Research Scientist II, Step 1-4

Job no: 504212

Department: Earth System Science Center

Work type: Staff Full-time Exempt

Location: Alabama

Categories: Research - Environmental

The EarthRISE Project Office, within the Lab for Applied Science (LAS) under the Earth System Science Center (ESSC), is seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist with strong expertise in agricultural remote sensing, geospatial artificial intelligence, and applied decision-support tool development. A successful candidate will lead and execute applied research leveraging Earth observations to address complex, real-world challenges in agricultural monitoring, crop production systems, land management, conservation practices, drought-related agricultural risk, crop-water applications, and agricultural decision-making.

This role requires strong domain expertise in agricultural applications, utilizing advanced remote sensing, modeling, and geospatial data science approaches to develop actionable information products for operational and stakeholder use. The ideal candidate will bring strong agricultural remote sensing foundations, creative problem-solving skills, and the ability to design scalable approaches for large-area agricultural monitoring. Additionally, the candidate may work with multi-source Earth observation datasets, including moderate-, high-, and very high-resolution public and commercial satellite data.

A geospatial data expert who can apply sophisticated AI/ML techniques directly to Earth science and spatial datasets is sought rather than an AI/ML generalist.

Operating within Earth Action, the EarthRISE project office focuses on developing last-mile solutions, improving coordinated action across NASA Earth Science, and fostering workforce development. EarthRISE develops applied Earth observation solutions that support state, local, tribal, territorial, federal, and private-sector decision-makers across key Earth science application areas, including agriculture and food security.

The EarthRISE Project Office in Huntsville, AL, offers a flexible and dynamic work environment, with an in-house team of over 30 science professionals and numerous opportunities for growth and professional development. With a growing economy, diverse population, low cost of living, and vibrant city life, Huntsville is consistently ranked among the top places to live in the U.S.

• Execute applied research and co-develop Earth observation-driven solutions focused on agricultural applications for state, local, tribal, territorial, federal, and private-sector stakeholders.
• Develop, evaluate, and scale remote sensing, modeling, and geospatial analytics methods that support agricultural monitoring, assessment, and decision-making across diverse agricultural systems and geographies.
• Apply geospatial artificial intelligence and machine learning workflows to extract actionable insights from multi-source Earth observation datasets, including optical, thermal, radar, and high-resolution satellite imagery.
• Support applied research and application development related to agricultural conditions, production systems, land management, environmental risk, and agricultural resilience.
• Integrate Earth observation products with agricultural models, climate datasets, field observations, agricultural datasets, and stakeholder-provided information where appropriate.
• Translate complex Earth science data, geospatial products, and model results into actionable, last-mile intelligence and decision-support tools for end-users.
• Lead publications, data products, technical documentation, and presentations at scientific and stakeholder-focused conferences.
• Provide coordination support and capacity-building/knowledge-transfer activities with domestic partner organizations and end users.
• Contribute to cross-project collaboration, proposal development, and workforce development activities within EarthRISE and NASA Earth Action.

• Master’s degree in Agricultural Engineering, Agronomy, Crop Science, Earth Science, Geospatial Science, Geography, Environmental Science, Remote Sensing, or a related discipline (Bachelor's degree and experience in a…