Stijn De Schepper

NORCE Research in Bergen, Norway, is offering a 3-year postdoctoral position in Paleogenomics of the Arctic Ocean, funded by the ERC Synergy Grant i2B (Into The Blue: Resolving past Arctic greenhouse climates). The successful candidate will join the Molecular Ecology and Paleogenomics group, working closely with the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research and international partners. The research focuses on understanding how past marine communities in the Arctic Ocean responded to climate and sea ice changes, using sediment cores and advanced metagenomic techniques. Key tasks include DNA extraction from marine sediments, shotgun metagenomics, bioinformatics, integration with paleoclimate data, participation in research cruises, and dissemination of results at conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. Applicants must hold a PhD in Environmental Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Ecology, Paleogenomics, or a related field. Required skills include wet lab experience in molecular ecology, DNA extraction, quality control, library preparation, and sequencing. Strong advantages are experience with ancient DNA metagenomics and bioinformatics. Additional desirable skills include marine (paleo-)ecology, paleoceanography, and multivariate statistics. Candidates should demonstrate meticulous laboratory and organizational skills, teamwork and independent work abilities, and proficiency in written and spoken English. The position offers a stimulating interdisciplinary research environment, involvement in one of Europe's leading climate research centers, and comprehensive funding including pension and insurance schemes. The application deadline is 24 April 2026. To apply, submit your application electronically via the NORCE Research job portal, including a motivation letter with a brief research plan, CV, publication list, references, and relevant certificates. For further information, contact Dr Stijn De Schepper at [email protected].