Job Description

Contract Type

Full Time

Duration

Fixed Term Appointment - 2 Years

Salary

41,344 to 45,479 per annum

Benefits

We offer

generous benefits

Team

Polar Oceans

Location

BAS Cambridge

Closing Date

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Job Profile

Description

Two post-doctoral research positions in ocean and ice sheet modelling:

Greenland Ice/Ocean Modeller and Ice Modeller/Emulation Scientist

Contract Type

: Full Time - flexible and part-time working considered

Duration

Fixed-term - 2 years (Greenland Ice/Ocean Modeller) or 3 years (Ice Modeller/Emulation Scientist).

Start Date

Flexible

Salary 41,344 - 45,479

- the band minimum is the normal starting pay for those new to a role. In exceptional circumstances, when relevant skills and experience can be identified, a higher starting salary may be considered.

Benefits

We offer a range of generous benefits (see below)

Teams

Polar Oceans team and Ice Dynamics team

Location

BAS Cambridge

Closing Date 8 October

Interview Dates 22-23 October

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is looking for

two ocean and ice sheet modellers

to join our Polar Oceans and Ice Dynamics teams. These posts are part of two interlinked projects within the ARIA-funded Forecasting Tipping Points programme. The Ice/Ocean Modeller will join the PROMOTE project (Progressing Earth System Modelling for Tipping Point Early Warning Systems), a collaboration across 7 UK institutions using the UK Earth System Model (UKESM) to study tipping points in the North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre and Greenland Ice Sheet. The Ice Modeller/Emulation Scientist will join GIANT (Greenland Ice sheet to AtlaNtic Tipping points from ice loss), a large international collaboration across 14 institutions that is dedicated to observing and modelling the melting and calving of glaciers in Greenland fjords.


At BAS, you'll join an interdisciplinary team of oceanographers and glaciologists working closely together to improve our understanding of the evolving ice and ocean dynamics in Greenland and Antarctica. You'll help us to deliver exciting and impactful scientific research on one of the biggest questions facing society: how much and how fast will ice sheets melt, influencing North Atlantic climate and causing global sea-level rise?

For the Greenland Ice/Ocean Modeller role

, we are looking for someone to advance UKESM's representation of Greenland meltwater release to the ocean. They will then use the improved model to assess the risk of Greenland triggering a collapse of convection in the North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre. This post will work together with PROMOTE partners and the broader UKESM team, including at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the Met Office, and the research will directly improve climate predictions using the UK climate model.

For the Ice Modeller/Emulation Scientist role

,we are looking for someone to run ice-sheet simulations of key Greenland glaciers and examine their response to perturbations from melting and calving at the glacier face. They will then use AI frameworks to create statistical emulators of glacier and fjord models, which will be used to examine the potential for tipping points in Greenland glaciers. The postholder will collaborate with GIANT scientists across BAS (Ice Dynamics, Polar Oceans, AI Lab and Digital Innovation Team) and externally (e.g. University of Leeds).


If these roles appeal to you, we'd love to hear from you, whatever your background. Full training in the modelling and AI techniques will be provided. These roles are available immediately, but our top priority is to recruit the best candidates and we would consider any start date.

Informal enquiries about the posts are very welcome and should be addressed to Kaitlin Naughten (kaight@bas.ac.uk) and/or Rosie Williams (chll1@bas.ac.uk).

Please see the job description related to each role for more details.

Candidates are encouraged to apply to both of these roles. Please ensure you upload an application for each role you wish to be considered for.

Apply now at bas.ac.uk/vacancies.

Benefits

In our ice/ocean collaborative team we support the individual needs of our colleagues within a wider culture that is friendly, respectful, open and honest. We want the postholders to have freedom to pursue this science in the direction they think best, though we will of course offer full training in the technical aspects and guidance on the research questions.

As a valued member of our team, you'll be eligible for the following benefits:

30 days annual leave plus bank holidays and 2.5 privilege days Excellent civil service pension (with 26% or more employer contribution) Flexible and family friendly working opportunities Cycle to work scheme Access to discounted shopping on a range of retail, leisure, and lifestyle categories and much more.
You'll be joining a world-leading interdisciplinary research organisation that is committed to recruiting talented people like you and giving you the support you need to thrive. Within these roles, there will be opportunities to develop your scientific career in collaboration with scientists across BAS and beyond. We offer significant support and guidance in applying for funding, including a tailored mentorship scheme for fellowship applications. Training is available on in-house models and techniques where required, and more broadly on skills for career development such as grant writing and scientific leadership.


Working at BAS is rewarding. Our skilled science, operational and support staff based in Cambridge, Antarctica and the Arctic work together to deliver research that uses the Polar Regions to advance our understanding of Earth as a sustainable planet. Through our extensive logistic capability, BAS facilitates access for the British and international science community to the UK polar research operation. Numerous national and international collaborations, combined with an excellent infrastructure, help sustain a world leading position for the UK in Antarctic affairs. BAS is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), which is part of UK


If you require the job information in an alternative format (i.e. email, audio or video), or would like any further information or support, please do not hesitate to get in touch at jobs@bas.ac.uk or alternatively you can call us on 01223 221508.