Postdoctoral Scholar in Decadal Sea Ice Variability

The Department of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine is seeking a postdoctoral scholar to contribute to the ADVIce project (Assessing the Decadal Variability of sea Ice), a US-UK collaboration funded by the NSF and NERC, which examines decadal variability of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice in observations and Earth System Models. The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Dr. Mark England in the Climate Modelling Lab at UCI and collaborate with experts in polar sea ice modelling and variability from the University of Exeter, the British Antarctic Survey and the UK Met Office Hadley Centre.

Description of the NERC-NSF ADVIce project:

Sea ice at both poles keeps defying expectations: the Arctic's rapid decline has stalled for two decades, while Antarctic sea ice has fallen sharply since 2016. The causes of these decadal shifts remain poorly understood, and unravelling them is essential to anticipating how sea ice will change in the years ahead. ADVIce addresses this gap, studying Arctic and Antarctic sea ice together using models, observations, and reconstructions to diagnose the drivers of these surges and slowdowns in sea ice loss and improve near-term projections.

Position description:

This is a two-year position, with renewal after the first year subject to satisfactory progress and continued funding. The salary will range from 69,073 to 82,836 USD per year, scaling with experience, see postdoc salary scale, and includes generous benefits, see more information at Postdoctoral Scholar Benefit Plan - UCI. The preferred start date is January 2027, though there is some flexibility for the right candidate.

The successful applicant will assess how likely surge and slowdown events are and how their character may change under future warming, drawing on climate-model large ensembles alongside observations and reconstructions. Central to the work, they will design, run, and analyze a new set of CESM2 large-ensemble simulations on the NSF-NCAR Derecho supercomputer that extend existing runs to the present day to capture the recent Arctic slowdown and Antarctic surge periods. The scholar will lead peer-reviewed publications, present at international conferences, and make a research visit to the UK to collaborate with the project partners there.

Review of applications will begin on October 1 st , 2026, and continue until the position is filled. Potential applicants are encouraged to apply before this date to receive full consideration. Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr. Mark England at mark.england@uci.edu with the subject 'ADVIce Postdoc question'.

Perks of the ESS Department and the UC Irvine Campus:

The Earth System Science Department at UC Irvine is highly interdisciplinary. It includes 25 faculty with broad expertise, all devoted to the study of the Earth as a coupled system. UC Irvine is located in Orange County, about halfway between the diverse metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and San Diego. It is a sunny and pleasant place to live, surrounded by beaches, parks, and mountains.

• An expected or recent PhD in climate science, atmospheric or ocean science, physics, applied mathematics, or a related field
• Experience analyzing large climate datasets (climate-model output, observations, and/or reanalysis products)
• Proficiency in a scientific programming language such as Python or MATLAB
• Comfort working in Unix/Linux environments and a willingness to learn high-
  performance computing workflows
• A record of research productivity, including peer-reviewed publications appropriate to career stage
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work both independently and within an international team

• 3 required (contact information only)

The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC anti-discrimination policy.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
• 
  APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment.
  
  

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.