PhD position in Arctic Paleoceanography

Are you interested in understanding how Arctic climate and ocean conditions have changed over time, and what can past warm periods tell us about the future? We are looking for a PhD fellow to investigate past changes in climate and marine productivity using paleoceanographic approaches. This 3-year PhD position is part of a large research project POLARIS “Probing the future of Arctic marine productivity from the seabed” funded by the Carlsberg Foundation at GEUS in Copenhagen, with an expected start date of 01-01-2027.

About the position

The Arctic Ocean and the marine environments surrounding Greenland are highly sensitive to climate change. Marine sediments preserve detailed archives of past environmental conditions, recording changes in ocean circulation, water masses, sea ice, marine productivity and the interactions between the ocean, atmosphere and cryosphere. These archives provide an opportunity to investigate how Arctic and Greenland marine systems responded to climate variability in the past and to improve our understanding of their potential responses to future change.

As part of POLARIS, you will investigate past changes in Arctic and Greenland oceanographic and climatic conditions and their links to marine productivity and ecosystems. The project will use marine sediment cores from Greenland and the wider Arctic region to reconstruct changes in ocean conditions, sea ice, marine productivity and climate over a range of timescales, with particular emphasis on the Holocene and past interglacial periods. These past warm intervals provide important perspectives for understanding the evolution and future trajectory of the Arctic under continued climate warming.

You will work with a combination of paleoceanographic and paleoclimate approaches, potentially including microfossils, biomarkers, sedimentological and geochemical measurements, and other proxy methods developed within the POLARIS project. An important aspect of the PhD will be to integrate different proxy records to reconstruct past change and understand the processes linking ocean circulation, climate, sea ice and marine ecosystems.

The project will provide training in paleoceanography and paleoclimate research, including the development and interpretation of proxy records, quantitative analysis of environmental data and integration of geological archives with knowledge of modern Arctic climate and oceanography.

Who are you?

You have a MSc degree in geology, geoscience, environmental science, oceanography, paleoceanography or a related field.

You are highly motivated to investigate Arctic and Greenland environmental change and have a strong interest in paleoclimate and paleoceanography. Experience with one or more of the following would be an advantage: marine sedimentology and paleoceanography, micropaleontology and marine ecology, marine biomarkers and biogeochemistry, geochemical or sedimentological analyses, or quantitative analysis of ecological and environmental data.

You are not expected to have experience with all of these approaches. Curiosity, scientific independence and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research are more important. You should have good analytical and problem-solving skills and be motivated to develop new approaches and connect paleoceanographic observations with broader climatic and oceanographic processes.

You enjoy working both independently and as part of an international research team and are interested in communicating and collaborating across disciplines. Excellent English communication skills are required, and an interest in learning Danish is an advantage.

Meet your new colleagues

You will become part of the Department of Glaciology and Climate. Our department studies both the current and past changes of the Greenland ice sheet and the ocean surrounding it. Besides doing research, we provide advice to government agencies and the private sector and provide supervision to university students. The department has an international staff of approximately 30 researchers, PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. We have a great focus on multi-disciplinary collaboration across the department and conduct department seminars and other activities to foster this. We also prioritize social arrangements to welcome and integrate new employees to our informal and friendly working environment.

You will join a vibrant research environment working with Arctic climate and marine ecosystems and work closely with colleagues at the University of Copenhagen and international collaborators.

A working environment with a focus on professional development and well-being

There are many good reasons why you should choose a working life at GEUS.

We are a diverse staff of about 300 committed employees. Trust and flexibility are keywords. The working environment is lively, informal and international. Our tasks are versatile and there are plenty of opportunities for you to influence the development of your task portfolio.

We prioritise professional development, among other things by offering access to courses and other relevant activities. Socialising is also very important at GEUS, and we have a rich social life with a staff club, an art association and more.

At GEUS, we prioritise the well-being of every single employee. We prioritise that the Heads of Departments are close to the employees, and we have flexible working hours that allow you to organise your life so that there is time for what matters to you. If you need to work from home occasionally, that is also possible.

Furthermore, we have a gym with associated physiotherapists.

Salary and terms of employment

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the relevant trade union agreement.

The appointment presupposes that the student will be enrolled at the PhD Graduate Programme of Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. The employment period is 3 years, the working week is 37 hours.

The appointment area is the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities and its institutions.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities considers diversity to be an asset and encourages anyone regardless of gender, age, religion or ethnicity to seek the position.

Further information

If you would like additional information, please contact the Head of Department Signe Bech Andersen on [email protected] or the project leader Professor Sofia Ribeiro on [email protected].

If you are an international applicant, you can read more about living and working in Denmark on GEUS’ website.

Are you interested?

The application must include a motivation letter, your CV and MSc degree certificate or a pre-approval signed by the supervisor and examiner, showing that the thesis will be approved. The pre-approval must be confirmed by the educational institution.

Please apply for the position by clicking “Apply for position”. We must have your application at the latest on 18-10-2026 at 23:59 (Danish time).

Applications or other material received after the deadline will not be considered.