307-Support Scientist - Development & Validation Aerosol Algorithms & Products

"Candidates must be US citizens or green card holders and have established residency in the US for the past three (3) years."

We are seeking a highly skilled Support Scientist to join our dynamic team at the NOAA/NESDIS/Center for Satellite Applications Research (STAR) on retrieving and evaluating aerosol products from observations made by instruments onboard polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites in support of monitoring the environment. The current work focuses on aerosol optical depth from multi-spectral, mono-directional instruments aboard operational satellites, but aerosol products from polarimeters are also being considered.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Provide scientific and technical expertise on the retrieval and/or analysis of aerosol products from METimage and the Multi-viewing, Multi-channel, Multi-polarization Imager (3MI) onboard the polar-orbiting METOP-SG satellites.
• Support the development of algorithms for retrieving aerosol optical depth from observations from advanced Imagers onboard the GOES-R, Himawari, and Meteosat Third Generation series geostationary satellites.
• Explore the potential synergistic use of aerosol products (aerosol optical depth, size distribution, single scattering albedo, particle shape) derived from space-based polarimeters like 3MI and those from NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem mission to improve imager-based aerosol optical depth products.
• Explore other ways to improve the quality of products and/or efficiency of retrievals, for example, by applying Machine Learning.
• Interact with the user community, especially air quality and climate; provide information on the quality of available aerosol products and understand user requirements.
• Prepare or assist in preparing technical reports and presentations to communicate project progress. Publish research results in peer-reviewed journals.

Contingency Note:

This position is contingent upon the successful award of a contract. While we are optimistic about the outcome, the final confirmation of the position is subject to contract approval. Next Phase is a member of the incumbent team.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• A Bachelor's degree with four (4) years experience, or a Master's degree with two (2) years experience in remote sensing, atmospheric sciences, or a related field is required.
• Knowledge of and experience in high-level programming languages such as C++, Fortran, and Python is necessary.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills and demonstrated experience writing scientific and technical documents are essential.
• Good interpersonal and teamwork skills are also required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of current, specific methods used for satellite retrievals of aerosol properties and current aerosol products.
• Experience with the application of Machine Learning and artificial intelligence.
• Familiarity with scientific data formats such as netCDF, HDF, and EOS-HDF.

Required Qualifications:

• Must be US citizens or green card holders and have established residency in the US for the past three (3) years. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Additional Information about this opening:

• Employees of Next Phase shall, as an enduring obligation throughout their term of employment, adhere to all information security requirements as documented in company policies and procedures
• Enjoy the flexibility of a hybrid work environment, with three days in the office per week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday) and two days working remotely
• We are committed to your professional growth, providing opportunities for advancement and exposure to exciting projects and initiatives
• This position is suited for candidates within commuting distance to Columbia, MD and not eligible for a fully remote schedule
• As a healthcare and science research company, Next Phase embraces the recommendations from the CDC on vaccine use. Unless qualified for a religious or medical exemption, employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
• We offer a competitive salary, a comprehensive benefits package, and professional growth and development opportunities. If you meet the above requirements and are looking for a challenging and rewarding career opportunity, please submit your application for consideration.
• The pay range for this job level is a general guideline only, not a compensation or salary guarantee. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education,