R&D UAV & Environmental Sensing Intern — Data Analytics

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

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.