Graduate Geospatial Data Scientist: Satellite Analysis

Stfrancis; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) in Sydney is seeking a Graduate Researcher in Geospatial Analysis and Data Systems to build research infrastructure and apply advanced geospatial methods to questions of peace and development. This full-time, 12-month fixed-term contract offers early career researchers a path to ongoing roles within a globally connected research team.

The role combines satellite analysis work with internal data infrastructure, collaborating with researchers across

Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher in a quantitative field such as computer science, data science, geography, or economics.
• Strong programming ability in Python with the scientific stack (pandas, NumPy).
• Working knowledge of SQL and relational databases; PostgreSQL preferred.
• Solid understanding of statistics and quantitative research methods.
• Ability to scope loosely defined problems and deliver a working result with limited supervision.
• Clear written and verbal communication; ability to explain methods to non-technical colleagues.
• Interest in peace, conflict and development research.

Responsibilities

• Satell ite Analysis Programme: Scope, design and prioritize satellite analysis projects, preprocess imagery and derived products, develop methods for peace- and development-relevant measures, build reproducible pipelines, and produce analyses and figures for reports.
• Internal Data Infrastructure: Ingest, clean, harmonise and document datasets, maintain database schemas and data quality checks, improve MCP connector tooling, and support automated pipelines behind indices and publications.
• General Responsibilities: Contribute quantitative analysis and technical review to research outputs; help researchers use data and AI tools effectively; stay informed about remote sensing, ML, and AI tooling relevant to IEP's work.

Skills

Python programming

SQL

Statistics

Communication skills

Independent work

Education

Master's degree or higher in CS/Data Science/Geography/Statistics

Tools

PostgreSQL

GDAL

Rasterio

GeoPandas

QGIS

Google Earth Engine

Azure

Job description

The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) in Sydney is seeking a Graduate Researcher in Geospatial Analysis and Data Systems to build research infrastructure and apply advanced geospatial methods to questions of peace and development. This full-time, 12-month fixed-term contract offers early career researchers a path to ongoing roles within a globally connected research team.

The role combines satellite analysis work with internal data infrastructure, collaborating with researchers across