Postdoctoral Scholar in Decadal Sea Ice Variability

Salary range: $69,073 - $82,836 per year, scaling with experience. The preferred start date is January 2027, though there is some flexibility for the right candidate.

About the role

The Department of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine is seeking a postdoctoral scholar to contribute to the ADVIce project (Assessing the Decadal Variability of sea Ice), a US-UK collaboration funded by the NSF and NERC. This two-year position, with renewal after the first year subject to satisfactory progress and continued funding, examines decadal variability of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice in observations and Earth System Models.

The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Dr. Mark England in the Climate Modelling Lab at UCI and collaborate with experts in polar sea ice modelling and variability from the University of Exeter, the British Antarctic Survey, and the UK Met Office Hadley Centre.

Project Description

The ADVIce project addresses critical gaps in understanding decadal shifts in sea ice. Arctic sea ice decline has stalled for two decades, while Antarctic sea ice has sharply declined since 2016. The causes of these shifts remain poorly understood. ADVIce studies Arctic and Antarctic sea ice together using models, observations, and reconstructions to diagnose drivers of surges and slowdowns in sea ice loss and improve near-term projections.

Responsibilities

• Assess the likelihood of surge and slowdown events in sea ice and how their character may change under future warming, using climate-model large ensembles, observations, and reconstructions.
• Design, run, and analyze a new set of CESM2 large-ensemble simulations on the NSF-NCAR Derecho supercomputer to extend existing runs to the present day, capturing recent Arctic slowdown and Antarctic surge periods.
• Lead peer-reviewed publications and present findings at international conferences.
• Conduct a research visit to the UK to collaborate with project partners.

Requirements

• An expected or recent PhD in climate science, atmospheric or ocean science, physics, applied mathematics, or a related field.
• Experience analyzing large climate datasets (climate-model output, observations, and/or reanalysis products).
• Proficiency in a scientific programming language such as Python or MATLAB.
• Comfort working in Unix/Linux environments and a willingness to learn high-performance computing workflows.
• A record of research productivity, including peer-reviewed publications appropriate to career stage.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work both independently and within an international team.

Benefits

This position includes generous benefits. For more information, visit the Postdoctoral Scholar Benefit Plan – UCI.

About the Department

The Earth System Science Department at UC Irvine is highly interdisciplinary, with 25 faculty members specializing in the study of the Earth as a coupled system. UC Irvine is located in Orange County, California, between Los Angeles and San Diego, offering a sunny and pleasant living environment near beaches, parks, and mountains.

Review of applications will begin on October 1, 2026. Informal inquiries can be directed to Dr. Mark England at mark.england@uci.edu with the subject “ADVIce Postdoc question.”