Postdoctor in Tundra Plant Ecology and Ecological Synthesis

The University of Gothenburg tackles society's challenges with diverse knowledge. 58 000 students and 6800 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

At the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences (BioEnv) we have teaching and research activities that stretch from the alpine ecosystem, through forests, cultivated land and streams, all the way into the marine environment. In these environments we study different levels of biological organisation from genes, individuals and populations, to communities and ecosystems. We work within ecology, evolution, physiology, systematics and combinations of these fields in order to understand the impact of natural and anthropogenic changes of the environment.

The department is placed at two different localities: in Natrium at Medicinaregatan 7B in Gothenburg and at the Kristineberg marine research station operated by the Marine Infrastructure at the University of Gothenburg. The current position is placed at Natrium.

We offer
The University of Gothenburg is a state authority, which means special benefits, more holidays and a great pension. You can read more about our employment benefits here.

Subject area
Tundra Plant Ecology and Ecological Synthesis

Subject area description
The work is part of the ERC-funded ArcticEDGE project, which aims to determine how warming-driven changes in the composition and functional traits of Arctic vegetation affect key ecosystem processes - particularly decomposition, primary productivity, and fire - and, ultimately, Arctic carbon cycling and climate feedbacks. The postdoc will focus on large-scale synthesis of vegetation, trait, and experimental datasets to ask how Arctic plant communities have changed over recent decades, how they respond to warming and other environmental changes, and what these shifts mean for ecosystem functioning across the tundra biome.

Duties
This employment as a postdoctor is intended to provide an early-career researcher with the opportunity to consolidate and further develop their skills in ecological synthesis, quantitative analysis, and Arctic field ecology. The postdoc will work within the ERC-funded ArcticEDGE project, with a primary focus on synthesising large, multi-site datasets on Arctic vegetation composition, plant functional traits, and ecosystem responses to environmental change.

The work will include harmonizing and analyzing long-term vegetation monitoring and experimental datasets from across the Arctic, including the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) database, and integrating these with plant trait and ecosystem-function data. The postdoctor will use advanced statistical approaches, including hierarchical Bayesian modelling methods, to investigate how Arctic plant communities and their functional composition have changed over time and in response to warming, precipitation change, and other environmental drivers. A major responsibility will be to lead scientific analyses and manuscripts arising from these syntheses, in close collaboration with the project PI and an international network of Arctic researchers.

The position will also include some Arctic fieldwork. Depending on project needs, this may involve vegetation surveys at ITEX or related monitoring sites, including measurements of plant species composition and abundance using established point-intercept/point-frame methods, as well as collection of plant functional trait data. The postdoctor will also contribute to data management and documentation, collaboration with data contributors, presentation and publication of results, and the broader development of ArcticEDGE synthesis activities.

Eligibility
The eligibility criteria for employing teaching staff are set out in Chapter 4 of the Higher Education Ordinance and in the Appointment Procedure for Teaching Posts at the University of Gothenburg.

To be eligible for appointment as a postdoc, the applicant is required to have a doctoral degree, a doctoral degree in art or a foreign degree that is deemed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree. This eligibility requirement must be met before the employment decision is made.

In the first instance, those who have completed their degree no more than three years prior to the end of the application period shall be considered. Those who have completed their degree more than three years prior to the end of the application period may also be considered in the first instance if special grounds exist. Special grounds relate to leave of absence due to illness, parental leave, commissions of trust within union organisations, service within the defence services or other similar circumstances, as well as clinical service or service/assignment relevant to the subject area.

Assessment criteria
In your cover letter, please mention explicitly how you fit the following required and desirable qualifications:

Required qualifications for the employment:

• To be eligible for appointment as a postdoc, the applicant is required to have a doctoral degree in Biology or Biogeography
• Excellent communication skills, written and spoken, in English are necessary since we work in an international environment.
• Specialization in plant ecology, as well as experience working with plant traits/functional ecology is required
• Experience compiling, manipulating, and analyzing large, multi-site, hierarchical datasets
• Experience with scientific publication in peer-reviewed journals

Desirable qualifications for the employment:

• Knowledge of Arctic and alpine tundra flora
• Experience using Bayesian hierarchical models to analyze complex datasets
• Experience conducting fieldwork in Arctic or alpine locations
• Experience working with vegetation resurvey data
• Expertise in vegetation-ecosystem function relationships (especially decomposition, productivity, and fire dynamics)
• Interest and experience in working together in a group and supporting the group's MSc and doctoral students.
• Experience in working within a large (preferably international) collaborative network
• Ability to collaborate with other researchers and in teams, as proven by previous publications and projects.

Personal qualifications:

We are looking for someone who is collaborative, communicative, organized, and able to work both independently and as part of a research team. A strong ability and willingness to work closely with other group members is particularly important, including collaborating with other postdoctors and contributing to the co-supervision and development of more junior researchers and students. The position also involves collaboration with an international network of researchers, so flexibility, reliability, and clear communication are essential.

The application should preferably be written in English and must include:

• A cover letter with the applicant's justification for the application, i.e., that describes how the applicant meets the selection criteria
• A list of qualifications (CV)
• Certificate of PhD exam
• Complete list of publications, including submitted and accepted manuscripts

The most qualified candidates, in relation to the assessment criteria in the advertisement, are invited for an interview.

Employment
The employment is a temporary employment during 2 years, 100 % of full time, placed at the Department of Biological and Environmental Science. Starting date 2026-11-01 or upon agreement.

Contact information
If you have any questions about the position, please contact:

Dr. Anne Bjorkman, Senior Lecturer
Phone: 0766182547
Email: anne.bjorkman@bioenv.gu.se
Webpage: www.edge-ecology.com

Åsa Arrhenius, Head of Department
Tel. +46 31 786 26 25
Email: asa.arrhenius@bioenv.gu.se

If you have any questions about the employment process, please contact HR at the Department of Biological and Environmental Science, hr@bioenv.gu.se

Unions
Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande

Application
Submit your application via the University of Gothenburg's recruitment portal by clicking the "Apply" button. It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per the vacancy notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline.

Publications that cannot be attached to the application in digital format should be mailed in 2 copies to:
Department of Biological and Environmental Science
Att: Anne Bjorkman
University of Gothenburg
Box 463
S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden

Label the envelope "Postdoc in plant ecology and Ecological Synthesis PAR 2026/733". The publications must be received no later than the application deadline.

Applications must be received by: 2026-10-12

Information for International Applicants

Choosing a career in a foreign country is a big step. Thus, to give you a general idea of what we and Gothenburg have to offer in terms of benefits and life in general for you and your family/spouse/partner please visit:

https://www.gu.se/en/about-the-university/welcome-services
https://www.movetogothenburg.com/

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden's regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.