Job Specifications
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Position
Postdoc in Arctic geomicrobiology and biogeochemistry M/F
Employer
Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography
Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography, Marseille, France
Homepage: https://www.jbradleylab.com/
Location
Marseille, France
Sector
Academic
Relevant divisions
Biogeosciences (BG)
Cryospheric Sciences (CR)
Ocean Sciences (OS)
Type
Full time
Level
Entry level
Salary
Open
Preferred Education
PhD
Application deadline
Open until the position is filled
Posted
10 September 2025
Job Description
Postdoc in Arctic geomicrobiology and biogeochemistry M/F
Apply: https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR7294-SYLJOV-023/Default.aspx?lang=EN
Application Deadline : 30 September 2025 23:59:00 Paris time
Reference : UMR7294-SYLJOV-023
Workplace : Marseille, France
Contract Period : 24 months
Expected date of employment : 1 February 2026
Missions
We are seeking a postdoc (M/W) in geomicrobiology (PhD-level position) in Marseille, France, to work on the European Research Council funded Starting Grant project 'SIESTA: The Role of Microbial Dormancy as an Ecological and Biogeochemical Regulator on Earth'. The position is under the supervision of Dr. James Bradley (https://www.jbradleylab.com/). The recruited person will work with the principal investigator and will participate in laboratory experiments, data analysis, field work, and work as part of a project team that includes doctoral students and technical staff. The main objective of this postdoc position is (1) to measure the activity and dormancy of diverse microbial communities in cryospheric environments, and (2) to link the activity and dormancy of these microbial communities to biogeochemical cycles. This data will feed into wider project goals to understand the role of dormancy as a regulator of biogeochemical cycles, and to link dormancy to the emergence, survival and evolution of microbial populations.
Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in a relevant natural science discipline (e.g. environmental microbiology, geomicrobiology and biogeochemistry, microbial ecology and evolution). The CDD is offered for 2 years and is renewable on an annual basis, contingent on satisfactory performance evaluations. We expect a flexible start date around February 2026, adjustable based on the candidate's availability and the requirements of the project.
Applicants should submit IN ENGLISH 1) a current curriculum vitae; 2) a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) stating their motivation for applying to this position, research interests, relevant skills, training and experience; 3) contact information for at least two and up to three professional references. Please combine these documents into a single PDF. Important: Please also email Dr. James Bradley (james.bradley@mio.osupytheas.fr) to confirm your intention to apply. Apply as soon as possible. The application window will remain open for three weeks after the date that it is advertised online, and on a rolling basis thereafter (depending on whether or not a candidate has been selected). Contact Dr James Bradley (james.bradley@mio.osupytheas.fr) with any questions.
Activities
The postdoc (M/W) will contribute to different research aspects on the project:
Study/analysis of cryosphere (cryoconite, ice, sediment, soil) environments and microbiomes (experimental and observational).
High-resolution sampling of natural microbial populations (including fieldwork in remote Arctic regions).
Molecular and experimental microbiological and biogeochemical laboratory work.
Generation and analyses (bioinformatic and statistical) of environment and microbiome data, including amplicon sequencing libraries, metagenomes, and metatranscriptomes.
Publish (as lead and co-author) in leading academic journals, participation in scientific conferences, outreach activities.
Collate and catalogue data for deposition and archiving in data repositories.
Skills
Expert knowledge of microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, microbial adaptation to extreme environments, microbial ecophysiology.
Demonstrated skills and experience in a range of microbiology competencies (molecular biology, environmental microbiology, 'omics/sequencing, physiology/incubation/activity measurement and experiments).
Technical skills and experience in microbial incubation experiments, activity/ecophysiology measurement at the community and/or single cell level, metagenomics and/or metatranscriptomics.
Technical skills and experience in cell-specific activity measurements including fluorescent markers for cell activity, flow cytometry, cell sorting (e.g. BONCAT-FACS).
Quantitative skills in analysis of large datasets, for example: to integrate biological/genomic data with biogeochemical measurements, biogeographic, phylogenomic, comparative, time series (community or population) modelling/analyses.
Demonstrated skills in bioinformatic and stati
About the Company
The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is the leading organisation for Earth, planetary and space science research in Europe. It was established in September 2002 as a merger of the European Geophysical Society (EGS) and the European Union of Geosciences (EUG), and has headquarters in Munich, Germany. It is a non-profit international union of scientists with over 20,000 members from all over the world. Membership is open to individuals who are professionally engaged in or associated with geosciences and planetary and space sci...
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