Department:
Research Institute for Global Change (RIGC)
Research Institute for Marine Geodynamics (IMG)
Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research of Life (X-star)
Institute for Earth and Material Sciences (EMS)
Research Institute for Earth and Information Sciences (REIS)
Research Institute for Marine Technology and Engineering
*The affiliations of the successful candidates will be determined during the employment process.
*There may be a change in affiliation in the event of a reorganization of JAMSTEC.
Recruitment Objective and Target Researchers
JAMSTEC is now recruiting approximately 5 promising early career researchers as Researchers or Researchers (II) to lead future research and development initiatives and engage in pioneering and innovative research.
Successful candidates are on a tenure-track and are eligible for the Selection Examination for the Position of Permanent Employee (a tenured position).
JAMSTEC will conduct the following research and development activities under our Fifth Medium-to-Long-Term Plan:
・Promoting research and development to deepen understanding of global-scale phenomena and address related challenges through: understanding global changes and their mechanism; comprehending the generation mechanisms of earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis to contribute to disaster prevention measures; exploring the co-evolution of Earth and Life and the diversity and function of marine ecosystems ; elucidating global biogeochemical cycles, formation mechanisms of submarine resources, and environmental assessments; and predicting future changes in the interactions between the ocean, Earth, life, and human activities, including the development of digital twins of the ocean.
・Contributing to the creation of humanity's intellectual assets and fostering new innovations by promoting the use and application of the knowledge base acquired through research and development.
・Generating and disseminating valuable information by integrating data from surveys and observations and strengthening analytical capabilities.
・Strengthening and promoting fundamental engineering research and elemental technology development to create ocean observation and deep-sea exploration systems for vast and deep-sea environments, with a focus on the domains of high-precision, unmanned, labor-saving, efficient, and miniaturization.
Building upon the research and development initiatives outlined in the Fifth Medium-to-Long-Term Plan, we invite applications from researchers committed to promoring next-generation marine science and technology through advanced and interdisciplinary research with the following characteristics:
・Researchers who leverage creative ideas and original perspectives to promote fundamental technology development and accelerate research and development efforts
・Researchers engaged in cutting-edge research within current fields or pursuing interdisciplinary research that transcends existing research domains
・Researchers with a certain degree of independence, demonstrating enthusiasm to conduct their own research by leveraging JAMSTEC's research environment and infrastructure
・Researchers demonstrating a commitment to collaborative research across research divisions and contributing to JAMSTEC-wide research and development initiatives
・Researchers capable of proposing novel research and development that advances "AI for Science," which fuses scientific data and research findings with artificial intelligence.
For details on our research and development system, please visit the website below and recruiting departments is available by clicking the links in the department names:
https://www.jamstec.go.jp/e/about/research/
[Related fields of expertise]
Marine Science and related natural sciences or engineering fields
Job Type:
[Job Title]
Researcher (Science):
Researcher (Science) is expected primarily to conduct fundamental, originative, or advanced research based on theories, observations and experiments related to research and development.
Researcher (Technology):
Researcher (Technology) is expected to conduct fundamental, originative, or advanced technology development and related research.
[Position]
Researcher:
Researcher is expected to further accumulate and develop its own expertise, and to continuously create and publish the results of their main papers and technology development as a dedicated researcher.
Researcher (II):
Researcher (II) is expected independently to conduct research and technology development and to share results through scientific publications and achieve technology innovation.
*Job Title (Science/Technology) and the position will be determined during the employment process.
Requirements:
Applicants must have completed a Ph.D. in a closely related field of research or technology development.
Work Place:
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
One of the followings
・Yokosuka Headquarters
・Yokohama Institute for Earth Sciences
・Mutsu Institute for Oceanography
・Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research
Working Conditions & Contract Period:
(1) Number of positions:
Approximately 5 positions for Researcher or Researcher (II)
(2) Type of contract:
Tenure-track fixed-term employee
(3) Working Hours:
Discretionary Labor System for Specialized Work
(4) Contract Period:
Period of employment is from October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2031
*Effective date of employment is negotiable.
Salary:
Annual salary (paid in 1/12 equal monthly payments)
e.g., JPY 7,000,000-9,300,000
Application Procedure:
(1) Required documents
a) CV
* Valid email and home address must be provided.
* Educational history should include all qualifications from high school and above.
b) Summary of your research (1 page)
c) Research plan at JAMSTEC (3 pages)
* Please clearly indicate two research departments of interest at the beginning of the plan (e.g., your desired affiliation and related research activities).
* Research plans should either advance current research fields at the cutting edge or employ cross-disciplinary approaches that transcend existing research domains. Proposals combining both elements are particularly welcome.
* When preparing your research plan, please clearly describe the research objectives, content, distinctive features, and the significance of implementing the research at JAMSTEC.
d) "Publication (achievement) list" including thesis titles and "List of competitive research funds" awarded to the applicant
* Please list publications in refereed (peer-reviewed) journals separately from unrefereed publications.
* Include DOI codes if available.
* Include grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), and other competitive research funding sources.
* Include records of scholarship awards received.
* If you have not been awarded any, include "none" in the list.
e) Two (or fewer) representative publications
f) Two letters of recommendation from two senior research scientists (1 letter from each).
* Employees of JAMSTEC will not be accepted as writers of Letter of recommendation.
(2) Submission
a)-f) Convert all application documents to PDF format and upload them to the following website:
https://recruit.jobcan.jp/jamstec/entry/new/2266029
* Since some of the notation is in Japanese on the website, please refer to the following input procedure when entering your information.
Application guide
f) Please arrange for your recommenders to send their letters of recommendation directly to the following recruitment contact address by email attachment by the closing date.
recruit-app[at]jamstec.go.jp
* When sending, please replace [at] with @ and use "JECR2026 [Applicant Name]" as the subject line.
(3) Interview
Applicants will be selected based on submitted application material, followed by an interview.
*Web-based online interviews are expected basically.
Closing Date:
July 12, 2026 at 23:59 in Japan time
*Depending on the situation of applications, the closing date may be extended.
Contact:
Human Resources Section, Human Resources Dept. Administrative Division, JAMSTEC
Email: recruit-app[at]jamstec.go.jp
*Please replace [at] with @ when addressing Emails and include "JECR2026" in the subject line.
