This position is no longer open for applications

• Are you an enthusiastic and thorough researcher with an interest in earthquake science?
• Have you got a strong understanding of earthquake processes using seismological and/or geodetic methods?
• Do you have demonstrated scientific programming experience in one or more of Python, Julia, C or a similar scientific programming language?

Mō Te Herenga Waka - About Our University

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington is a global-civic university with our marae at our heart. This iho draws off our heritage and is further defined by our tūrangawaewae, in particular Wellington, Aotearoa, and the Asia-Pacific, all of which are expressed in our position as Aotearoa New Zealand's globally ranked capital city university.

Our core ethical values are respect, responsibility, fairness, integrity, and empathy. These core ethical values are demonstrated in our commitment to sustainability, wellbeing, inclusivity, equity, diversity, collegiality, and openness. With, and as, tangata whenua, we value Te Tiriti o Waitangi, rangatiratanga, manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, whai mātauranga, whanaungatanga, and akoranga.

Kōrero mō te tūranga - About the role

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington is currently recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the Geophysics groups within the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences on a fixed term contract up to four years. The role will be responsible for undertaking research aligned with Dr Calum Chamberlain’s current research, and for developing new, self-led research projects under the guidance of Dr Chamberlain. To assist in this research, the role will involve fieldwork to collect seismic and geodetic data around New Zealand. The role will also include light teaching responsibilities.

The research within this role will lie in the fields of seismological and/or geodetic observations and modelling of earthquake processes and fault mechanics. This role will assist with one or more current research projects led by Dr Chamberlain including: studying earthquake interactions and precursory phenomena using long-duration detailed earthquake catalogues in New Zealand; understanding the inter-relations between slow earthquakes, repeating earthquakes and large earthquakes using detailed catalogues and numerical modelling; characterising the deep slip-rate on New Zealand’s plate boundaries using low-frequency earthquakes and geodetic monitoring; and developing new earthquake detection and analysis methods for fibre-optic based distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) in New Zealand. This role will also involve the development of new research avenues aligned with the Fellow’s own interests.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work with Dr Calum Chamberlain to conduct seismological and/or geodetic research aligned with Dr Chamberlain’s existing research, and the Postdoctoral Fellow’s current and evolving research.
• Develop a record of scholarly research outputs and an independent research agenda.
• Where possible, incorporate Māori and Pasifika perspectives and interests into research.
• Participate in research teams that may include members from other disciplines and institutions that address national or international priority areas.
• Partake in co-supervision of graduate students at MSc and PhD level.
• Maintain and develop nationally significant research datasets, through active participation in fieldwork and data collection, within the geophysics group, and contribute to open-access for these datasets.

Ō pūmanawa - About you

You will be an enthusiastic and thorough researcher who has a strong interest in collaborative and open research in earthquake science.

You will have a strong and proven interest in understanding earthquake processes using seismological and/or geodetic methods. You will thrive in this role if you enjoy generating and exploring new datasets in detail through self-directed research. This role will develop your research and leadership skills through current research projects, while providing flexibility to also pursue your own research interests. 

Key Requirements:

• PhD in a related field (to be held before the role starts).
• Experience collecting, managing and maintaining seismic and/or geodetic datasets: experience working in remote field environments is desirable.
• Demonstrated scientific programming experience in one or more of Python, Julia, C or a similar scientific programming language and experience working as part of open-source communities.
• Excellent analytical skills, particularly in the analysis and interpretation of noisy, imperfect data.
• Capability to work as part of a team in collaborative research projects.

Ētahi kōrero hai āwhina i a koe - Why you should join our team

The earthquake research group at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington, has considerable expertise in end-to-end seismological earthquake analysis, from collecting long-duration seismic datasets in often remote areas, through detailed computational analyses, to the construction of numerical models that advance understanding of faulting processes. You will be able to learn from, and contribute to this team, leveraging both this experience, knowledge and the extensive datasets currently being developed by our group.

There are a range of opportunities for exciting fieldwork, research and collaborations within our team. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to apply your expertise to new problems, develop your research and academic skills, and develop your own research agenda.

Role Description

Close Date for Vacancy: 22 November 2022

Contact Details for Vacancy: If you have any questions regarding this role please get in touch with Dr Calum Chamberlain (calum.chamberlain@vuw.ac.nz). But applicants should follow all steps listed below. 

Important - Application Steps and information

Download and complete the University Application Form.

Then, please combine your cover letter, CV and the University Application Form into a single file (preferably in pdf format). 

Click Apply Now Button at the base of the advert. Follow the process to enter your contact details and attach your combined file (CV, cover letter and the University application form) using the “CV/Resume” button. 

If you have any issues uploading your application, please email the completed application form, cover letter and CV to erecruit@vuw.ac.nz stating the reference number and position title from the advert in the subject line.