Staff Careers

The EarthRISE Project Office, within the Lab for Applied Science (LAS) under the Earth System Science Center (ESSC), is seeking a highly motivated Data Science Associate with applied experience in computer science, machine learning, cloud computing, and remote sensing/geospatial datasets to join our Cross-Cutting Science team. The Data Science Associate will play a key role in the team by co-developing Earth-observation driven data solutions and geospatial artificial intelligence-informed services, and supporting workforce development activities in support of the EarthRISE Developers Academy. The Data Science Associate will also be responsible for supporting an array of cross-cutting thematic needs in expanding the applied research portfolio of EarthRISE’s Data Science efforts. A successful candidate will have a strong background in the fields of computer science, remote sensing, agentic workflows, and machine learning algorithms. As part of our diverse, highly dynamic group, you will work side-by-side with a team of exceptional scientists with interdisciplinary backgrounds to translate Data Science into actionable insights for decision-makers and stakeholders, while fostering your career growth and development.

EarthRISE is a project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that works in collaboration with state, local, tribal, territorial, and private sector partners to use information provided by Earth observing satellites and geospatial technologies for managing environmental challenges EarthRISE’s goal is to empower decision-makers with tools, products, geospatial artificial intelligence, and services to act locally on issues such as disasters, agriculture, water, ecosystems, air quality, and health.

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.

Duties / Responsibilities:

● Provide Data Science and technical expertise across a set of thematic areas in support of EarthRISE Developers Academy teams and participants.
● Work together with the team of Academy Chief Scientist, Academy Portfolio Manager, Academy Science Lead, and Center Lead Science Advisors to provide strategic guidance to EarthRISE Developers Academy on the integration of emerging data science best practices in end-user solutions.
● Support EarthRISE Developers Academy throughout the project lifecycle (planning, execution, and follow-up) to catalyze the use of advanced data science techniques in support of Academy end-user solutions
- In the Academy project planning phase, review proposed projects, suggest the use of AI, ML, and data science innovations and best practices where most beneficial, and document the proposed pathway for data science use in those cases.
- In the Academy execution phase, provide data science “help desk” support to all projects, and for select projects, serve as a member of the advising team for select projects with more intensive data science needs.
- In the Academy follow-up phase, assist in the evaluation of project potential for further development as a solution with broader EarthRISE. Provide coordination support for data, products, models, and services co-developed with the EarthRISE Developers Academy.
● Support or lead open science work via publications, special journal issues, data products/services, and presenting at scientific conferences.
● Contribute to program communication, reporting, and outreach, including collaboration and technical training with partners and broader EarthRISE teams at MSFC and other NASA centers.

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Earth Science, Geosciences, Environmental Science, or other highly quantitative discipline; (Bachelor's and experience in a specialized area may be substituted for a degree).
• Minimum of 1 year verifiable full-time work experience in these disciplines.
• Passion for applied research and translating science into action on the ground.
• Strong experience in teaching, skills building, curriculum development, knowledge management, and workforce development.
• Demonstrated ability to apply machine learning models, Earth Observation datasets, agentic workflows, statistical methods, and/or data science to real-world problems.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with processing and analyzing large geospatial datasets, assessing the effectiveness and accuracy of new data sources and data gathering techniques.
• Skilled in the use of Python, R, JavaScript, and other programming languages, frameworks, and libraries for research, data analysis, and/or modeling.
• Skilled in the use and development of APIs and Git approaches. Skilled in the use of cloud-based workflows across platforms. Experience in developing, tuning, and deploying machine learning-based algorithms, including geospatial artificial intelligence to address real-world problems.
• Experience utilizing Large Language Models-based workflows, Earth Observational Foundational Model, and/or Deep Learning approaches.
• Earth science geospatial data analysis experience, including math, statistical & scientific data processing automation, and raster data processing of temporal datasets.
• Skilled in strong science communication.

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Earth Science, Geosciences, Environmental Science, or another highly quantitative discipline is preferred.
• 2 or more years of experience working in these disciplines is desired.
• Experience working with NASA and/or other federal, state, local, tribal, or private sector organizations is desired.
• Record of publication commensurate with the level of experience is preferred.

$67,141-$89,611