3-year postdoc on decadal sea ice variability at the University of Exeter
The University of Exeter seeks to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate/Fellow to contribute to the research activities of the ADVIce project, which examines decadal variability of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. This NERC funded post is available for 3 years from 1 October 2026. The starting salary will be £34,132 (Grade E) for Associate position or £42,882 (Grade F) for Fellow position, depending on qualifications and experience.
The climate is unequivocally warming as has been predicted for decades, but sea ice at both poles continues to surprise. Arctic sea-ice cover has remained relatively steady for the past ~20 years. This slowdown was unexpected, coming after three decades of rapid decline. Even with the benefit of hindsight, the slowdown is puzzling given that the global average temperature has continued to rise. In the Antarctic, sea-ice cover remained stable, or even slightly increased, from 1979 to 2015. However, Antarctic sea ice has dropped dramatically since 2016. To explain the recent slowdown in Arctic sea-ice loss and surge in Antarctic sea-ice loss, and to avoid future surprises, a deeper understanding of decadal sea-ice variability is needed. ADVIce addresses this research gap.
The successful applicant will work under the supervision of Prof James Screen and join a UK-US team of world-leading scientists at the British Antarctic Survey, Met Office, University of California Irvine, and Columbia University. The successful applicant will analyse modes of decadal variability of sea ice - in climate models, observations, and reconstructions – to identify the mechanisms and forcings of decadal sea-ice variability, and their representation in climate models. Informed by this improved physical understanding, the successful applicant will develop and apply approaches to provide more precise near-term projections of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice.
The full Job Description and Person Specification for this role, and instructions on how to apply, can be found here. Applications close on 28 April.
Prospective applicants are encouraged to discuss the position further by contacting Prof James Screen (j.screen@exeter.ac.uk)