Call for applications: Junior Research Fellow: Marine Isotope Biogeochemistry

The Marine Biogeochemistry Lab in the Department of Oceanography at the University of Cape Town (UCT) invites applications for the position of Junior Research Fellow: Marine Isotope Biogeochemistry (full-time 5-year contract). The Marine Biogeochemistry Lab is a world-class oceanic and atmospheric biogeochemistry laboratory established to address large- and small-scale research questions in marine and climate science. The laboratory is equipped with cutting-edge infrastructure, much of it unique on the African continent, that is available to support high-quality, high-visibility, and high-impact research. A central focus of the Marine Biogeochemistry Lab is high-sensitivity measurements of the nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of various nitrogen species, allowing for investigation of the marine nitrogen cycle, which is fundamental to understanding how our oceans work and are changing.

We seek a Junior Research Fellow with experience in analytical marine biogeochemistry and isotope geochemistry to play a leading role in new interdisciplinary research projects in the Marine Biogeochemistry Lab. The incumbent will work on questions of nitrogen cycling and its implications for ocean productivity, ecosystem health, and greenhouse gas budgets in the equatorial, subtropical, and coastal ocean. They will be expected to design and conduct at-sea experiments to quantify rates of important biogeochemical processes, including under low-oxygen and low-nutrient conditions, and to analyse a range of biogeochemical parameters in the laboratory, including the nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of various dissolved and particulate nitrogen species. The incumbent will also be expected to develop an independent but complementary research stream (e.g., the application of ‘omics techniques) that augments the vision and capabilities of the Marine Biogeochemistry Lab.

The Junior Research Fellow will play an integral role in large, collaborative research projects, including contributing to the supervision of students embedded in the project and participating in international project meetings and conferences. They will also have an opportunity to contribute to undergraduate and Honours teaching in Oceanography. The incumbent will be appointed in the Department of Oceanography and affiliated with UCT’s Marine and Antarctic Research centre for Innovation and Sustainability (MARIS), which promotes and manages large inter- and transdisciplinary marine research projects.

Application deadline:
9 June 2025

Download the full position details here.