Postdoctoral Research Assistant in MicroCarb Mission

The University of Edinburgh; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Edinburgh is seeking a researcher for a fixed-term position to work on the MicroCarb satellite mission. This role involves studying atmospheric CO2 and contributing to significant scientific advancements. Candidates should have a PhD and experience in atmospheric modeling and data interpretation. Join a vibrant international community and enjoy comprehensive staff benefits while contributing to vital climate research.

Benefits

Competitive Salary

Generous Holiday Entitlement

Competitive Pension Schemes

Staff Discounts

Family-Friendly Initiatives

Qualifications

• PhD (or submitted) in a relevant quantitative scientific discipline.
• Experience in developing and running an atmospheric transport model.
• Experience with FORTRAN and Python.

Responsibilities

• Study the global carbon cycle and its changes with climate.
• Work on the MicroCarb satellite mission for CO2 data collection.
• Make significant scientific contributions once data becomes available.

Skills

Atmospheric Transport Modeling

Data Interpretation

FORTRAN

Python

Independent Work

Education

PhD in a relevant quantitative scientific discipline

Job description

Grade UE07: £40,497- £48,149 per annum

College of Science & Engineering, School of GeoSciences

Fixed Term: 9 months, until 31 March 2026

Full Time: 35 hours per week

The Opportunity:

Given the unprecedented growth rates of atmospheric CO2 in 2023 and 2024, there is no better time to study the global carbon cycle and how it might change with a warming climate. MicroCarb, a French-UK satellite mission launching in summer 2025, will collect atmospheric CO2 data that will allow us to precisely monitor changes in the global distribution of CO₂ sources and sinks. The UK science lead for MicroCarb is at the University of Edinburgh so this opportunity is a valuable opportunity to gain a deep understanding of the instrument and its capabilities before data delivery begins. This positions you to make significant scientific contributions once the data becomes available.

This post is full-time (35 hours per week) and fixed term until 31 March 2026.

The salary for this post is £40,497 to £48,149 per annum.

Your skills and attributes for success:

• A PhD (or a PhD submitted) in a relevant quantitative scientific discipline.
• Experience in developing and running an atmospheric transport model.
• Experience in interpreting data.
• Experience with FORTRAN and Python computer languages.
• Proven ability to work independently and efficiently.

Click to view a copy of the full job description (opens new browser tab)

Application Information

Please ensure you include the following documents in your application:

- CV

- Cover letter that describes your previous research experience.

As a valued member of our team you can expect:

At the University of Edinburgh, you will join a group of researchers that study various aspects of atmospheric composition on Earth. These include surface emissions, uptake, and atmospheric chemistry and transport of trace gases and aerosols. The group widely uses in situ and remotely sensed measurements, computers models, and advanced data analysis techniques to gain a better fundamental understanding of the composition of Earth’s atmosphere. Our group website:http://sites.google.com/view/palmer-group/home.

• A competitive salary
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on ourstaff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits

Championing equality, diversity and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on ourright to work webpages (opens new browser tab)

The University is able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. If successful, an international applicant requiring sponsorship to work in the UK will need to satisfy the UK Home Office’s English Language requirements and apply for and secure a Skilled Worker Visa.

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 13 June 2025.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.

Interviews will be held 2 weeks after deadline.