R&D Environmental Sensing, UAV & Data Analytics Intern

Iowa Ag; Des Moines (IA); Hybrid; USD 20,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Vylor is seeking a highly motivated R&D Intern to join our Johnston, IA team. The role intersects environmental physics, unmanned aerial systems, IoT, and data science to evaluate new sensor streams and support crop modeling.

You will deploy sensors, develop data pipelines, and contribute to field experiments while collaborating with breeders and crop modelers in a hybrid office/field environment.

Qualifications

• Enrollment as senior undergraduate, master's, or PhD student in a STEM field.
• Experience with Python or R for data analysis.
• Strong GIS and remote sensing fundamentals.

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, and execute UAV flights to capture high-res imagery for analyses.
• Evaluate novel soil moisture sensing technologies and IoT sensors.
• Develop automated data QC and pipelines for environmental data.
• Assemble, calibrate, test, and troubleshoot field sensors and stations.
• Perform geospatial analyses and integrate weather observations with models.
• Collaborate with breeders, agronomists, and data scientists on data-driven insights.
• Present a dedicated research project on UAV analytics or sensor networks.
• Work in hybrid office/field settings with occasional trips for deployments.

Skills

Python

R

Geospatial processing

GIS

Education

Senior undergraduate / Master's / PhD student

Tools

Pix4D

Agisoft Metashape

Job description

### Job Details#### Job Title:R&D Environmental Sensing, UAV & Data Analytics Intern#### Location:,, ,#### Company:#### Industry Sector:#### Industry Type:#### Career Type:#### Job Type:Full Time#### Minimum Years Experience Required:N/A#### Salary:Competitive### Get Job Alerts**Career Type:****Country:** USAI agree to receive alerts from and to the .Your alert was created successfully.x## General Alert Saved* The listings below are jobs matching the criteria you've selected for your General Alert on.Criteria selected was:* General alert saved for .* General alert notifications will be sent weekly on Monday.* Please note that you can only have one general alert active at any given time. Creating a new general alert will override an existing general alert.* Visit the to manage your alerts# R&D Environmental Sensing, UAV & Data Analytics Intern| Number of Years Experience: | Minimum Education Completed: | || Education Major / Discipline Category: | Most Recent / Current Occupation: | |**Join Vylor - Powering the Future of Agriculture**Join us to help scale innovation globally and shape what's next in crop science.Vylor is seeking a highly motivated 6-month **R&D Environmental Sensing, UAV & Data Analytics Intern** to join our team at the Johnston, Iowa Global Campus. This role sits at the intersection of environmental physics, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, and data science. The position provides a unique, hands-on opportunity to evaluate cutting-edge environmental data streams, operate advanced remote sensing payloads, and explore how novel field sensors impact plant breeding, crop health, and predictive crop modeling.The successful candidate will work in both laboratory and field environments, deploying advanced sensors and developing data pipelines to ensure high-fidelity environmental data is available for downstream agronomic modeling.**Key Responsibilities*** **UAV & Thermal Remote Sensing Operations:** Plan, coordinate, and execute UAV flights to capture high-resolution thermal and multispectral imagery. Manage the end-to-end photogrammetric and thermal calibration processing workflows to translate raw aerial imagery into actionable crop water-use and stress analytics.* **Novel Soil Moisture & Environmental Sensor Evaluation:** Help investigate, deploy, and benchmark next-generation soil moisture sensing technologies, exploring novel methods such as cosmic ray neutron sensing (CRNS), ground- or satellite-based radar, and IoT-enabled environmental probes.* **Data Quality Control & Pipeline Automation:** Develop and implement automated data quality control (QC) scripts using Python or R to ingest raw sensor data, identify sensor drift, flag outliers, and handle transmission gaps across various field sites.* **Hardware Troubleshooting & Calibration:** Assemble, calibrate, test, and troubleshoot field-sensing equipment and environmental stations. Optimize station siting, evaluate sensor performance, and perform routine maintenance to ensure data integrity.* **Geospatial & Statistical Analysis:** Utilize GIS and remote sensing tools (e.g., QGIS, ArcGIS, or Google Earth Engine) to analyze the spatial representativeness of weather stations and integrate geospatial layers with in-field meteorological observations.* **Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration:** Partner with breeders, agronomists, data scientists, and crop modelers to communicate how environmental data quality and spatial variability impact downstream predictive models.* **Dedicated Research Project:** Design, execute, and present a dedicated research project focused on UAV thermal imaging analytics or soil moisture sensor network optimization to Vylor R&D leadership.* **Field & Office Flexibility:** Willingness to work in a hybrid office/field environment, including occasional day trips to off-site research locations for equipment inspection, deployment, and UAV flight campaigns.**Qualifications****Required Education & Background*** **Education:** Currently enrolled as a senior undergraduate, Master\"s, or PhD student at an accredited university or community college.* **Target Majors:** Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, Geospatial Information Science (GIS), Agricultural/Biological Engineering, Environmental Science, Geophysics, or related STEM fields with a strong interest in environmental sensing.**Technical Skills & Experience*** **Programming Proficiency:** Basic to intermediate proficiency in Python or R, specifically for data manipulation, geospatial processing, and statistical analysis (e.g., Pandas, NumPy, Rasterio, GDAL, or Tidyverse).* **Geospatial & Remote Sensing Expertise:** Strong fundamental understanding of GIS, coordinate reference systems, and remote sensing principles (specifically thermal infrared radiometry or electromagnetic wave interaction with soil/canopy).* **Data Management:** Demonstrated ability to organize, clean, and analyze large, complex, or unstructured environmental datasets.* **Hardware & Field Capability:** Hands-on experience with field equipment, electronics, or environmental sensors. Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot hardware/sensor connectivity or calibration issues.* **Soft Skills:** A passion to explore, question, and propose innovative solutions to technical challenges; ability to adapt quickly in a fast-paced, interdisciplinary R&D environment.**Preferred (Nice-to-Have) Qualifications*** **UAV Licensing:** Active FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot License, or willingness/ability to obtain one.* **Specialized Sensing Experience:** Experience or academic familiarity with radar remote sensing, cosmic ray neutron sensing, or micro-meteorological instrumentation.* **Software Tools:** Familiarity with photogrammetry software (e.g., Pix4D, Agisoft Metashape) and cloud geospatial platforms (e.g., Google Earth Engine).### *Corteva announced to separate our current advanced seed and genetics business to establish a standalone company, operating as Vylor, Inc. The process of the planned separation is anticipated to be completed the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to legal requirements and board approval. Should you accept this position, it is anticipated that, following conclusion of the separation, you would be an employee of Vylor, Inc. and your employment would be governed by Vylor, Inc. employment processes, programs, policies, and benefit plans. In that case, details of any planned changes would be provided to you by Vylor, Inc. at an appropriate time and subject to any necessary consultation processes.*### Vylor is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to embracing our differences to enrich lives, advance innovation, and boost company performance. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, military or veteran status, pregnancy related conditions (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), disability or any other protected status in accordance with federal, state, or local laws.]]>To apply please click on APPLY TO THIS POSITIONJob Post Date: 09/16/26Here are some other jobs you may be interested in applying for.| | || - | - || Vylor Des Moines, Iowa | Vylor Des Moines, Iowa || Vylor Hedrick, Iowa | |3 people are interested in this job.