Autonomous Underwater Oceanographer

University of Southern Mississippi; Gulfport (MS); On-site; USD 71,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Southern Mississippi is seeking a Geophysical Oceanographer to advance applied oceanographic and geophysical research supporting autonomous underwater systems and seabed characterization. You will analyze seabed and environmental data, contribute to sensor interpretation, and support autonomous mission planning at the Center for Ocean Enterprise.

Collaborate with AI/ML engineers, signal processing researchers, and field operations to translate ocean conditions into model inputs

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Geophysical Oceanography, Physical Oceanography, Geophysics, Hydrography, or related field with 6 years related experience; or Ph.D. with 4 years related experience.
• U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain government security clearance. Valid driver’s license and TWIC eligibility.

Responsibilities

• Conduct geophysical and oceanographic characterization for autonomous underwater sensing and seabed classification.
• Plan and evaluate multi-sensor underwater data collection including side-scan sonar, multibeam echosounders, magnetometers, and ROVs.
• Define metadata for AI/ML, sensor interpretation, and autonomy workflows to support model inputs and performance metrics.
• Evaluate effects of seabed, environmental, sensor geometry, and survey design on data quality and sensor performance.
• Develop data quality standards and decision-support approaches for underwater survey products.
• Interpret georeferenced sonar, bathymetric, magnetic, and ROV datasets to support validation of autonomous sensing outputs.
• Collaborate with AI/ML, signal processing, software, sensor engineering, and field operations teams for model development and testing.
• Prepare technical reports, maps, data summaries, and publications; stay current with advances in geophysical oceanography and hydrographic surveying.

Skills

Geophysical oceanography

Seabed characterization

Hydrographic surveying

Marine remote sensing

Underwater sensing

Education

Master’s degree in Geophysical Oceanography

PhD in Geophysical Oceanography

Job description

The University of Southern Mississippi is seeking a Geophysical Oceanographer to advance applied oceanographic and geophysical research supporting autonomous underwater systems and seabed characterization. You will analyze seabed and environmental data, contribute to sensor interpretation, and support autonomous mission planning at the Center for Ocean Enterprise.

Collaborate with AI/ML engineers, signal processing researchers, and field operations to translate ocean conditions into model inputs