Postdoctoral Researcher: Extreme Climate Events, Hydrology, and Carbon Cycling in Northern Environments University of Oulu in Finland

The University of Oulu, a leading multidisciplinary research institution in Finland, is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher for a project focused on extreme climate events, hydrology, and carbon cycling in northern environments. This position is based within the Water, Energy and Environmental Engineering research unit at the Faculty of Technology, which specializes in land, water, and energy systems and their interactions. The research is motivated by pressing societal challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation, and energy transition, aiming to develop sustainable solutions for the future.

The project investigates how extreme climatic events—including heatwaves, droughts, winter warming episodes, and rain-on-snow events—impact hydrology and carbon cycling in high-latitude northern ecosystems. These events are becoming more frequent and widespread across the Arctic, triggering rapid ecological responses that often exceed the effects of gradual, long-term warming. The research integrates detailed site-level observations with large-scale data synthesis to understand how short-term climatic extremes alter water flow, soil conditions, vegetation dynamics, and ecosystem carbon fluxes.

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will work with extensive datasets from multiple Arctic and sub-Arctic research sites, complemented by large climate, hydrology, and ecological databases. Your main tasks will include data mining, harmonizing, and analyzing diverse data sources to identify how specific extreme climatic events affect water flow, soil conditions, vegetation dynamics, and carbon fluxes. The research also explores vertical exchanges between ecosystems and the atmosphere, as well as lateral transport of carbon through hydrological pathways. You will contribute to developing an integrated, multi-site understanding of the Net Ecosystem Carbon Balance (NECB) at both catchment and regional scales.

Key responsibilities include compiling and managing datasets from long-term monitoring sites, extracting and calculating indicators of extreme events from reanalysis products, analyzing carbon cycling and hydrological responses before, during, and after extreme events, contributing to multi-site synthesis to understand regional patterns and drivers, and publishing findings in international peer-reviewed journals. The position offers opportunities for professional development within a strong research unit, regular salary paid 12 months per year, paid leave, holiday bonus, wellness benefits, and support for settling into Oulu through the Buddy Programme and Spouse Network.

Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in data science, geoscience, biogeochemistry, environmental science, ecology, engineering, or equivalent experience, completed no more than 10 years ago and by the application deadline. Essential skills include handling large observational and/or modelling datasets, statistical data analysis, independent scientific work, teaching skills, strong English language skills, and a proven track record in scientific writing and publishing. Preferred qualifications include experience with machine and deep learning data analysis, field work campaigns, student supervision, and applying for external funding.

The fixed-term position is for 36 months, starting June 2026, with a typical monthly salary of 3800-4000 € (before taxes), based on Finnish university salary charts and personal work performance. The application deadline is 16 March 2026. To apply, submit your application online in English, including a cover letter, CV, list of publications, brief account of research merits, and contact details for 2–3 referees. Eligible applicants will be invited to a remote interview, and all applicants will be notified after the selection process. For further information, contact Professor Torben R. Christensen ([email protected]) or Associate Professor Hannu Marttila ([email protected]).

For more details and to apply, visit the University of Oulu application portal.