| Purpose of the Position: |
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 to support the execution of cross-cutting water and energy cycle science. 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.
This position is two-fold: the candidate will execute foundational research analyzing Earth’s energy and water cycles while also providing essential technical support to multiple initiatives across the NASA Earth System Science Research Program (ESSRP) and Earth Action. A successful candidate will help execute work that bridges rigorous Earth science with high-profile applications, supporting multi-mission and integrated modeling activities across NASA. This includes providing scientific context and data analysis support for efforts aligned with the Multisource Integrated Observatory (MIO), the Integrated Modeling Virtual Institute (IMVI), and the NASA Energy and Water Cycle Study (NEWS).
To effectively support integrated Earth System Modeling, the candidate must be highly conversant in data assimilation approaches and Earth system modeling techniques. We are particularly interested in candidates with a strong focus on terrestrial water budget remote sensing and modeling, though a broad ability to converse around all domains of the energy and water cycle, including remote sensing, atmospheric, land, and ocean modeling, is the primary requirement.
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:
• Execute scientific research focused on global to regional water and energy cycle variability, supporting ESSRP programs including NEWS.
• Provide robust scientific and technical support for multi-mission coordination across the NASA Earth System Science Research Program (ESSRP) and Earth Action.
• Support the execution of work and provide scientific context for MIO's applied research and IMVI's integrated modeling framework efforts.
• Process, integrate, and analyze a broad spectrum of NASA and non-NASA remote sensing, modeling, and data assimilation datasets (e.g., GRACE, CERES, GLDAS, MERRA-2, ECCO).
• Perform advanced data analysis and uncertainty quantification to help address and resolve inconsistencies in multi-mission and modeling approaches. Design, develop, and maintain visualization platforms and processing workflows using programming languages of choice to improve the ability of researchers to interrogate complex multi-mission datasets.
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| Minimum Requirements: |
• Master’s degree in Hydrology, Water Resources, Earth Science, Geosciences, Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related field; (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.
• Exceptional experience working with water and energy cycle datasets spanning remote sensing, atmospheric modeling and data assimilation, land surface modeling, ocean modeling, and in situ measurements.
• Highly conversant in data assimilation approaches and Earth system modeling techniques, with a strong understanding of integrated modeling workflows.
• Demonstrated expertise in performing advanced data analysis and uncertainty quantification on large geospatial and climatic datasets.
• Skilled in the use of Python, R, MATLAB, or other comparable programming languages/workflows for scientific research, raster data processing, and the development of custom data visualization tools.
• Ability to provide analytical support and act as a conversant technical liaison for multi-mission observation strategies and ESSRP/Earth Action initiatives.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively collaborate around complex energy and water cycle themes with diverse science teams.
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| Desired Qualifications: |
• A PhD in Hydrology, Water Resources, Earth Science, Geosciences, Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related field is desired.
• 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.
• Strong background in land surface hydrology and deriving terrestrial water budgets for applied science is highly encouraged.
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