Director, Climate and Cryosphere

THE NORWEGIAN POLAR INSTITUTE is Norway's main institution for research, environmental management and monitoring, mapping and fieldwork in the Polar Regions. The Institute is under the auspices of the Ministry of the Environment and is a contact and service body for national and international polar research. The NPI has currently expanded its activity due to additional tasks and an increased number of projects - especially within the field of climate change. The Institute has about 160 employees spread between Tromsø (headquarters), Svalbard (Spitsbergen) and Antarctica.

The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) invite applications for the position of Director of the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) International Project Office (CIPO).

Background

The WCRP was established in 1980. It is sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Council for Science (ICSU), and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The WCRP goals are to determine the extent to which climate can be predicted and the extent of human influence on climate.

The WCRP established its core project CliC in 2000. Since 2004, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) of ICSU has been cosponsoring CliC. Since 2008, the project has been also cosponsored by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). The principal goal of CliC is to assess and quantify the impacts that climate variability and change have on components of the cryosphere and the consequences of these impacts for the climate system, and to determine the stability of the global cryosphere. In order to achieve this goal, CliC has supporting objectives to enhance the observation and monitoring of the cryosphere and the climate of cold regions, and to improve understanding and modelling of the physical processes and feedbacks through which the cryosphere interacts within the rest of the climate system.

More information on the WCRP and CliC, respectively, is available at the WCRP websites. The CIPO is placed at the Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsø, Norway.

Duties and responsibilities

The Director of CIPO (D/CIPO) will work closely with the CliC governing bodies (Scientific Steering Group - SSG, its Chair and the Executive Committee), panels and working groups. The scope of work will include contributions to fulfilment of CliC scientific priorities as a part of the WCRP’s objectives and goals - as set out in the WCRP Strategy 2005-2015 and Implementation Plan 2010-2015. D/CIPO will be responsible for updating, as and when necessary, the CliC project documents and plans; preparing meetings and project-related events and reports; ensuring the liaison, coordination and the timely flow of pertinent information to WCRP-affiliated scientists, projects and relevant international scientific bodies (including through the project newsletter, website, publications and other communications means); participating in sessions of the CliC SSG and relevant meetings of other national and international bodies, representing the project at meetings, conducting consultations at the working level with agencies and institutions on implementation of CliC; promoting CliC objectives in the cryospheric, climate, polar and broader science communities; seeking sources of maintaining adequate funding for the CIPO; and fulfilling other duties as required or requested by CliC governing bodies and WCRP.

The CIPO serves as an extension of the WCRP Joint Planning Staff (JPS). D/CIPO reports to the Director of the WCRP on WCRP and CliC programmatic activities and to NPI on the issues related to management and funding of CIPO and day-to-day operation of the Project Office and its staff. D/CIPO is an ex-officio member of the CliC Executive Committee. S/he is responsible for the follow-up and coordination of all CliC related actions/activities resulting from meetings of CliC governing body and the Joint Scientific Committee for WCRP.

D/CIPO is expected to integrate with and actively interact with the cryosphere research community at NPI for mutual scientific benefit.

Conditions of work

The successful applicant will be expected to commence duties as early as possible. The Project Office is based at the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), in Tromsø, Norway (see these websites for more details on the NPI). D/CIPO is a full time position stationed in Tromsø, Norway. The successful applicant will be recruited as a member of NPI staff. The position is open for a four year term, with the possibility of one additional four year extension. The remuneration and other conditions of service will be negotiated with the NPI according to qualifications and NPI regulations. The position is categorized as “senior advisor” which presently has a salary range from 456400 to 1005500 NOK per year depending on experience and qualifications.

The town of Tromsø is a vibrant, and growing town with a Norwegian accredited university (see www.destinasjontromso.no and www.uit.no, respectively).

Selection criteria

The successful candidate will be expected to have:

  • a Ph.D. or equivalent qualification in cryospheric and polar research, oceanographic, or atmospheric sciences;
  • a broad knowledge of Earth system science, including the subfields of climate and the cryosphere;
  • the ability to communicate effectively with a broad range of project stake-holders, including scientists, students, science policy experts, data and information managers, funding agencies, and managers of scientific programmes and institutes;
  • fluency in writing and speaking English (ability to work in other languages, particularly the Norwegian language, will be an advantage);
  • previous involvement and experience in the organisation of multi-disciplinary scientific projects;
  • leadership skills, experience in managing a small team (e.g. Deputy Director, project scientist and office manager);
  • ability to lead a team responsible for supporting an international scientific project (e.g., the provision of secretariat support for meetings; producing reports of meetings and project plans; ensuring a timely flow of information to stakeholders through publications and web-based systems, organising and supporting international conferences, work with budgets/resources, etc.);
  • readiness to work with national/international sources and associated processes for funding scientific programmes and technical projects; and
  • ability to communicate publicly and promote CliC and WCRP internationally.

Applications from suitably qualified female and male candidates are equally welcome.

Applications

The application deadline is April 18, 2011. Applications must be submitted electronically on the application form available at Jobbnorge.no. All of your relevant qualifications and experience should be outlined in your letter of application (directly on the electronic form). Applicants should submit a complete curriculum vitae, a statement (2-4 pages) describing what the applicant would bring to this job and which personal skills and experience would allow him/her to meet the selection criteria, and the names and contact details of three persons willing to provide letters of recommendation. Receipt of the applications will be acknowledged by e-mail. Please do not include text or copies of articles or originals of diplomas in the application, but note that the latter may eventually be required.

A selection panel will assess the applications. It is expected that the short-listed candidates will be notified and invited to take part in interviews. The intent is to select a suitable candidate for this post as soon as possible.

For information regarding the position contact:
Dr Ghassem R. Asrar
Director of the World Climate Research Programme
World Meteorological Organization Secretariat
Geneva, Switzerland
E-mail:

Dr. Vladimir Ryabinin
Joint Planning Staff for World Climate Research Programme
World Meteorological Organization Secretariat
Geneva, Switzerland
E-mail:

Dr. Kim Holmén
Norwegian Polar Institute
Fram Centre
Tromsø, Norway
E-mail:

All applications will be handled confidentially until the application deadline. Thereafter, a public list of applicants will be prepared. Applicants who do not want to appear on the public list must provide reasons for this in their application. In accordance with new public information laws, information about an applicant can be made public even if the applicant has requested to remain off the public list of applicants, cf. Freedom of Information Act, Section 25, 2nd paragraph.

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