Postdoctoral Research Associate in Glacimarine Sedimentology

at  Durham University

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Glacimarine Sedimentology (Job Number: 24001927)
Department of Geography
Grade 7: - £37,999 - £40,247 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: 36 months
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Working Arrangements: TBC
Closing Date: 29-Nov-2024, 5:59:00 PM
Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Not Applicable.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A good first degree in Physical Geography, Geology or Earth Science or a related discipline.
• A PhD in a relevant field.

EXPERIENCE

• Experience in conducting high quality academic research.
• Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly-ranked journals.
• Demonstrable ability to present research papers at international conferences and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community.
• Experience in marine sediment core analysis for the purposes of reconstructing past ice sheet-ocean interaction.
• Experience and understanding of glacial and glacimarine sedimentary processes, deposits and environments.
• Experience and understanding of techniques for the analysis of marine and glacimarine sediments which may include some or all of the following sedimentology, lithofacies analysis, ice-rafted debris, micropalaeontology (benthic foraminifera), MSCL, XRF, XRD, as well as 14C dating.
• Experience in the analysis and interpretation of marine geophysical data such as multibeam swath bathymetry and sub-bottom profiling.

SKILLS

• Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.
• Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

EXPERIENCE

• Past participation in marine geological research cruises and/or working with marine geological and geophysical data to reconstruct former ice sheets.
• Knowledge and understanding of Quaternary Science

SKILLS

1. Ability to communicate specialist information to non-specialists

THE ROLE AND DEPARTMENT

The Department of Geography at Durham comprises 68 academic staff (approximately equally divided between physical and human geography), a graduate school of around 100 research students, around 40 taught postgraduate students and more than 650 undergraduates. The Department is well supported with technical staff, including a cartography unit, and administrative staff.
The Department was ranked joint first for research quality among UK geography departments in REF2021 and third for research power. With 54% of work assessed as being in the highest category, it produced the largest number of world-leading (4*) publications in the country. The most recent QS rankings for Geography placed Durham 14th overall in the world, with over a decade in the top fifteen, and 3rd for citations in the discipline. The department is recurrently ranked in the top handful of programmes in the UK by various league tables; in 2023, we were ranked 3rd in the Complete University Guide.
Our aim is to sustain and support hubs of leadership in geographical scholarship – broadly conceived. We will maintain our reputation for theoretical and conceptual innovation so that we are shaping and leading debates globally.
We work across every continent and most major oceans, and embrace the full diversity of methods and data available to the discipline

THE ROLE

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join the Sea Level, Ice Sheets and Climate research cluster in the Department of Geography at Durham University, working with Professor Colm O’Cofaigh for three years. The successful candidate will have expertise in glacial and glacimarine sedimentology and glacigenic sedimentary environments, as well as in the analysis of marine sediment cores, geochronologic data and marine geophysical data for the purposes of ice-sheet reconstruction. The candidate will be working with existing datasets from a number of different glaciated continental margins. There may also be opportunities for joining a research cruise during the period of the post. The job will entail analysis of a range of sedimentological and marine geophysical datasets, writing papers for publication and helping to contribute to grant proposal development and conference presentations. The post is fixed term for 36 months from 1st January 2025

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• To analyse and interpret existing marine sediment cores and marine geophysical data.
• To work collaboratively to develop new sedimentological and marine geophysical datasets.
• To use these data to develop reconstructions of past glacier and ice sheet history (mostly, but not exclusively, the Greenland and British-Irish ice sheets).
• To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications.
• To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences.
• To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals.
• To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.
• To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.
• To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.
• To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.
• To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
• To engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
• To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.