The purpose of this position is to provide land surface remote sensing, synthetic aperture radar and GIS expertise focused on research and development activities supporting the identification of impacts from disasters, including earthquakes, landslides and land surface change, wildfires, severe weather, floods, and other hazards, in support of NASA activities, including the NASA Earth Science Disasters Program.
The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and extensive visible/near-infrared remote sensing experience. The candidate will be expected to support a team focused on disaster response, risk, and resilience activities that include novel and innovative research that culminates in peer-reviewed publications and near real-time application outcomes. U.S. Citizenship is required.
Duties/Responsibilities:
• Support for funded research and development:
a. Satellite data processing: Acquire data sets from various sources (optical and radar) and process them into various formats supporting research and analysis tasks, use previously written computer code and code they may author in collaboration with others to complete data processing tasks.
b. Synthesis of results: Use scientific understanding of remote sensing and synthetic aperture radar to understand signatures of land surface and other change resulting from an immediate disaster, and/or use understanding of longer-term remote sensing and modeling outcomes to characterize disaster risk and opportunities for mitigation, or identification of recovery.
c. Team and end user engagement: Work with other team scientists to receive direction on tasks related to data processing, analysis, and mapping supporting a variety of research tasks that contribute to peer-review publications, research proposals, technical trainings, and other outcomes. Work with end users and partners on funded research activities to ensure the usability and usefulness of the products being delivered.
• Papers, training materials, and proposals:
a. Contribute technical knowledge and scientific analysis by authoring contributions to peer-review paper submissions, competed research proposals, scientific presentations including conference presentations, technical reports, and other duties as assigned. b. Receive guidance from team scientists on technical direction, editing, and other feedback to improve quality of final products.
• Contribution to team disaster response activities:
a. Satellite data processing and analysis during event activations.
b. Other support of team disaster response activities, as directed.
• Master's degree in Earth System Science, Geosciences, Meteorology, Physical Sciences or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and years of experience.
• Minimum of 1.5 years verifiable full-time work experience with satellite data analysis, including with Synthetic Aperture Radar data.
• Working knowledge of programming or scripting language such as Python, experience with NASA and other remote sensing datasets (both optical and radar), experience with GIS software.
• Ability to communicate effectively in speaking and in writing.
• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Ph.D in Earth System Science, Geosciences, Meteorology, Physical Sciences or related field.
• More than 5 years of combined full-time work and academic coursework experience with satellite data analysis, including with Synthetic Aperture Radar data. More than 3 years of experience in technical writing for papers and proposals.
• Experience in large data processing of remote sensing data, experience in technical/scientific presentations, experience with proposal writing activities.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, if required.
$78,381 - $83,995