Assistant Professor of Geophysics

We are looking for a highly motivated and dynamic assistant professor who will conduct research about the Evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet at The Section for Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth (PICE) for a position commencing on 1st January 2027 and ending on 30th September 2029.

The successful candidate will join the ERC Synergy project Green2Ice, a collaborative research initiative involving partners at Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and Université de Lorraine, Nancy (France).

The assistant professor’s duties will primarily include research, including obligations regarding publication/scientific communication and research-based teaching with associated examination obligations. To a limited extent this may also include performance of other duties.

 

The Project

The overall vision of the Green2Ice project is to determine when Greenland was "green" by using basal ice and sediment records from ice cores to date the presence and absence of ice, and by modelling the evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet over the past million years. More information about the project is available at: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101072180. This position is embedded within a research team comprising five PhD candidates and five postdoctoral researchers.

 

Who we are looking for

We are looking for candidates within the fields of Ice and Climate, Geophysics and Geology. Applicants can have a background from Physics, Geology or Ice Core Science of basal ice.

The successful candidate will work with the flow and ice properties of the basal ice from the ice cores drilled through the Greenland ice sheet. In addition, experience in deep ice core drilling and ice core handling are required. The candidate will be part of a team using multiple methods to date the basal ice in order to establish a time line that links the history of the Greenland Ice Sheet to regional and global paleoclimatic records, including paleotemperature, paleoprecipitation, sea-level change, and ecosystem evolution.

 

Our research group and what we offer

The ERC Synergy project Green2Ice offers a unique opportunity to conduct research within a highly interdisciplinary and international team. The project spans a broad range of activities, from deep ice-core drilling in Greenland to the development and application of novel geochronological techniques, including cosmogenic and radiogenic nuclide dating, OSL/IRSL dating, and modelling of gas and isotope diffusion. By combining records from Greenland's deep ice cores with state-of-the-art ice-sheet modelling, the project aims to constrain the past growth and retreat of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) and quantify its sensitivity to climatic change.

The Green2Ice consortium brings together world-leading researchers from the University of Copenhagen, Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), and the Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques (CRPG, CNRS and Université de Lorraine, France) among others. The collaboration includes regular workshops, scientific meetings, and research exchanges among partner institutions, fostering a vibrant and highly interactive research environment.

By reconstructing the long-term history of the Greenland Ice Sheet, Green2Ice seeks to advance our understanding of past ice-sheet dynamics and their relationship to sea-level change. The project's findings will provide important insights into the future response of the Greenland Ice Sheet to ongoing climate change.

The successful candidate will join the Section for Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth (PICE) at the Niels Bohr Institute, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen. The section hosts a dynamic community of researchers working across glaciology, climate science, geophysics, and Earth system science.

We offer a creative and stimulating workplace within an international research environment characterized by scientific excellence, collaboration, and innovation. Research facilities include modern laboratories, advanced computational resources, and field operations in Greenland and other polar environments.

Assessment of applicants will primarily consider their level of documented, internationally competitive research. The ability to attract external funding will be considered together with outreach qualifications. Teaching qualifications are not mandatory but documented teaching qualifications and teaching experience will be considered.

General criteria apply to the appointment of Assistant Professors at the University of Copenhagen. The criteria (research, teaching, Innovation & societal impact, organizational contribution and leadership) are considered as a framework for an overall assessment of the applicant. In addition, each applicant will be assessed according to the specific requirements listed in this advertisement.

For Assistant professors: https://jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabelige-stillinger/kriterier-for-videnskabelige-stillinger/kriterier-for-meritering-maj-2026/5a_Criteria_for_recognising_merit_-Assistant_professors.pdf.

Applicants are encouraged to read the University of Copenhagen's Guidance on the merit criterion Innovation and Societal Impact here

Further information on the Department can be found on the department website https://nbi.ku.dk/english/research/pice/. Inquiries about the position can be made to Professor Dorthe Dahl-Jensen via ddj@nbi.ku.dk.

The position is open from 1st January 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

 

Terms of employment
The position is covered by the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff.

Salary, pension and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant organisation. Currently, the monthly salary starts at 39,900 DKK/approx. 5,300 EUR (August 2026-level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 18,07 % to your pension fund.

Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions, if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

 

Please include

• Curriculum vitae
• Diplomas (Master and PhD degree or equivalent)
• Research plan – description of current and future research plans
• If available, description and documentation of teaching and supervision experience and qualifications - please describe and document:
  • Experience with supervision of BSc and MSc students
  • Teaching experience
  • Formal pedagogical training
• Complete publication list
• Separate reprints of 5 particularly relevant papers

The deadline for applications is 27 September 2026, 23:59 CET

 

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Interview Committee.

You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.