Postdoctoral position in Physical Oceanography

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.

The Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg (https://www.gu.se/en/marinavetenskaper) combines extensive scientific competence with unique infrastructure to provide the most complete environment for marine science and education in Sweden. It is one of only a few such organisations in Europe. By integrating advanced research infrastructure with a strong link to societal needs and challenges, the Department contributes with new solutions to global ocean challenges.

The Department of Marine Sciences conducts research, education, and innovation related to the science of the ocean and its resources. Its activities are based in Gothenburg, at two research stations (Kristineberg Marine Research Station, and Tjärnö Marine Laboratory), and on the research vessel Skagerak. The Department has an interdisciplinary scope that encompasses marine biology, marine chemistry, marine geology, preservation of marine cultural heritage, and oceanography, working in all marine habitats from shallow bays and coastal seas to the open oceans. Our scientists and students often play leading roles in international collaborative research, including expeditions to Polar regions and the great seas of the world, as well as in our newly built laboratories with advanced equipment and complex analytical techniques. The Department also offers a wide range of undergraduate courses, a Bachelor's degree, three Master's degrees, and a Ph.D. programme, all within marine sciences.

Subject area

Oceanography

Subject area description

Combining satellite and in-situ observations to observe fine-scale ocean dynamics and related heat transport across the Southern Ocean.

The ocean has absorbed more than 90% of the excess heat generated by human activities, and the Southern Ocean accounts for most of this uptake. Yet climate models disagree on ocean heat uptake by up to 40%, partly because they cannot resolve the vertical heat transport induced by fine-scale (1-100 km) ocean fronts, eddies, and filaments. These motions are strongest in the energetic Antarctic Circumpolar Current, where meso- to submesoscale vertical velocities can reach order 100 m per day and carry heat between the mixed layer and the ocean interior. Until recently, conventional altimetry (effective resolution of roughly 150 km) could not observe these scales, so our understanding of fine-scale vertical transport has been limited to a handful of regional and 'snapshot' in situ process studies.

New wide-swath satellite altimetry now maps sea surface height in two dimensions at roughly an order of magnitude finer resolution than previous altimeters, resolving ocean structures down to scales of about 15 km. Recent work applying surface quasi-geostrophic theory to these observations and to km-scale coupled simulations shows that much of the variance in vertical velocity and vertical heat flux below the mixed layer can be reconstructed from surface height, and that vertical velocities and heat fluxes derived from the new observations are about twice as energetic as those from conventional altimetry. Yet these results come mostly from regional case studies, and several key questions remain open related to the magnitude, spatial structure, and seasonal and inter-annual variability of fine-scale vertical heat transport across the Southern Ocean. Furthermore, satellite-based reconstructions across different dynamical regimes and seasons need to be validated against direct observations. The time is right to move from regional case studies to a circumpolar view, combining satellite observations with high-resolution in-situ data from gliders, uncrewed surface vehicles, and ship-based platforms.

We are offering a three-year postdoctoral position in physical oceanography to address key research aspect of the ERC Starting Grant SOFIA (Southern Ocean fine-scale ocean dynamics and storm impacts on air-sea heat exchange). Our goal is to understand and quantify the processes that move heat between the atmosphere and the ocean interior. More information can be found here: https://marcelduplessis.github.io/sofia/

The goal of the postdoc will be combining novel satellite data together with high resolution ocean data (e.g., gliders, USVs & ship-based observations) to investigate the fine-scale vertical velocity and vertical heat transport across the Southern Ocean. The work will include:

• Producing circumpolar maps of satellite-observed fine-scale vertical heat transport, alongside fine-scale diagnostics such as strain and vorticity, and comparing these with conventional gridded altimetry products.
• Validating these maps against in-situ observations, including existing Southern Ocean glider missions and new to-be-collected datasets, and quantifying uncertainties arising from theoretical assumptions and from satellite space-time sampling.
• Explore regional, seasonal and inter-annual variability of fine-scale vertical heat transport and its links to storm activity, ocean warming trends and climate modes.

