This is a fixed termed position for 3 years in our section for terrestrial ecology and seabirds at NPI’s research department. The section carries out monitoring and research within the fields of terrestrial ecology and seabird ecology, with a focus on how changes in climate, environmental conditions and human activity affect plant, animal and bird populations in the Arctic and Antarctic.
Your workplace will be Tromsø, Norway. You will be part of a team of researchers from NPI and NINA and collaborate closely with other Norwegian and foreign researchers participating in the project. Some travel to meetings, workshops, and participation in fieldwork may be expected.
Work assignments
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.
Qualifications
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.
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.
Application deadline: April 19, 2026
