Research Scientist

Job Description

The Bay Area Environmental Research (BAER, Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on enabling and conducting research in Earth and space science, is seeking Research Scientists for the NASA Ames Earth Science Division

( The positions will work for the Wildfire, Ecosystem Resilience, and Risk Assessment Initiative (WERK) that aims to develop ecosystem monitoring data products and assessments to support state partners’ urgent

needs in protecting public safety and natural resources from catastrophic wildfires and growing environmental variability. Ideal candidates will have experience in remote sensing and advanced data analytics, including statistical analysis and machine learning. These scientists will contribute to the development of remote-sensing-based landscape change monitoring products and associated processing pipelines. They will also develop scientifically defensible frameworks for assessing the effectiveness of land

management practices.

These positions are based at NASA’s Ames Research Center (ARC) in Moffett Field, CA, with an initial duration of 2 years and 9 months and the possibility of extension. Scientists are expected to work on-site at least two days per week. The anticipated start date is Fall 2025.

Essential Job Duties

● Develop landscape change monitoring products;

● Work with the project team on data collection, algorithm development and evaluation, processing pipeline development and delivery;

● Prepare project progress and final reports, and present them to partners;

● Develop documentation and training materials to allow team members and partners to successfully operate the data processing pipeline;

● Prepare and submit research manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals;

● Present research findings at conferences and public forums;

● Assist in the development of grant proposals for project sustainability;

● Contribute to the research community in Ames Earth Science division and beyond;

Minimum/ Required Qualifications

● Ph.D. (or Master’s Degree with more than 3-years of experience in this field) in remote sensing, computer science, environmental science and engineering, or a relevant multidisciplinary degree with experience in land system science, forest ecology, and geography;

● Strong programming skills in a scientific language (e.g., Python, Matlab, R) and experience in statistical analysis;

● Demonstrated experience in planning, designing, executing, and coordinating research;

● Demonstrated proficiency for independently writing scientific publications for submission to peer- reviewed journals;

● Experience developing and maintaining appropriate documentation and training materials to allow team members and customers of various backgrounds and disciplines to successfully operate;

● Strong communication skills that allows for working effectively as a member of a research team;

Preferred Qualifications

● Previous research with remote sensing based terrestrial ecosystem science, (e.g., land use/cover change; land management effectiveness);

● Knowledge and experience with quantitative approaches in terrestrial ecosystem land system science;

● Lead author on publications for remote sensing application for terrestrial ecosystem science (specifically, land use/cover change mapping);

● Familiarity with optical image processing, multi-sensor data processing for the purposes of data analytics;

● Familiarity with high performance computing (HPC) environments;

● Experience with git, Jira, Confluence is a plus;

Salary range

● 95K–120K a year

To be considered for this position

● Please submit a cover letter (usually one to two pages) to ‘’ with subject line “WERK Hire Cluster 1: your name” stating the applicants interest in the project, prior research experience and/or projects of particular relevance, areas of interest, key competencies, and anticipated date of availability. Include also a full CV and the names of three references. All qualified applicants will

receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. Review of applications will begin on June 15th, 2025, and continue until the position is filled.Company Description

ABOUT BAY AREA ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Bay Area Environmental Research (BAER) Institute is a growing, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and conducting research in science, particularly atmospheric and space science. Since its establishment in 1993, BAER has become well recognized nationally for its significant contributions to various fields of scientific research. BAER’s clientele include various federal government agencies, and BAER has had a long-standing collaborative relationship with NASA. The Institute’s research and program leadership activities with NASA include work with both the Earth Science and Space Science Divisions at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View. BAER has developed and maintained an outstanding reputation for its project management, financial reporting, and program and partnership development capabilities as well as for its resourcefulness in providing expert scientists, researchers, and support staff for mission-critical Agency projects.

Full-time