Grade UE07: £41,064 to £48,822 per annum

College of Science and Engineering / School of Geosciences

Full-time: 35 hours per week

Fixed-term: for 2.5 years

We seek a 2.5-year postdoctoral research associate (PDRA) to work within the Greenland ice-ocean focus group of the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project 7 (ISMIP7), funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation.

The overall aim of ISMIP7 is to establish consensus estimates of the sea level rise contribution from ice sheet change over the coming decades and centuries. The role of the Greenland ice‑ocean focus group is to develop an experimental protocol that best represents the complex processes occurring at the ice sheet’s marine margins, to deliver the resulting ocean boundary conditions in a format that is implementable by ice sheet models, and to work to understand the simulation results to better quantify the influence of the ocean on Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss.

The PDRA will take a leading role in delivering these aims, in particular creating the ocean boundary conditions needed to run past and future simulations of the Greenland Ice Sheet, and analysing how ocean forcing of the Greenland Ice Sheet has evolved and may evolve over the coming decades and centuries. This will largely involve working with climate model output but may also include ice sheet and ocean observations depending on the precise focus.

The PDRA will work primarily at the University of Edinburgh with Donald Slater, to whom informal enquiries may be directed, but also interfacing closely with other members of the focus group based elsewhere. The anticipated start date is 1 September 2026, but some flexibility can be offered.

This post is full time; however, we are open to considering flexible working patterns and requests for hybrid working (on a non‑contractual basis) that combines a mix of remote and regular on‑campus working.

View the full job description

The University of Edinburgh is a world‑class organisation. We look for the best in the field across all disciplines and provide a working environment where academics can develop their careers and passion for their chosen subject area. We are part of a local community and a contributor to global thinking, progress and research. In Edinburgh, you are in one of the world’s most attractive cities with active arts and social sectors, while working in a University that has made significant contributions to society, medicine, physics and teaching for over four centuries.

Our people have helped create the modern world and are working on more ground‑breaking technologies and practices.

Please include the following documents in your application:

• CV (max 3 pages).
• Cover letter, describing your motivation and summarising your skills/experience relevant to the role.

• A competitive salary.
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family‑friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits.

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.

The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant.

The closing date for applications is 4th March 2026
.

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We aim to hold interviews in mid‑March.