Data Scientist, Arête

Overview

Current projections of sea level rise aren’t precise enough and potential solutions to mitigate the contributions of land based glaciers to sea level rise are under explored. We aim to fund and accelerate existing research by increasing investments in Antarctic science as well as by internally developing accurate forecasts of sea level rise and the expected behavior of Antarctic glaciers. To achieve this we leverage state of the art computational methods combining physics and AI on remote sensing and field data.

This role specifically is for the internal development of data driven physics and machine learning methods. Climate change is destabilizing marine ice sheets, creating a risk of catastrophic sea‑level rise over the next century. Arête Glacier Initiative is a new nonprofit initiative dedicated to understanding this risk and assessing the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of potential interventions to stabilize ice sheets.

We aim to fund, coordinate, and accelerate research to enable informed and legitimate societal decisions regarding these interventions.

• PhD in Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Geophysics, Physical Geography, Engineering, or related fields
• Experience in working with cross‑functional teams with multi‑disciplinary backgrounds
• Experience in processing of large datasets of observational data
• Experience in handling noisy data, uncertainty propagation and error estimation
• Experience with remote sensing data, specifically satellite radar, altimetry, and optical imagery
• Experience in time series forecasting
• Proven track record of implementing machine learning techniques and algorithms at scale
• Iterative approach to problem solving

• Experience in processing Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data
• Knowledge of recent developments in Computer Vision and Machine Learning techniques
• Experience working with various glaciological data sets

• Develop, optimize, and maintain scalable data processing workflows and pipelines in Python/SQL (and similar) for large geospatial or simulation datasets in cloud environments
• Develop and maintain scalable data pipelines to process large geospatial or simulation datasets efficiently
• Quickly learn and apply new tools, datasets, and methods to address evolving project needs
• Apply advanced statistical methods to quantify uncertainty and validate model outputs
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly in both written and spoken English, with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a remote, fast‑paced environment

This position is fully remote with occasional in‑person meetings as needed to fulfill the responsibilities of the position.

• Collaborate with data scientists, engineers and scientists to develop methods to forecast glacier ice flow and sea level rise.
• Develop large scale remote sensing data analysis methods.
• Develop robust algorithms and pipelines for processing multiple modalities of observational data.
• Perform both ad‑hoc analyses to enable fast insights, as well as automated pipelines.
• Design and implement statistical methods to quantify statistical and systematic errors in observation data.
• Identify source data of low quality or data gaps which have outsized impact on final forecasts

Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Arête Glacier Initiative is a newly launched nonprofit initiative, and as such, we are in the early stages of building our programs and team.

This role requires a high degree of flexibility, adaptability, and a willingness to take on diverse tasks as we develop and grow.

If our mission and vision align with your personal values, please apply! A cover letter outlining your qualifications for the position along with your resume is required by January 15, 2026. Interviews will be conducted virtually.

Compensation for this full‑time position is $120,000 – 150,000 annually, commensurate with experience.

Arête Glacier Initiative provides a best‑in‑class comprehensive set of benefits to support the team. All regular, full‑time employees are eligible to receive:

• Health Benefits & Insurance
• Retirement
• Paid Time Off

• 401k Retirement Plan (with 6% matching)

• 15 Days Time Off Per Year
• 16 Paid Holidays (14 common plus 2 flexible holidays, including Dec 25 Jan
  1)
• Paid Bereavement Leave
• Paid Parental Leave for Moms and Dads (two weeks after first year)

Digital Harbor and Arête Glacier Initiative are an equal opportunity employer.