A postdoctoral position in computer sciences/atmospheric remote sensing is available at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This position will contribute to the development of the Instrument Simulator Suite for Atmospheric Remote Sensing (ISSARS), a new project funded by NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office led by JPL in collaboration with NASA Langley Research Center, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Colorado State University, and other research institutes.
The ISSARS project will implement a modular, computationally efficient simulator capable of generating realistic observations by existing and future remote sensing instruments in space from simulated fields generated by atmospheric models. The baseline model for ISSARS is the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Simulated quantities will include measurements from real-aperture active and passive instruments and from microwave to ultraviolet (e.g., radars, lidars, radiometers, imagers).
This position will be responsible for integrating multiple microphysics characterization, scattering and propagation, and instrument simulator programs into a common framework by decomposing them into functional modules, building a standardized input and output interface and wrap them into web services. The candidate will also support the principal investigator in the development and testing of ISSARS infrastructure and web-based user interface, development and testing of new scattering and propagation algorithms, and analysis of simulated quantities from a set of case studies.
The successful candidate will work full time at JPL for the duration of the project (3 years). Qualifications include a PhD degree in computer sciences, atmospheric sciences, physical sciences, or electromagnetics, within the past 5 years from an accredited college or university, and required proficiency and proven experience in Fortran and/or C.
Experience in one or more of the following fields is also desirable:
- Demonstrated knowledge of Matlab and or IDL.
- Demonstrated skill in web authoring, web services, and scripting languages (e.g., Java, Perl, MySQL).
- Demonstrated understanding of remote sensing, electromagnetic wave propagation and scattering, and atmospheric sciences.
Other desirable traits include:
- Demonstrated capacity to work collaboratively as part of a team effort.
- Ability to finish large projects and smaller assignments on schedule with some supervision.
- Ability to communicate effectively with scientists of diverse backgrounds and to present research results accurately in both oral and written form. The applicant will be expected to publish peer-reviewed journal articles and effectively communicate with a wide range of scientists that include atmospheric scientists, physicists, and engineers.
- U.S. Citizen or permanent resident status.
Interested applicants please contact Dr. Simone Tanelli.