PhD Position - Physical Oceanography

SEARCH THIS POSITION Greenland's Climate Research Center (GCRC) at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (GINR) is seeking a motivated PhD candidate for a 3-year position based in Nuuk, Greenland. The position is part of a project funded by the Danish Independent Research Fund (DFF) focusing on the changing sea around Greenland and its significance for glaciers, fjords, and communities.

Greenland's continental shelf connects the fjords with the open sea and drives the exchange of heat and freshwater, which affects glacier melting, ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, and fishing. Nevertheless, seasonal observations on the shelf remain sparse, particularly from autumn to spring. Based on Nuup Kangerlua in Southwest Greenland and the adjacent continental shelf, the selected candidate will combine seasonal ship expeditions, year-round moorings, and profiling floats to produce a year-round dataset on the exchange between the shelf and the fjord.

Main areas of responsibility

• Participate in seasonal research expeditions to collect oceanographic data along the continental shelf and in Nuup Kangerlua.
• Deploy, maintain, and recover moorings and autonomous profiling floats.
• Process and analyze hydrographic data to quantify the seasonal exchange of heat and freshwater between the shelf and the fjord.
• Contribute to data management, open data sharing, education, and citizen involvement in Greenland.
• Publish results in peer-reviewed international journals and present at scientific conferences.

• A master's degree (MSc) in physical oceanography, engineering, marine science, environmental science, or a related quantitative field.
• Great interest in fieldwork and ability to work effectively on ocean-going research vessels in remote Arctic environments.
• Competencies in data analysis and scientific programming (e.g., R, Python, or MATLAB).
• Knowledge of physical oceanographic processes and their role in fjord and shelf systems.
• Experience with oceanographic instrumentation (CTD, moorings, sensors, or autonomous platforms) is an advantage.
• Good written and oral English skills as well as the ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary collaborative team.

PhD students will be employed full-time on the project and enrolled at Ilisimatusarfik (University of Greenland) for a 3-year period, based in Greenland for most of the study (except for short courses or collaborations abroad). The project will be carried out in close collaboration between GINR and Aarhus University, and the candidate will be co-supervised by senior researchers from AU and GINR.

Salary and employment conditions

Salary and employment conditions, including the right to travel for joining and leaving and relocation of personal belongings, in accordance with the agreement/collective agreement in force at the time of commencement between the Government of Greenland and the relevant negotiating organization.

Housing

No staff housing is provided for the position. If an applicant already has staff housing through employment in the Self-Government, the right to assigned staff housing is retained. The staff housing is linked to the employment relationship and must be vacated upon termination of the employment relationship.

Further information

For further information: Lorenz Meire via email at lome@natur.gl.

Application deadline: August 31, 2026.

Application

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