Imagery Scientist (SAR) - Expert

Grvty; Falls Church (VA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

GRVTY seeks a senior data exploitation engineer to integrate emerging sensors into existing data pipelines and to develop data structures for new capabilities. The role includes assessing differences in sensor characteristics, metadata, schemas, APIs, and ETL processes, and ensuring seamless data movement within existing operations.

You will pre-process and tile imagery data, convert formats, and investigate data acquisition gaps, aiming to support labeling and model development with robust

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance required.
• Experience with SAR data processing and exploitation.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Experience developing automated scientific workflows using Python, MATLAB, and Earth Engine.

Responsibilities

• Integrate emerging sensors and platforms into existing data pipelines and workflows.
• Develop pipelines and data structures for emerging capabilities.
• Assess differences between new sensors and current platforms.
• Pre-process and standardize data for labeling and model development.

Skills

TS/SCI clearance

SAR data processing

Python

MATLAB

Google Earth Engine

communication skills

Tools

SARPy

MATLAB SAR Toolbox

Earth Engine API

Job description

What You'll be Owning

• Integrate emerging sensors and platforms into existing data pipelines and workflows, including:
  • Develop pipelines and relevant data structures for emerging capabilities
• Conduct assessment of potential differences between new sensor characteristics and capabilities compared to currently utilized platforms
• Assess potential differences in metadata, data format, and data structure characteristics in regard to changes to:
  • Databases and schemas
  • APIs and other ETL-related processes
  • Ingestion and movement of data within the existing data operations pipeline
• Determine how to acquire new data, including:
  • Potential latency associated with acquisition
  • Data formats and security domains
• Determine how to pre-process and standardize data to match existing standards or be transformed into a usable state for labeling and model development purposes, including:
  • Converting between file format types
  • Tiling full-size images into specified sizes or geospatial bounds
• Investigate gaps in emerging sensor capabilities that may require supplementation from other sources
• Explore options for coincident imagery collects from other imagery platforms to:
  • Identify EO or other platforms with aligned geographic and temporal coverage
  • Determine platforms with similar collection window to emerging data types
• Develop and implement mathematical conversion models to:
  • Transform data labels across multiple imagery types (e.g., phase history data to complex image and magnitude detected image)
• Develop methods to execute tiling and pre-processing of full-size raw imagery into specified sizes and data formats while maintaining metadata and data integrity
• Generate tiles from full-size image collects with specified, precise geospatial boundaries, accounting for orthorectification to ensure geospatial accuracy at tile edges

What You Must Have

• Active TS/SCI Clearance with the ability to obtain a CI/Poly
• Collection and phenomenology
• Image formation processes
• Exploitation products and methodologies
• Hands-on experience with SAR data processing tools and libraries including:
  • SARPy
  • MATLAB SAR Toolbox
• Demonstrated experience with imagery quality metrics, including:
  • RNIIRS and information theoretic-based image quality metrics
  • SAR-specific metrics such as Integrated Sidelobe Ratio (ISLR) and Multiplicative Noise Ratio (MNR)
  • Sensor metadata describing geometry impacts on phenomenology (e.g., graze, squint, azimuth)
• Experience exploiting SAR imagery to determine the occurrence and location of objects of interest
• Experience developing, testing, and evaluating:
  • New algorithms, processes, methodologies, and exploitation products
  • Automated scientific workflows using advanced processing tools including:
    • Python
    • MATLAB
    • Google Earth Engine
• Deep understanding of:
  • Remote Sensing Principles
  • Advanced imagery processing and exploitation methods
  • Sensor and platform limitations and advantages
• Proven ability to communicate technical concepts to:
  • Technical audiences
  • Non-technical stakeholders
  • Intelligence users

What Would be Nice to Have

• Experience applying CV and machine learning (ML) techniques to SAR imagery and data to address intelligence problems

Pay Range:

At GRVTY, we understand that compensation is influenced by many factors - such as geographic location, federal contract labor categories, wage rates, prior experience, skillsets, education, and certifications.We're proud to offer a work environment that empowers our team to achieve a strong work-life balance. GRVTY provides competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and meaningful opportunities for professional growth.Our benefits package is designed to support the well-being of our employees and their families, and includes coverage in areas such as healthcare, financial wellness, retirement planning, family assistance, continued education, and paid time off.

• The pay range for this position is: $180,000 - $210,000