Post-doctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) in Land Surface Modelling

The PDRA in Land Surface Modelling will work on the LEMONTREE (Land Ecosystem Models based On New Theory, observations and Experiments) project (worth $10.9 million in funding to the University of Reading and running from January 2021 – September 2026). The PDRA will be responsible for integrating new model components developed by the LEMONTREE project into the JULES and/or ecLAND (CHTESSEL) land-surface schemes in collaboration with project scientists at the University of Reading, Imperial College London, the Met Office and ECMWF. They will also be responsible for evaluating and optimising the performance of the new components, and disseminating successes to the broader land-surface and climate modelling communities. The postholder will be expected to interact with other members of the LEMONTREE.

The post is fixed term, initially for 14 months with the potential for extension subject to continued funding.

You will have:

• A PhD in climate science or closely related discipline by the start date of the appointment
• Broad understanding of climate and land-surface modelling, and the principles of the terrestrial carbon cycle and carbon-water coupling
• Excellent programming skills, specifically Fortran and Python
• Practical experience in using big data sets for model evaluation
• Familiarity with statistical approaches used for model evaluation, including geostatistics and timeseries analyses
• The ability to use own initiative and plan, manage and prioritise workload effectively to meet varied and strict project delivery deadlines .

Closing date: 31/03/2025

Interviews will be held in April 2025, with the expectation that the appointment will start as soon as possible thereafter.

Contact details:

Contact Name: Sandy P. Harrison
Contact Job: Supervisor
Contact Email address: s.p.harrison@reading.ac.uk

Alternative Contact Name: Pier Luigi Vidale
Alternative Contact Job Title: Scientific supervisor
Alternative Contact Email address: p.l.vidale@reading.ac.uk

By reference to the applicable SOC code for this role, sponsorship may be possible under the Skilled Worker Route. Applicants wishing to consider the SWR must ensure that they are able to meet the points requirement before applying. There is further information about this on the UK Visas and Immigration Website.

The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and champions LGBT+ equality. Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.

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