at the Department of Environmental Science. Closing date: 18 April 2022.

The Department of Environmental Science is one of the biggest departments at the Faculty of Science. The department is divided into four units with more than 170 researchers, teachers, doctoral students and technical/administrative staff from over 30 countries. Research and teaching focuses on chemical contaminants, atmospheric science, biogeochemistry and (eco)toxicology. As an employee at the Department of Environmental Science you will be part of a dynamic environment with research in leading research areas and a strong international profile.

Project description
Research in contaminant chemistry at the Department of Environmental Science covers a wide spectrum of organic contaminants, and aims at understanding their sources, environmental fate and transport as well as risk to humans and the environment. Development and wide application of sensitive and robust analytical tools is critical to facilitating this research. The overarching goal of this project is to develop and apply a high resolution gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HRGCMS) method for wide-scope targeted as well as non-targeted analyses of non-polar organic contaminants in the Arctic and in other environmental samples. The work will primarily make use of a state-of-the-art QExactive GC-Orbitrap system but there are also several low resolution instruments available for method development. There are three main components to the project:

  1. Method Development. We will start by building a wide-scope targeted method using standards covering diverse physcial-chemical properties. The method should also enable acquisition of data to facilitate so-called “suspect” and “non-target” screening experiments. Priority applications include circum-Arctic sediments and municipal wastewater treatment plant sludge. Accessible data handling workflows for target, suspect, and non-target screening, including databases, will also be established as part of this work.
  2. Application to Arctic Sediments. Environmental transport and fate of hydrophobic organic contaminants is strongly influenced by biogeochemical cycles, as these chemicals bind to organic matter. For this reason, marine sediment is an important sink for many non-polar chemicals, and can thus serve as an archive and indicate chemical emissions and global transport. The project has access to a large collection of sediment samples collected across the entire Arctic Ocean, and the ultimate goal is to apply the developed HRGCMS method on these samples in order to a) investigate the contaminant fingerprint in Arctic shelf sediment, b) make an assessment of the organic contaminant inventory in Arctic shelf sediment and its geograhical distribution and differences and c) assess how sources and degradation of organic carbon affect occurrence and storage of hydrophobic organic contaminants in Arctic shelf sediment. There is the possibility for the postdoc candidate to take part in a research expedition with the Swedish Icebreaker Oden to the Arctic Ocean in 2023.
  3. Application to Collaborative projects. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to support collaborations within the department which take advantage of the newly developed high resolition GCMS method. Possible topics include (but are not limited to): organohalogen mass balance experiments, combustion-derived contaminants, PFAS characterization in consumer products, characterization of emissions from wastewater treatment plants as well as bioaccumulation and plastics characterization. In this regard, the position offers considerable flexibility for the successful candidate to develop their own research “niche” within the department.

Main responsibilities
The work involves both method development (e.g., the HRMS part of the analytical chain, as well as optimization and testing of extraction and cleanup procedures) and application to environmental samples (e.g. including interpretation of contaminant fingerprints and distributions). The postdoctoral researcher is expected to take the lead on and be responsible for experimental design and laboratory work, as well as interpretation of data, data management, writing, and publishing, in collaboration with the project team.

Qualification requirements
Postdoctoral positions are appointed primarily for purposes of research. Applicants are expected to hold a Swedish doctoral degree or an equivalent degree from another country.

Assessment criteria
The degree must have been completed at latest before the employment decision is made, but no more than three years before the closing date. An older degree may be acceptable under special circumstances. Special reasons refer to sick leave, parental leave, elected positions in trade unions, service in the total defense, or other similar circumstances as well as clinical attachment or service/assignments relevant to the subject area.

In the appointment process, special attention will be given to research skills in a relevant area for the position. The successful postdoc candidate is expected to have a PhD in analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, organic geochemistry or equivalent, with documented experience of using GCMS for chemical analysis. Experience with non-target and/or suspect screening is considered an advantage, including handling of large datasets, identification of molecules by MS2 spectral library matching, and mass spectral interpretation of unknown molecules. Experience of interpreting organic compound distributions within an environmental system context is advantageous.

Other Requirements:

  • Knowledge of programming, including working ability in R and/or Python.
  • Strong statistical knowledge and experience in multivariate modelling.
  • Experience with using either open-source or commercial software for handling GC-Orbitrap data (e.g. Compound Discoverer, MSDial, etc).
  • Strong communication skills in English, in both speech and writing.
  • Any environmental field work experience is viewed as favorable.

Terms of employment
The position involves full-time employment for a minimum of two years and a maximum of three years, with the possibility of extension under special circumstances. Start date in September 2022 or as per agreement.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact
Further information about the position can be obtained from Professor Anna Sobek, anna.sobek@aces.su.se, Professor Jon Benskin, jon.benskin@aces.su.se, or Professor Örjan Gustafsson, orjan.gustafsson@aces.su.se.

Union representatives
Ingrid Lander (Saco-S), telephone: +46 708 16 26 64, saco@saco.su.se, Alejandra Pizarro Carrasco (Fackförbundet ST/Lärarförbundet), telephone: +46 8 16 34 89, alejandra@st.su.se, and seko@seko.su.se (SEKO).

Application
Apply for the position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

Please include the following information with your application

  • Your contact details and personal data
  • Your highest degree
  • Your language skills
  • Contact details for 2–3 references

and, in addition, please include the following documents

  • Cover letter
  • CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of publications
  • Research proposal (no more than 3 pages) describing:
    – why you are interested in the field/project described in the advertisement
    – why and how you wish to complete the project
    – what makes you suitable for the project in question
  • Copy of PhD diploma
  • Letters of recommendation (no more than 3 files)
  • Publications in support of your application (no more than 3 files).

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position.

You are welcome to apply!

Stockholm University contributes to the development of sustainable democratic society through knowledge, enlightenment and the pursuit of truth.

Closing date: 18/04/2022

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