Researcher in Climatology: Paleoclimate Model-Proxy Comparisons and Warm-Season Extremes

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The Department of Earth Sciences conducts research and education in earth sciences and geography. Research is organized around three principal themes: climate and climate change, earth surface processes, and the geosphere. Research within climate and climate change includes climate modelling, regional climate dynamics, paleoclimate reconstruction, dendrochronology, and analysis of instrumental and proxy-based climate data. For more information about the Department see here.

The Department of Earth Sciences is now seeking a researcher for a fixed-term position focusing on warm-season temperature variability in northern Fennoscandia from a long-term climate perspective.

Subject area

Climatology, with a focus on paleoclimate model-proxy comparisons and warm-season temperature extremes.

Subject description

Instrumental climate observations cover only a small fraction of the timescales needed to assess how unusual regional climate extremes are. Annually resolved paleoclimate reconstructions can extend this perspective over centuries to millennia and provide independent benchmarks for evaluating climate-model simulations.

The project uses a quantitative wood-anatomy reconstruction of May-August temperature from northern Sweden and Finland for the period 850-2019. The reconstruction will be compared with last-millennium, historical, and future simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project and the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project.

The purpose of the position is to complete and further develop the model-proxy analysis, quantify uncertainties in projected occurrences of record-warm seasons, and contribute to the completion and submission of a scientific manuscript.

Duties

The researcher will work with existing paleoclimate reconstruction data, instrumental or reanalysis temperature data, and climate-model simulations.

The main duties include:

• using observations from 2020 onwards as an independent evaluation of model projections;
• conducting sensitivity analyses with available past1000, historical, and SSP simulations from PMIP4/CMIP6;
• contributing substantially to the interpretation of results and to the writing, submission, and revision of a scientific article for peer review; and
• collaborating with researchers at the University of Gothenburg and with national and international partner institutions.

The duties may be adjusted within the overall scientific scope of the project depending on data availability and manuscript needs.

Qualifications

Requirements

The applicant must have:

• completed a doctoral degree, or have a corresponding foreign degree deemed comparable to a Swedish doctoral degree, in physical geography, climatology, atmospheric science, paleoclimatology, environmental science, or another subject relevant to the position;
• documented research experience in climatology, climate variability, climate extremes, climate-model evaluation, or a related field;
• experience processing and analysing gridded climate-model, observational, or reanalysis data;
• good skills in scientific programming in Python, MATLAB, R, or equivalent software; and
• very good ability to communicate orally and in writing in English.

Meritorious qualifications

The following qualifications are considered advantageous:

• experience comparing climate-model simulations with paleoclimate proxy reconstructions;
• knowledge of dendroclimatology, quantitative wood anatomy, tree-ring proxies, or proxy system modelling;
• experience with both CMIP5/PMIP3 and CMIP6/PMIP4 simulations;
• a strong publication record in climatology, paleoclimatology, climate modelling, or climate extremes; and
• experience working in international and interdisciplinary research collaborations.

Assessment criteria

Selection will be based on an overall assessment of the applicant's scientific competence, methodological experience, publication record, technical skills, and suitability for the specific duties of the position.

Particular weight will be given to documented experience of:

1. analysing CMIP or PMIP climate-model simulations;
2. conducting regional climate-model evaluation;
3. working with paleoclimate or other long-term climate records;
4. applying statistical methods to climate extremes and ensemble uncertainty; and
5. independently completing analyses and scientific manuscripts within a limited project period.

Personal qualities

The position requires a researcher who can work independently, take responsibility for a clearly defined research task, and deliver results within a short employment period.

The applicant is expected to:

• have strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
• work carefully and systematically;
• take initiative and independently drive the research forward;
• communicate methodological choices and results clearly;
• collaborate effectively with researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds;
• respond constructively to scientific feedback; and
• meet agreed deadlines for analyses, figures, documentation, and manuscript work.

Great emphasis will be placed on personal suitability and on the applicant's documented ability to carry out the stated duties efficiently and to a high scientific standard.

Employment

The employment is a fixed-term position as researcher for three months.

Extent: 100%, full-time
Location: Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg
Employment period: 1 October 2026-31 December 2026
Start date: 1 October 2026, or as agreed

The University applies individual salary setting.

Selection process

The selection process may include an interview, reference checks, and a short presentation or discussion of the applicant's previous research and proposed approach to the project analyses.

Contact information

For further information about the scientific content of the position, please contact:

Jesper Björklund
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg
Email: jesper.bjorklund@gu.se

Unions

Information about union representatives at the University of Gothenburg is available on the University's website for applicants.

Application

Applications must be submitted via the University of Gothenburg's digital recruitment system.

The application must include:

1. a cover letter describing the applicant's relevant scientific background and explaining how the applicant's qualifications match the duties of the position;
2. a curriculum vitae, including the date of the doctoral degree and a complete list of publications;
3. a copy of the doctoral degree certificate.

Documents that are not written in English, Swedish, Norwegian, or Danish must be accompanied by a translation into English or Swedish.

The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete and has been received by the University no later than the application deadline. Only applications submitted via the recruitment system will be considered.

The application must be received no later than 23 August 2026.

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.