Remote Sensing Scientist: Plant Phenotyping Lead

Sugar Research Australia Ltd.; Cairns Regional; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Sugar Research Australia Ltd. seeks a Remote Sensing Scientist (Plant Phenotyping) to develop and apply remote sensing methods for high-throughput crop trait analysis in sugarcane. You will integrate drone and satellite data, multispectral/hyperspectral sensing, and advanced image analysis to drive phenotyping projects.

You will publish findings in journals, contribute to project funding, and collaborate across disciplines while ensuring IP confidentiality and field-ready techniques.

Qualifications

• Masters/PhD in a relevant discipline such as agricultural remote sensing or plant phenomics.
• Experience collecting remote sensing data using multispectral and hyperspectral platforms.
• Strong programming skills in Python or R with image analysis, ML and statistics experience.
• Strong track record of scientific publications in peer‑reviewed journals.
• Experience in field and glasshouse experiments for phenotyping data collection.
• Ability to undertake field activities in hot and humid conditions.
• Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) and sugarcane research experience are advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop and apply remote sensing techniques for high throughput plant phenotyping.
• Plan and execute remote sensing data collection using drone and satellite platforms and sensor systems.
• Develop and implement image processing pipelines to extract plant traits from remotely sensed data.
• Design and conduct field and glasshouse experiments for evaluation and validation.
• Apply statistical methods and ML/ DL to derive robust scientific outcomes.
• Publish findings in scientific journals and industry media relevant to the sugar industry.
• Support research proposals and funding applications with guidance from leads.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of intellectual property and sensitive information.

Skills

Python

R

Image analysis

Machine learning

Remote sensing

Education

Masters/PhD in agricultural remote sensing or plant phenomics

Tools

QGIS

Pix4D

ENVI

Job description

Sugar Research Australia Ltd. seeks a Remote Sensing Scientist (Plant Phenotyping) to develop and apply remote sensing methods for high-throughput crop trait analysis in sugarcane. You will integrate drone and satellite data, multispectral/hyperspectral sensing, and advanced image analysis to drive phenotyping projects.

You will publish findings in journals, contribute to project funding, and collaborate across disciplines while ensuring IP confidentiality and field-ready techniques.