Research Associate III BDEC Technical Remote Sensing

Purpose Of The Position The UAH Lab for Applied Science (LAS), under the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) in Huntsville, Alabama, is seeking a highly motivated Research Associate to support the Biological Diversity and Ecological Conservation (BDEC) research and application activities at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

504416

Earth System Science Center

Staff Full-time Exempt

Alabama

Research - Environmental

• Develop and apply remote sensing workflows to support BDEC research and application activities at MSFC, including data preparation, analysis, validation, and product generation.
• Process and analyze multispectral and hyperspectral datasets, including optical, thermal, and SAR datasets for ecological and conservation applications, with emphasis on producing usable Earth observation products for end users.
• Support product development efforts using AI, including Prithvi and other NASA Earth observation datasets.
• Evaluate model and product performance through quantitative validation approaches.
• Contribute to the creation of prototype tools, tutorials, and documentation that support deployment and use of BDEC-related remote sensing products.
• Assist with the development of Earth observation workflows for biodiversity monitoring, phenology, habitat change, and other BDEC-relevant applications
• Translate complex technical results into products, presentations, and materials that are accessible to scientific collaborators and end users.
• Participate in cross-center collaboration, technical discussions, and stakeholder-facing efforts that support BDEC VC goals.
• Support capacity-building activities, including training and knowledge transfer related to remote sensing methods and BDEC workflows.
• Lead and contribute to peer-reviewed publications and present at scientific conferences
• Contribute to scientific publications, conference presentations, and other dissemination products.

• A Bachelor’s degree in remote sensing, geospatial science, geography, Earth science, environmental science, engineering, or a related field
• 2 to 4 years of verifiable, full-time work experience.
• Demonstrated experience processing and analyzing satellite remote sensing data, including optical imagery and SAR.
• Strong technical skills in Earth observation data workflows, including image preprocessing, validation, and tool development.
• Experience applying geospatial machine learning or foundation model workflows to remote sensing datasets is highly desirable, especially for Earth observation applications.
• Proficiency in Python, R, or similar programming languages used for spatial data analysis, remote sensing automation, and geospatial modeling.
• Familiarity with NASA Earth science datasets, remote sensing products, and applied conservation or biodiversity applications.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and experience working with diverse groups of people.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a technical, interdisciplinary team and communicate clearly with scientists and stakeholders.

• A Master's or PhD in remote sensing, geospatial science, geography, Earth science, environmental science, engineering, or a related field
• At least 1 year of verifiable full-time experience in remote sensing, geospatial analysis, or a closely related technical field.
• Experience with SAR processing and analysis for environmental or ecological applications.
• Experience working with HLS, hyperspectral, GeoNEX, Prithvi, or similar Earth observation data pipelines.
• Experience developing validation protocols for remote sensing products.
• Experience supporting NASA, federal, state, or conservation partners in applied Earth observation.
• Experience creating documentation, tutorials, and training materials for technical users.

$52,216-$64,985

Sep 17 2026 Central Daylight Time