Postdoctoral Research Position for AIRSAR-NG Calibration and Characterization

Jet Propulsion Laboratory; United States; On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

Dental plan

Vision plan

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, seeks a researcher to advance AIRSAR‑NG calibration and radar signal processing within airborne SAR systems.

The role focuses on end-to-end calibration, hardware refurbishment, and software development (Python, C, Julia). A PhD is required, with postdoctoral opportunities and potential renewals for continued collaboration with NASA.

Qualifications

• PhD in a related field.
• Hands-on experience with radar calibration and SAR.
• Postdoctoral experience or equivalent research activity preferred.

Responsibilities

• Perform AIRSAR‑NG end-to-end system calibration using internal and external references.
• Refurbish radar transponder hardware and program SBCs for autonomous operation.
• Develop calibration techniques to compensate for chirp modifications and validate antenna patterns.

Skills

Radar system development

Instrument design

Radar calibration

Radar signal processing

Education

PhD

Tools

Python

C

Julia

Job description

Job Details

New ideas are all around us, but only a few will change the world. That's our focus at JPL. We ask the biggest questions, then search the universe for answers—literally. We build upon ideas that have guided generations, then share our discoveries to inspire generations to come. Your mission—your opportunity—is to seek out the answers that bring us one step closer. If you're driven to discover, create, and inspire something that lasts a lifetime and beyond, you're ready for JPL. Located in Pasadena, California, JPL has a campus-like environment situated on 177 acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and offers a work environment unlike any other: we inspire passion, foster innovation, build collaboration, and reward excellence. As the successor to UAVSAR, AIRSAR-NG is an airborne radar system currently under development and capable of multi-band operations on a Gulfstream IV aircraft. Its L-band radar, which incorporates digital beam‑forming, is entering the integration and test phase, followed by flight testing, calibration, and performance assessment. The candidate will conduct AIRSAR‑NG end‑to‑end system calibration by utilizing a combination of radar internal calibration signals as well as external calibration targets such as the Polarimetric Active Radar Calibrator (radar transponder) and corner reflectors to assess the software defined-radar's receive channel timing alignment and digital beam‑forming performance. The candidate will be refurbishing the radar transponder hardware including replacing RF components and programming the single board computer to autonomously receive and re‑transmit AIRSAR‑NG signals during overflights and post‑processing to assess AIRSAR‑NG's polarimetric antenna patterns, beam alignment, beam steering, and transmit power. The candidate will also develop calibration techniques and tools to compensate for modified chirps due to NTIA restrictions. This work will advance airborne polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) calibration for current and next‑generation radar systems. This work requires knowledge in microwave remote sensing and multi-frequency SAR systems, radar calibration principles and the operational calibration process of SAR, as well as radar signal processing techniques. Desired candidate should possess hands‑on experience in radar system development including instrument design, testing, calibration, and radar signal processing. The candidate should be proficient in programming a single‑board computer to interface with hardware as well as general software tool development (python, c based, and Julia), and familiarity with radar calibration targets for field validation. Candidate must also have PhD. The appointee will carry out research in collaboration with the JPL advisor, resulting in publications in the open literature. Applicants may be subject to additional program requirements by NASA. Postdoctoral Scholar positions are awarded for a minimum of one‑year period and may be renewed up to a maximum of three‑year.

JPL has a catalog of benefits and perks that span from the traditional to the unique.

• This includes a variety of health, dental, vision, wellbeing, and retirement plans, paid time off, learning, rideshare, childcare, flexible schedule, parental leave and many more.

Our focus is on work‑life balance, and living healthy, fulfilling lives as we Dare Mighty Things Together.

The hiring range displayed below is specifically for those who will work in or reside in the location listed. In extending an offer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory considers factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s job related skills, experience, knowledge, and relevant education/training. The typical full time equivalent annual hiring range for this job in Pasadena, California.