PostDoc position: Marine ecology/seabird ecology – Deadline 19 April 2026

The primary focus of this postdoctoral position will be on the spatial and temporal interactions of North Atlantic seabirds, their potential prey species, and oceanographic conditions throughout the year.  This research aims to investigate how changes in marine ecosystems could impact seabird communities. The main tasks for this position are:

• identify the most important prey species for seabirds in the North Atlantic throughout the year, using a combination of literature review, observational data, tracking and stable isotope data, as well as model and simulation results
• study the distribution of seabirds’ prey in relation to other ecosystem components and environmental parameters, and assess how these affect the distribution of seabirds
• quantify the role of seabirds in marine ecosystem energy and nutrient cycling
• develop scenarios predicting future prey distributions as a result of climate change and evaluate the subsequent impacts on seabird distribution
• publish your findings in internationally recognized, peer-reviewed journals

This work will be focused on large-scale studies encompassing multiple species and locations outside the breeding period.

You must hold a PhD in ecology or marine biology. A Norwegian doctorate or an equivalent doctorate degree from a foreign university is required. If you have not yet completed your dissertation, you are still welcome to apply, but then you must document that your doctoral work has been submitted for assessment before the application deadline for the position. An approved doctoral thesis is a prerequisite for employment.

In addition to holding a PhD, you must have a strong analytical background and experience in quantitative ecology, spatial analysis, handling large and complex datasets, and proficiency in programming (e.g., R or Python).

It is an advantage if you have:

• Experience in marine system ecology, fish biology, and seabird ecology.
• Experience using tracking technology for studies of area use, particularly in the analyses of light-level geolocator data.
• Experience in stable isotope analyses to study diet.
• Experience with models and simulations of marine species distribution, as well as familiarity with relevant data for these in the North Atlantic and the Arctic.
• Experience with the Norwegian high computation cluster (SIGMA 2).
• Fieldwork experience in polar regions.
• A strong publication record appropriate to your career level.

We place great emphasis on personal suitability.

We are seeking applicants with good collaboration skills who are focused on problem-solving, while also being able to work in a structured and independent manner. The ideal candidate will excel at balancing autonomous work with seamless team integration, transforming challenges into opportunities through creative and systematic thinking.

Good oral and written knowledge of English is required. Our working language is Norwegian, so knowledge of Norwegian will carry weight in the assessment. If you do not speak Norwegian, you are expected to complete a Norwegian course during the first two years of your employment since communication in Norwegian will be important for both you and the institute. We organize and pay for courses that are completed successfully.

Passing a health check in accordance with the institute’s guidelines is a prerequisite for participation in fieldwork.

If required, the person appointed must be able to be authorized for access to information classified as BEGRENSET. Further information about authorization can be found on the website of the Norwegian Civil Security Clearance Authority.

• Interesting and exciting work tasks in a highly international research environment.
• Salary according to the Norwegian State salary code 1352 postdoctoral research fellow (2% is deducted to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund).
• Field and cruise pay according to national and local agreements.
• Membership of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. The membership includes many benefits, such as lifetime retirement pension, the right to financial support if you become ill or disabled, financial support for your family if something happens to you in our service, insurance against occupational injury/illness, as well as good mortgage terms.
• Membership in our staff association, which among other things has its own cabin and facilitates various social gatherings.

The position as postdoctoral research fellow is defined as a recruitment position, and the main objective of such positions is to qualify for work in senior academic positions. Postdoctoral research fellow positions are primarily intended for researchers who are at the beginning of their careers. No one may be appointed to more than one fixed-term period as a postdoctoral research fellow at the same institution in Norway.

In case of discrepancies between the Norwegian and the English version of this description, the Norwegian version takes precedence.

We believe a diverse work force is a strength, and want employees with different skills, subject combinations, life experience and perspectives. If you are qualified for the position, you are welcome to apply regardless of your gender, age, cultural background, disabilities, or gaps in your CV. There are special health requirements for this position that could limit our possibilities to accommodate special needs in the workplace.

Your application must be submitted in Jobbnorge. The application should include details of your relevant qualifications and experience, attachments, CV, publications list, copies of your transcripts and names of three references. Please, do not include copies of publications or other works in the application, but note that this may be requested later in the process.

We collaborate with Semac (www.semac.no) on electronical reference interviews and background checks to ensure a good recruitment process. This helps ensure that we recruit the right expertise and contribute to a fair evaluation of the applicants. The background check often consists of verification of information provided in the application, CV, diploma, etc.

All applications are handled in confidentiality until the application deadline. Thereafter, a public list of applicants will be prepared. Applicants who wish to reserve their applications from the public list must give reasons for this in their applications. Information about an applicant can be made public even if the applicant has requested that they be excluded from the public list of applicants, cf. Freedom of Information Act, Section 25, 2nd paragraph.