Professor W. R. Peltier at the University of Toronto Department of Physics in collaboration with Aquanty invites applications for a postdoctoral research associate to investigate climate change impacts in northern Canada. The research work will include dynamical downscaling of climate projections, with an emphasis on land-surface – climate interactions in Arctic regions. The successful candidate will use the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to downscale CMIP5 and CMIP6 projections, and to assess temporal and spatial changes in snow cover and permafrost distribution. This project is part of a larger initiative to investigate the impact of climate change on natural resources across Canada, and includes partners in academia, government, and industry.
The minimum requirements for this position are:
- A doctorate in atmospheric science, meteorology, hydrology, physics or a similar quantitative field
- Significant experience with the Python programming language, its numerical/scientific stack (e.g. numpy, xarray etc.) and version control (e.g. git)
- Experience with Linux/Unix environments, shell scripting (e.g. bash) and high-performance/parallel computing
- Demonstrated ability to publish novel research
The ideal candidate would also possess the following skills and experiences:
- Research experience with WRF or a similar limited-area atmospheric model
- Familiarity with land-surface models like Noah-MP or CLM, and the ability to make changes or updates to these model components
- Interest in climate change impacts and application of research results
- Commitment to maintainable and reusable software
It is also expected that the successful candidate will contribute to the formulation of research objectives
and the design of numerical experiments, as well as towards the writing and publication of their own
research and that of project partners.
The position will be supervised by Prof. Peltier at the University of Toronto, and there will be direct
technical interaction with Aquanty researchers. Due to the applied nature of the research project,
engagement with both the research community and with natural resources stake-holder groups is
expected.
The appointment will be for a 3-year period, and it is expected that the successful candidate will be
legally able to work in Canada, and will (pending the evolution of the COVID pandemic) eventually
(re-)locate to the Greater Toronto Area in order to maintain a presence at the University of Toronto.
Interested candidates should contact Dr. Andre R. Erler at aerler@aquanty.com (using the subject line
“Post-doc Application”) and include an academic CV and cover letter.