Senior Remote Sensing Data Scientist, Cal/Val

Description

The company is building a family of infrared imaging missions for global wildfire detection and monitoring, weather and cloud characterization, and environmental monitoring from space.

The infrared data products team runs the analytics system that turns raw data from the spacecraft's custom multispectral imagers into products for a range of end users. The team is hiring a calibration data scientist to build the on-orbit calibration system.

The role sits on the calibration science team and covers the FireSat initial operating capability commissioning and the space-based environmental monitoring program. You will help advance radiometric calibration and image processing methods and their operational use across the infrared missions, and work with the instrument team before launch, during commissioning of new instruments, and on ongoing improvements for missions in orbit.

The company was founded in 2021 as an end-to-end space systems provider that designs, builds and operates low Earth orbit satellite constellations. It has a Silicon Valley facility for building spacecraft and integrating payloads.

Responsibilities

• Advance radiometric calibration and image processing for multispectral infrared imagery from the FireSat mission.
• Expand the calibration program to cover all of the company's infrared missions.
• Carry out research and development to strengthen core calibration and processing methods.
• Build, run and maintain production pipelines for calibration and data processing.
• Write code that is ready for production.
• Collaborate across the team and the company to design, build and maintain operational services from the core remote sensing missions.
• Learn new subjects as programs require, including measurement techniques, geospatial data engineering, software engineering and customer domain needs.

Requirements

• A PhD with 3+ years of industry experience, an MS with 6+ years, or a BS with 8+ years.
• 4+ years of experience calibrating imaging systems.
• Hands-on experience interpreting complex imaging instrument data to improve data quality and instrument usefulness.
• Proven ability to turn research code into production code, either alone or as part of a team.
• Expert Python development and analysis skills.
• Strong statistics and mathematics skills.
• Ability to work with a distributed team of scientists, engineers and data support staff from different disciplines.
• Ability to perform well in a fast-moving startup.
• Preferred: experience with mid-wave infrared instruments and mid-wave infrared data processing.
• Preferred: hands-on experience with satellite instruments in orbit.
• Preferred: deep understanding of remote sensing science.
• Preferred: experience processing geospatial data.
• Preferred: familiarity with common geospatial tools and formats such as XArray, COG and NetCDF.
• Preferred: domain expertise in geospatial analytics.
• Preferred: familiarity with cloud-native systems, AWS preferred.
• Preferred: experience working with large datasets.

Conditions

The base salary range is $192,000 to $213,000.00. Final pay depends on skills, qualifications, experience and geographic location, and is assessed during interviews.

This is a hybrid role based in the Denver, CO office, with on-site work three days per week.

The company can hire in the following states: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IA, ID, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA.

The role requires access to export-controlled information under U.S. export regulations. Applicants must be a U.S. person (a U.S. citizen or national, a lawful permanent resident, a refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or an asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158), or be eligible to access the information without an export authorization, or be eligible and reasonably likely to obtain one. The company may decline to pursue an export license for legitimate business reasons.

Benefits

• Equity compensation for full-time employees.
• Medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401k plan, short- and long-term disability cover, and life insurance.
• Three weeks of paid vacation for new employees, 12 paid holidays, unlimited sick time and paid parental leave.