Landslide specialist at the Icelandic Met Office
The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) is a government institute, under the auspices of the Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources. The institute is a multidisciplinary monitoring and research institute focused on Earth system processes and natural hazards in Iceland, employing about 140 staff members with various educational backgrounds and skills covering many disciplines.
Large landslides have been prominent in Iceland in recent years and their frequency and potential ramifications may increase during the coming decades as a result of environmental and societal changes, such as climate change, land-use, and growth in the tourist industry. These conditions require increased mapping and monitoring of unstable slopes. New technology such as remote sensing has evolved rapidly during the last decade which IMO plans to pursue further for landslide monitoring and forecasting.
IMO seeks to recruit a landslide specialist in a full-time position within the division of Processing and Research. About 50 specialists work in the division on diverse projects related to weather and climate research, avalanche and landslide hazard mapping, glaciology, hydrology and oceanography, as well as tectonics and volcanology.
The position is in the field of landslide and avalanche science, a field that employs about 15 specialists at IMO, the majority of whom are stationed at the Avalanche Research Centre in Ísafjörður, NW-Iceland. They work in collaboration on hazard mapping, monitoring and research and development projects on landslides and avalanches.
Main tasks
- Data collection and processing, mapping and monitoring of landslides
- Landslide risk assessment and dissemination of products within the field of landslide monitoring and risk assessment
- Modelling and geotechnical computation of landslides
- Participation in landslide monitoring and dissemination during landslide events
- Designing of and participation in research and development projects related to landslide monitoring and risk analyses
- Project management of defined projects
Education and qualification requirements
- Master's degree in the field of natural science and/or engineering
- Successful experience and/or knowledge of landslide processes
- Geotechnical knowledge
- Successful modelling experience
- Good knowledge and experience of data visualization in Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
- Good interpersonal and social skills
- Ability to work independently and as a part of a team
- Ability to communicate results within a team and externally
- Organizational skills and professional competence
- Advanced computer skills are essential, including programming skills
- Good language skills in Icelandic and/or English are essential
- Experience in project management is an advantage
Further information about the position is available from Jórunn Harðardóttir, Manager director of Processing and Research (jorunn@vedur.is), Magni Hreinn Jónsson, Group Leader of Avalanche and Landslides (magni@vedur.is) and Borgar Ævar Axelsson, Human Resources Manager (borgar@vedur.is), tel: +354 522 6000.
The job is a full-time position and the salary is in accordance with government wage contracts and the appropriate union. The preferable location of the landslide specialist is at the IMO's Avalanche Research Center in Ísafjörður.
The deadline was previously March 29th but has been extended to April 6th 2021.
To apply please send a CV (including a publication list), contact details for two referees, and a letter stating the reasons for applying and outlining why you consider yourself suitable for the position. Applications should be submitted by e-mail to borgar@vedur.is.
The key values of IMO are knowledge, reliability, progressiveness and teamwork. Recruitments at the institute take these attributes into consideration.
More information on the Icelandic Met Office are provided at www.vedur.is.