Staff Scientist within impacts of global change on northern lake ecosystems

Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology

Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 41,500 students and about 4,600 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. Notably, the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.

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The Department of Ecology, Environment and Geoscience are seeking a motivated Staff Scientist to investigate the impacts of global change on northern lake ecosystems, with a special focus on threats to phytoplankton, zooplankton and lake productivity. The position is full time for 11.5 months. Expected start date is June 1st, 2026. Last application date is March 27, 2026. We are looking forward to your application! 

About the department 
Our department conducts world-leading research on northern lake ecosystems and how they are affected by global change. We offer an excellent scientific environment and outstanding opportunities for scientists to develop and specialize in this important field. 

Work assignments 
The staff scientist will be linked to a project exploring how global change influences lake food webs and productivity across northern regions in Fennoscandia. The work includes leverage unique, long-term datasets from Fennoscandian lakes—including climate data, water chemistry, biotic indicators, and satellite remote sensing. The main goal is to identify critical ecological thresholds that, when not met, signal ecosystem vulnerability and decline in productivity. You will have prioritized access to these datasets and work with these questions in collaboration with the research team.  

You will join a vibrant international team led by Prof. Ann-Kristin Bergström (Umeå University), with partners from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Canada and the United States. 

Qualifications 
We seek a Staff Scientist with a PhD in aquatic biogeochemistry discipline, including Physical Geography, Biology, Environmental Sciences, or similar, and with previous postdoc experience. The ideal candidate should have strong expertise in aquatic biogeochemistry (especially lake biogeochemistry and limnology) and in working with long-term datasets assessing global change impacts on northern lake food webs and productivity, and critical ecological thresholds for phytoplankton and zooplankton.  

Required skills are: 

• Strong background in aquatic ecosystem science 
• Expertisein GIS and analysis of long-term environmental data  
• Expertisein satellite remote sensing and geographic data  
• Expertisein advanced statistical analysis and machine learning methods  
• Excellent English communication skills (spoken and written) 

We seek a creative, independent, and collaborative co-worker with enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research. 

Application 
Send your application, written in Swedish or English, through the University’s recruitment system Varbi. Please note that the documents must be in PDF-format. Your application should include: 

• CV and cover letter
• Degree certificate 
• Contact information for two references
• Other documents the applicant wish to upload 

Last application date is March 27, 2026.

Contact 
Professor Ann-Kristin Bergström, ann-kristin.bergstrom@umu.se 

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