Brief Description
Salary: £28,200 - £32,130
Grade: 6
Contract Type: Fixed Term (5 years)
Hours: Full Time
Closing Date: 27th May 2018
About the role:
We are seeking a talented, strongly numerate scientist to deliver high-impact science as part of a world-leading team focused on the role of marine life in the global carboncycle. The nature of the work is multi-disciplinary and so we encourage applications not just from marine biogeochemical modellers but also from those in other areas of science who are numerically adept and looking to move into an exciting and important area of environmental research.
The role is based within the Ocean Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems (OBE) team at NOC, one of the world’s leading marine biogeochemistry groups. In particular, OBE has made major contributions to our understanding of the ocean’s Biological Carbon Pump (BCP), the process by which marine life can sequester CO2 away from the atmosphere.
This post will be part of the multi-disciplinary and multi-centre teams for three projects. Its important role in all three is to translate new perspectives on key processes arising from cutting-edge observations into model representations, in order to understand and to explore the global and future consequences. For example, the post will use new observations from the Southern Ocean to explore how nutrient limitation may control how much CO2 is trapped in the global ocean and for how long. To do so the post will make use of a novel means of running global biogeochemical models both faster and more flexibly than conventional approaches.
The role also involves interaction with the UK Earth System Model group: the NEMO physical circulation and MEDUS Biogeochemical model, which will form part of the UK Earth System Model used for future IPCC runs, may be used in this role.
The three large multi-disciplinary projects to which this post will contribute are all led by OBE and are focused on the BCP.
COMICS - (http://www.comics.ac.uk/) is investigating the influence of temperature, oxygen and community structure on the BCP.
GOCART - (https://projects.noc.ac.uk/gocart/) is using gliders to examine daily to seasonal variability in the BCP and its consequences.
CUSTARD - (https://roses.ac.uk/custard/) is part of the NERC Role of the Southern Ocean in the Earth System (RoSES) programme and examines how seasonal changes in surface biogeochemistry and plankton community in the remote Southern Ocean influences the BCP and nutrient cycles globally.
About you:
You will have strong coding skills (e.g. Fortran, Python, Matlab) and a published track record appropriate for your field and experience. A global perspective on marine biogeochemistry is an asset but we welcome applications from any numerically strong person and can provide necessary training in marine biogeochemistry. You must therefore have an affinity to acquire new knowledge and technical skills. You will work well as part of multi-disciplinary projects with teams spanning all ranges of experience and skills. You will have a proven record of delivering work effectively and on time and have a PhD in marine biogeochemistry, or in a subject demonstrating strong numeracy and/or coding ability.
Salary:
The starting salary band for this position will be between £28,200 and £32,130 per annum (Band 6). Depending upon skills and experience, a salary uplift and/or additional allowances may be available for exceptional candidates.
About us:
The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is a national research organisation, delivering integrated marine science and technology from the coast to the deep ocean and is one of the top five institutions of its kind in the world. With sites in Liverpool and Southampton, it is the UK’s leading centre for sea level science, coastal and deep ocean research and technology development.
NOC is part of the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC), which is one of the nine partners within UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). For more information visit www.urki.org.
What we can offer you:
At the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) we know that the quality of our science and the impact that we want it to have depends entirely on the knowledge, skills and engagement of our people. The NOC is committed to flexible employment practices to support employees’ work and personal commitments where possible. Our flexi-time system and flexible working policy contribute to this important aim.
In return for your talents, we offer a competitive remuneration package, including a RCUK pension scheme, 30 days annual leave with a further 14Public/local days off and free car parking. Opportunities for further training and development are supported.
For more information visit Working at NOC.
Our Commitment as an Employer:
The NOC is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. There is a guaranteed interview scheme for suitable candidates with a disability and we welcome applications from ethnic minorities currently under-represented. The NOC is an Investors in People organisation and has signed up to the Athena SWAN charter principles to take action to address gender equality.
Organization Description
UK Research and Innovation is a new entity that brings together nine partners to create an independent organisation with a strong voice for research and innovation, and a vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. More information can be found at
www.ukri.org.
The National Oceanography Centre (NOC), part of the Natural Environment Research Council, is a national research organisation, delivering integrated marine science and technology from the coast to the deep ocean and is one of the top five institutions of its kind in the world.
With sites in Liverpool and Southampton, it is the UK’s leading centre for sea level science, coastal and deep ocean research and technology development. Working closely with its partners and associates, it provides capability to meet needs across the UK marine science community (http://noc.ac.uk/).
Context or Background:
The Ocean Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems (OBE) team at NOC is one of the world’s leading such groups and, in particular, has made major contributions to our understanding of the ocean’s Biological Carbon Pump (BCP), the process by which marine life can sequester CO2 away from the atmosphere. OBE leads a suite of major projects which will undertake transformative work in the field. These projects are strongly multi-disciplinary, and span from exciting new observations in the Southern Ocean and South Atlantic to global modelling. The latter is a crucial part of all projects and hence this post is a fabulous opportunity for a numerically strong, creative and hard-working scientist to undertake cutting-edge research of global significance.
Expectations of the role:
You will be a key member of each project, interacting with the observational components to frame and to execute model runs in order to address important questions concerning global biogeochemical cycles. You will use a novel approach that allows a variety of circulations and biogeochemical models to be deployed, to ensure the robustness of results. More specifically, as one setting they will use the NEMO physical circulation and MEDUSA biogeochemical model that will form part of the UK Earth System Model which was established to feed into future IPCC reports. You will interact with the UKESM team who include team members and advisors on the above projects.
You will make extensive use of satellite products and existing and newly-collected datasets of nutrients, export production and downward flux attenuation both to configure model runs and to assess their performance. You will work in strong collaboration with other members of the COMICS, GOCART and CUSTARD projects, writing joint papers as lead author for top-ranked international journals. They will also be encouraged and assisted to develop in writing grant proposals, and to acquire further professional and technical skills.
Key Accountabilities/Primary Responsibilities:
- using modelling to investigate key questions on global biogeochemistry
- writing lead author papers on ocean biogeochemistry.
Expectations of all staff:
- comply with Research Council and NERC policies at all times, including Equal Opportunities Policies, and ensure that duties are carried out in accordance with relevant policies, procedures and guidance documents as directed by NOC
- promote and demonstrate a personal commitment to NOC values and People Strategy
- promote and demonstrate a personal commitment to Working with Respect – NOC Guidance
- attend relevant seminars, workshops and training events and maintain professional development by completing CPD (Continuous Professional Development) appropriate to the role
- maintain a safe working environment by attending Health and Safety training as required and follow local codes of safe working practices and actively contribute to embedding a safety culture across NOC
- adopt and promote awareness of NOC’s environmental aims and other initiatives
- carry out other duties within the scope, spirit and general purpose of the post and adopt a flexible approach to work
- as duties and responsibilities change this job description will be reviewed and revised in consultation with the post holder
- undertake such other duties within the scope of the post as may be reasonably requested by your manager.
How to apply:
All internal and external applications are handled by the UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS). To apply, please submit an up-to-date CV and cover letter.
Closing date: Sunday 27th May 2018
If after interview we have a greater number of suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months for all the grades and locations advertised. This reserve list will be used for future vacancies in NOC that require the same (or similar) skills, experience, competencies and are of the same grade as the advertised posts. These could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition (but there will be no guarantee of a job offer).
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