PhD Position – Physical Oceanography, Greenland's Changing Ocean

About the Position

The Greenland Climate Research Centre (GCRC) at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (GINR) is seeking a motivated PhD candidate for a 3-year position based in Nuuk, Greenland. The position is part of a project funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF), focused on the changing ocean around Greenland and its impacts on glaciers, fjords and communities.

Greenland's continental shelf links the fjords with the open ocean, driving the exchange of heat and freshwater that affect glacier melt, ocean circulation, marine ecosystems and fisheries. Yet seasonal observations on the shelf remain sparse, particularly from autumn to spring. Working in Nuup Kangerlua in Southwest Greenland and the adjacent continental shelf, the successful candidate will combine seasonal ship-based surveys, year-round moorings and profiling floats to produce a full-year dataset of shelf–fjord exchange.

Key Responsibilities

• Participate in seasonal research cruises to collect oceanographic data along the continental shelf and within Nuup Kangerlua.
• Deploy, maintain and recover moorings and autonomous profiling floats.
• Process and analyze hydrographic data to quantify the seasonal exchange of heat and freshwater between the shelf and the fjord.
• Contribute to data management, open data sharing, education and community engagement in Greenland.
• Publish results in peer-reviewed international journals and present at scientific conferences.

Qualifications & Skills

• An MSc degree in Physical Oceanography, Engineering, Marine Science, Environmental Science, or a related quantitative field.
• A strong interest in fieldwork, with the ability to work effectively on ocean-going research vessels in remote Arctic environments.
• Skills in data analysis and scientific programming (e.g., R, Python, or MATLAB).
• Knowledge of physical oceanography and its role in fjord and shelf systems.
• Experience with oceanographic instrumentation (CTD, moorings, sensors or autonomous platforms) is an advantage.
• Good written and spoken English, and the ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team.

The Position

The PhD student will be fully employed by the project and enrolled at Ilisimatusarfik (University of Greenland) for a 3-year period, being based in Greenland for the majority of the studies (excluding short courses or collaborations abroad). The project is carried out in close collaboration between GINR and Aarhus University, and the candidate will be co-supervised by senior researchers from AU and GINR.

Terms of Employment

The position is full-time and fixed-term for three years. Salary and employment conditions will follow the applicable agreement between the Government of Greenland and the relevant labor union at the time of employment.

Further Information

For further information, please contact Lorenz Meire by email at lome@natur.gl.

How to Apply

Application deadline: August 31st 2026.

Submit the application via the online application form: https://naalakkersuisut.career.emply.com/da/apply/phd-position-physical-oceanography-greenlands-changin-ocean-to-greenland-clim/9dvtah/en

More information: https://natur.gl/stillinger/phd-position-physical-oceanography-greenlands-changing-ocean/

Address

Pinngortitaleriffik, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Kivioq 2, PO Box 570, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland.