PURPOSE STATEMENT

The Research School of Earth Sciences is the leading centre of Earth and Marine research in Australia. Researchers have a tradition of excellence in addressing the world’s challenges in the Earth sciences, such as contributing to a sustainable future by modelling ocean currents and climate change to inform societal debate and actions, researching the formation of economic deposits of critical minerals, developing innovative and sustainable technologies by which critical metals can be extracted from ore, and using sophisticated seismic studies to understand the nature of the deep earth and to manage geohazards.

The Postdoctoral Fellow is expected to undertake work in all three areas of academic activity –research, education and service (including outreach). The allocation of time to each area will be discussed with the position supervisor annually and be reflective of the external funding conditions that support the appointment, the appointees research agenda, school and interdisciplinary teaching requirements and leadership
opportunities within the School environment.

The Postdoctoral Fellow may also be required to supervise or assist in the supervision of students, and contribute cooperatively to the overall intellectual life of the School, College and University. This position is supported in part by the Australian Research Council’s Centre of  Excellence for Climate Extremes (CLEX). CLEX is a major seven-year initiative and the successful candidate will contribute to and benefit from being a part of the CLEX community. The Centre is led by UNSW Sydney and partners with Monash, The University of Melbourne, The Australian National University and The University of Tasmania alongside a suite of national and international partner organisations. The Centre’s research agenda encompasses interconnected research programs focused on Weather and Climate Interactions, Attribution and Risk, Drought, Ocean Extremes and Coupled Modelling. Climate extremes are the confluence of high impact weather, climate variability and climate change. The Centre works to improve our understanding of the processes that trigger or enhance extremes and build this understanding into our modelling systems. The improved predictions of climate extremes will help Australia cope with extremes now and in the future.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will work as part of two major ocean modelling projects. The first project, funded by the ARC Discovery Project “Connecting ocean tides to the large-scale circulation”, will involve the development and evaluation of internal wave parameterizations for next-generation global ocean models, with an emphasis on the Southern Ocean region. In the second project, supported by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes (CLEX), the Postdoctoral Fellow will utilize the next-generation model to investigate key questions around the Southern Ocean response to climate change, such as the impact of tidal mixing on ocean carbon uptake, changes to the thermohaline circulation, and marine heatwaves. In this role, the Postdoctoral Fellow will work directly with a diverse international team of researchers and software engineers with expertise in internal waves, high-resolution global modelling, and Southern Ocean dynamics.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITY AREAS:

Position Dimension and Relationships:

The Postdoctoral Fellow will be a member of Research School of Earth Sciences, accountable to the supervisor and Director of the School. The Postdoctoral Fellow will be expected to work collegially, leading by example to develop and maintain effective, productive and beneficial workplace relationships within the all-academic and professional School and College staff, students and honorary appointees, as well as with industry stakeholders.

This position will also have a mentoring role for students and will engage in collegial and productive collaborations with local, national and where possible, international colleagues.

Role Statement:

In their role as an Academic Level A the Postdoctoral Fellow is expected to:

  • Undertake independent research in the area of physical oceanography with a view to publishing original and innovative results in refereed journals, present research at academic seminars and at national and international conferences, and collaborate with other researchers at a national level.
  • Collaborate with senior staff to actively seek and secure external funding, assist to prepare and submit research proposals to external funding bodies as appropriate.
  • Contribute to the teaching activities of the School at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This includes, but is not limited to, the preparation and delivery of lectures and tutorials, the preparation of online material, marking and assessment, consultations, and with students or acting as subject coordinators.
  • Supervise students working on individual or group projects at undergraduate, honours, graduatecoursework levels. Assist with supervision of research students.
  • Assist to supervise research support staff in your research area.
  • Actively contribute to all aspects of the operation of the School.
  • Assist in outreach activities including to prospective students, research institutes, industry, government, the media and the general public.
  • Maintain high academic standards in all education, research and administration endeavours.
  • Take responsibility for their own workplace health and safety and not willfully place at risk the health and safety of another person in the workplace.
  • A demonstrated understanding of equal opportunity principles and policies and a commitment to their application in a university context.
  • Other duties as required that are consistent with the classification of the position.
  • Comply with all ANU policies and procedures, and in particular those relating to work health and safety and equal opportunity.

Skill Base:

A Level A academic will work with the support and guidance from more senior academic staff and is expected to develop their expertise in teaching and research with an increasing degree of autonomy. A Level A academic will normally have completed four years of tertiary study or equivalent qualifications and experience and may be required to hold a relevant higher degree. A Level A academic will normally contribute to teaching at the institution, at a level appropriate to the skills and experience of the staff member, engage in scholarly, research and/or professional activities appropriate to their profession or discipline, and undertake administration primarily relating to their activities at the institution. The contribution to teaching of Level A academics will be primarily at undergraduate and graduate diploma level.

SELECTION CRITERIA

  • A PhD (or awarding of a PhD within six months of appointment commencement) in oceanography, physics, mathematics, computer sciences or a related discipline, or equivalent qualifications and experience in a related area, with a track record of independent research in the field of physical oceanography as evidenced by publications in peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
  • Evidence of the ability to articulate and prosecute innovative research in the field of ocean dynamics.
  • Relevant experience in numerical modelling, model development, high performance computing and/or big data analysis.
  • An ability and commitment to contribute to bids for competitive external funding to support individual and collaborative research activities.
  • The ability to assist in the supervision of students working on research projects.
  • The ability to work as part of a team and to meet deadlines.
  • Excellent oral and written English language skills and a demonstrated ability to communicate and interact effectively with a variety of staff and students in a cross-disciplinary academic environment and to foster respectful and productive working relationships with staff, students and colleagues at all levels.
  • A demonstrated understanding of equal opportunity principles and policies and a commitment to their application in a university context

To Apply

To be considered for this position, please upload the following documents:

  • A current curriculum vitae (CV), and
  • No more than a two page summary addressing your suitability against the selection criteria.

The committee will consider candidates that do not meet one or more aspects of the selection criteria.

If you require adjustments to participate in any of the above assessments, please contact our HR team at E: hr.cos@anu.edu.au or T: +61 2 6125 9371. Any adjustment request or the disclosure of disability will not be communicated to the selection committee without the candidates consent and it will not having any bearing on hiring decisions.

Find out more about this opportunity here.