Remote Sensing/GIS Scientist

Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Full/Part Time: Full-Time

Job Title: Remote Sensing/GIS Scientist

Workplace Culture

Gazelle Ecosolutions is an Austin,Texas based startup. Our mission is to maintain and restore our planet’s natural carbon sinks through the development of state of the art tools for carbon project developers, corporates, buyers, governments, and communities. We believe that Nature Based Solutions not only can deliver over one third of needed climate mitigation in order to reach 1.5 C goals by 2030 but are also the ideal vehicle to maintain intact ecosystems and protect and enhance people’s livelihoods.
Gazelle is harnessing the latest remote sensing, artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to build the necessary tools to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and compliance with internationally accepted standards and protocols.

Job Description

The Position will be housed within the Science Unit of Gazelle Ecosolutions and is primarily geared towards the development, integration and testing of remote sensing algorithms. We are currently looking for a colleague with extensive knowledge in hyperspectral and multispectral data processing and/ or knowledge in photogrammetry utilizing drone and satellite imagery to develop 3 dimensional models of vegetation. The candidate will work on projects focusing on mapping, monitoring and modeling regional and local scale ecosystem changes under consideration of climate/ weather, land use and disturbance data sets. The candidate may also work on remote earth-observation algorithm development for land-use land-cover change, monitoring reporting and verification (MRV) technologies, disturbance and degradation detection. The work will include extensive use of imagery from a range of sources, primarily satellite-based, ground based (derived from spectroradiometer readings) but also airborne remote sensing, climate observations, and climate projections to derive geospatial products characterizing ecosystem properties (e.g. canopy structure, biomass, habitat heterogeneity, disturbance severity, vegetation regrowth dynamics) and conservation priorities. The work’s primary focus will be on grassland and forest ecosystems worldwide. There will be opportunities to work in the following areas: 1) fusing multi-sensor imagery, geospatial datasets and field observations to map and predict ecosystem properties and change, 2) application of 3D photogrammetry and or spectral unmixing techniques 3) modeling species distributions and vulnerability, 4) landscape connectivity modeling and landscape pattern analysis to identify biodiversity conservation priorities, 5) software and algorithm development using Python,
Google Earth Engine, R and similar open-source platforms. Therefore, the ability to synthesize complex information and develop structured analyses in written and visual form is essential. Contributions to scientific publications, driven by our company in close collaboration with our academic partners is expected.

Research Activities - 40%

● Directs, monitors and participates in product development, including data collection, evaluation and analysis for remote sensing and projects in studying ecosystem responses to environmental change

● Conducts complex research work and independently reviews professional literature to design and apply appropriate research methodologies, techniques and procedures.

● Develops automated algorithms for integration into the company’s web based management platform.

● Assists various units within the company in the planning, design and implementation of sub-projects, establishing priorities and recommending schedules, time tables and costs.

● Assists internal colleagues and our collaborative partners in the preparation and writing of research proposals for new funding sources.

● Co-authors or authors research papers and manuscripts for publication and presents them at conferences and workshops.

● Creates, fabricates, operates, maintains, repairs and trains others in the operation of research support equipment for the gathering and processing of data.

Software Development - 50%

● Develops code, develops modules, performs software unit testing, integrated testing, and usability testing.

● Documents and archives code using GitHub and other documentation

Administrative Activities - 5%

● Performs administrative functions such as helping to manage data depositories.

Other - 5%

● Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

● The qualified candidate should have a MSc. in Remote Sensing, Computer Science, 3D visualizations, Photogrammetry, Environmental Science, Geography, and/or a related discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

● Experience using earth observation imagery.
● Familiarity with hyperspectral data processing (including unmixing processes) and analysis.
● Familiarity with processing data collected via drone borne remote sensing, including drones.
● Demonstrated ability to conduct spatial analysis and manage large databases.
● Experience using a variety of software/geospatial tools.
● Demonstrated advanced remote sensing (hyperspectral unmixing and 3D model development in particular) and GIS experience.
● Experience using Google Earth Engine, ArcGIS, QGIS or other GIS applications
● Knowledge of programming / script writing (Python, R, GDAL, C/C#, SQL, Perl, Java, and/or IDL).
● Knowledge of programming languages for web-development (React, Django, Node.JS, Tailwind)
● Skill in using digital image processing software packages including open-source options as appropriate.
● Familiarity with the principles of ecosystem processes and dynamics (advantageous, not required).

Abilities

● Ability to synthesize complex information and develop structured analysis in written and visual form.

● Ability to perform complex geoprocessing and manipulate large datasets using personally developed and other scripts.

● Fluency in performing geospatial tasks in a multi-operating system environment.
● Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary research team.

● Ability to work efficiently and effectively in a culturally diverse and interdisciplinary research environment.

Compensation & Benefits

Anticipated annual salary range is $65,000 to $80,000.

Compensation package will include healthcare/insurance benefits as well as paid-time off as well as other benefits.

Individual compensation packages are based on various factors unique to each candidate including skill set, experience, qualifications, and other job-related reasons.

FLSA Status

This position is exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and therefore will not earn overtime or compensatory time for additional time worked.

Application Deadline: March 1st, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please apply through the platform or send an email to team@thegazelle.co including the following:

1. Updated resume/CV
2. Cover letter
3. Any supporting documents or relevant information

Please email siddharth@thegazelle.co and thoralf@thegazelle.co with any questions.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Gazelle Ecosolutions Corp. is a committed Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Special Information

● This position is eligible for on-site, hybrid, or remote work:
● On-site positions are required to complete their work primarily at our shared workspace in Austin,

TX.
● Remote positions allow the incumbent to complete their work at a location other than our headquarters without paid accommodation. The incumbent may occasionally work in a shared site, but primarily will work elsewhere.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $65,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Tuition reimbursement

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Austin, TX 78701