The work will also support the upcoming field campaign "Pulse of the Weddell Sea", set to take place in late 2027. There will be an opportunity to participate and contribute to this planned Southern Ocean expedition and to learn how autonomous platforms (e.g. Seagliders, Wave Gliders, and X-Spar buoys) are piloted.

The postdoc will be supervised by Dr Marcel du Plessis and Prof Sebastiaan Swart. They will be embedded within the Polar Gliders Research Group (polargliders.com), working alongside other members of the team, such as students, postdocs and researchers working on fine-scale dynamics and air-sea interaction. There will also be mobility and collaboration with international partners in the satellite, air-sea flux, and/or Southern Ocean communities, for example in the EU SYNCHRONY project (https://synchrony-project.eu/).

Duties

As a Postdoctoral Fellow within the Polar Gliders Research Group at the Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, the candidate will be expected to fulfil responsibilities that include:

Scientific

• Lead the satellite-related work package of SOFIA and produce peer-reviewed publications of sufficient quantity and quality.
• Reconstruct, validate and analyze fine-scale vertical velocities and vertical heat transport from remote sensing products and in-situ observations.
• Work closely with the other Polar Gliders team members to integrate the satellite, model and in-situ components of our work.
• Show independence, initiative and critical thinking, and contribute to the preparation of research proposals for funding on related topics.

Technical

• Process, quality-control and manage large datasets, making derived products openly available following FAIR principles.
• Provide satellite-derived fine-scale ocean diagnostics to support the planning and real-time piloting of autonomous platforms during Southern Ocean field campaign.
• Participate in research expeditions that may be of weeks to months in duration to deploy and pilot platforms, if circumstances allow.

Community and outreach

• Present findings at appropriate international scientific conferences and workshops.
• We expect active participation to the activities of the Polar Glider team and broader oceanography cohort at the Department of Marine Sciences.
• Skills sharing between candidate and research group, and vice versa; there may be possibilities to co-supervise MSc and PhD students.
• Assist in teaching activities at times in Oceanography or Marine Sciences.
• Communication of science and results to both the scientific and public spheres.

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.

To be eligible you also need a PhD in physical oceanography, meteorology, geophysical fluid dynamics, applied mathematics/physics, remote sensing, or a closely related subject.

Assessment criteria

We are looking for a highly motivated and independent person with a strong background in physical oceanography and an interest in using new satellite observations to understand fine-scale ocean dynamics and their role in climate. The candidate will work within a strongly supportive team at the university.

The following are considered essential:

• A PhD in physical oceanography or a closely related field, with a solid understanding of ocean dynamics and geophysical fluid dynamics.
• Experience analyzing large datasets (e.g., satellite, observational or numerical model output).
• Strong scientific programming skills in Python or similar.
• A track record of peer-reviewed publications commensurate with career stage and demonstrated verbal and written communication skills in English.

Any of the following experience is considered advantageous:

• Experience with satellite remote sensing data, or with wide-swath or along-track altimetry processing and mapping.
• Experience with in-situ observations such as gliders, Argo floats, moorings or ship-based measurements, and with comparing observations to models or satellite products.
• Experience with high-performance computing environments.

Employment

Type of employment: Fixed-term employment, 3 years.

Extent: Full time, 100%.

Location: Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

First day of employment: Upon agreement (approximately winter/spring 2027).

Contact information for the post

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

Dr Marcel du Plessis - Associate Senior Lecturer, marcel.du.plessis@gu.se

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact:

Helen Kollind - Human resources officer, helen.kollind@gu.se

Unions

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/en/work-at-the-university-of-gothenburg/how-to-apply-for-a-position#collective-agreement-and-union-representatives

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. All documents in the application should be submitted in English.

The application should contain:

• A cover letter (maximum 1 page) outlining your motivation for the position and your relevance to the position description.
• A CV (maximum 2 pages), including a list of publications.
• A copy of your doctoral degree certificate (or a statement from your institution confirming the expected date of the PhD defense).
• Contact details of two referees.

Applications must be received by: 2026-10-29

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:

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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.

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.