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The Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL) has an international reputation for conducting fundamental research on: (i) the physics of shelf and coastal seas, which includes sediment transport processes and the development of shelf sea circulation models: (ii) global sea level research, which includes tide gauge, absolute gravity, GPS, satellite altimetry and ocean bottom pressure measurements. POL also hosts the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level and the British Oceanographic Data Centre.
From April 2007, POL will be participating in the NERC strategic marine science research programme Oceans 2025 (see www.nerc.ac.uk/press/releases/2007/02-oceans2025.asp). Oceans 2025 will increase our understanding of some of the most fundamental issues in marine science such as the size and pattern of sea level rise, the stability of the thermohaline circulation and the reduction of Arctic summer sea ice – radically changing ecosystems and accelerating high latitude climate change.
With the launch of Oceans 2025 in April 2007, POL is pleased to announce that there are five exciting open ended research and technology posts available. We seek candidates with a first class track record in research or a proven track record in the field of ocean engineering/technology development.
Post 1 – Head of Ocean Engineering and Technology – Band 4
We seek a technologist as Leader of POL’s Ocean Engineering and Technology Group (OETG). The group’s work includes a substantial programme of instrument development, with technical innovation leading to the recording of more and better-quality data. The role is to ensure that POL has the technology required to support and enable its science, and includes:
- overseeing the provision of all technical effort in support of POL science, obtaining data from the world’s oceans and the transfer of those data back to POL
- maintaining POL’s provision of laboratories, workshops and equipment in order that the above work can be carried out successfully
- co-ordinating technical activities in POL and providing POL technologists and engineers with the training and knowledge needed
- representing the group and fieldwork interests to POL senior management and externally.
The successful candidate will be qualified to at least graduate level (or equivalent) and show (i) experience of instrument design, building and use, preferably in a marine context, (ii) good collaboration with scientist “users”, (iii) management ability and leadership potential in respect of staff, finance, facilities and projects.
Post 2 - Sediment Dynamicist – Band 5
POL is seeking to improve the prediction of sediment transport and the impacts of its movement, through experiments to unravel detailed sediment dynamics and enable their formulation in predictive shelf-sea models .
We seek a scientist to join POL’s vibrant sediment dynamics team. Especially, knowledge gained from experiments needs to be formulated to improve models’ representation of sediment transports. Experimental results already obtained provide an opportunity to formulate erosion, sediment concentrations and particle flocculation in relation to current strength, waves, bed forms and associated turbulence. There is still scope for more experimental work in relation to bedforms, mixed and cohesive sediments and flocculates.
The successful candidate should have experience in sediment and turbulence dynamics research, and process model formulation. He/She will show (i) scientific leadership potential and ability for independent research, with several years’ relevant post-doctoral-level research after a good Honours degree in mathematics, engineering or science (physics-based or environmental), (ii) a strong track record of scientific publications and project management, (iii) ability to win funding and especially to collaborate with others .
Post 3 - Physical Oceanographer – Band 6
We have a vacancy for a physical oceanographer to work in a team on analysing data from shelf sea detailed process studies and from long term deployments and also to take responsibility for organising aspects of the day to day running of the Coastal Observatory (http://cobs.pol.ac.uk) and participating in research cruises.
The successful candidate will be highly numerate and have a PhD or an equivalent research record, and will be able to work effectively in a team. You will have a first degree (or equivalent) in physical sciences, mathematics, engineering or environmental sciences.
Post 4 – Coastal Ocean Modeller - Band 6
This position involves developing shelf sea numerical models in Oceans 2025 and applying them to a range of applications, including the NW European shelf and the Arctic.
The successful candidate will work on fundamental ocean modelling problems from conception, through simple test cases, to large scale multi-disciplinary simulations (for example including ecosystems and sediments). They will work with POLCOMS, NEMO and ICOM. They will have a first degree in mathematics, physics or physical oceanography (or equivalent numerate discipline) and a PhD or equivalent in physical oceanography, computational fluid dynamics or geophysical fluid dynamics. Knowledge of numerical methods is essential and experience with ocean models, particularly using unstructured meshes/finite elements, is desirable.
Post 5 – Global Coastal-Ocean Modelling: Physical Oceanographer, Band 6
We are seeking to recruit a coastal-ocean modeller to work on developing the POLCOMS shelf sea model to become part of a global earth systems model. The successful candidate will work on a NERC E-science funded project in collaboration with key research institutions around the UK developing a global coastal-ocean modelling system that can be coupled to a global ocean circulation model. This work focuses on the role of shelf seas in the global carbon cycle. The project is in support of the NERC QUEST directed programme and you will be expected to engage strongly with that community.
The successful candidate will be highly numerate, have a PhD or an equivalent research record, and have experience in oceanographic or other environmental modelling. You will have a first degree (or equivalent) in physical sciences, mathematics or oceanography and have a demonstrated ability to programme in FORTRAN.
The starting salary at Band 4 is £34,650.00 rising to £45,440 after 5 years. The starting salary at Band 5 is £29,360 rising to £34,360 after 4 years. The starting salary for Band 6 is £22,220 rising to £27,440 after 3 years. Benefits currently include a final salary pension scheme. As an Investor in People, we can assure you of the opportunity for further training and development. POL is situated in newly-built premises in Liverpool, adjacent to the Department of Ocean and Earth Sciences of the University of Liverpool .
Please contact Personnel Department, Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory, Joseph Proudman Building, 6 Brownlow Street, Liverpool, L3 5DA, UK, telephone number 0151 795 4836, or 0151 795 4841, or e-mail personnel@pol.ac.uk for an application form and further details.
If you would like to discuss these job opportunities please telephone Prof. John Huthnance on 0151 795 4852 for posts 1 and 2. For further information on post 3 please telephone John Howarth 0151 795 4834, for post 4 please telephone Jason Holt 0151 795 4853, or for post 5 please telephone Roger Proctor 0151 795 4836.
Closing date for return of application forms is 10 April 2007.
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