Research Associate III BDEC Enviro Economics & Remote Sensing

The University of Alabama in Huntsville; United States; Remote; USD 52,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) invites applications for a Research Associate in the LAS/ESSC to support the Biological Diversity and Ecological Conservation (BDEC) program at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The role combines remote sensing and Economic Impact Assessments (EIA), data processing of EO datasets, stakeholder interviews, and collaboration across centers to advance actionable biodiversity science and conservation outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in economics, environmental and social science or related field.
• 2–4 years of verifiable, full-time work experience.
• Experience in remote sensing and GIS applications or a master’s in remote sensing and GIS.
• Experience with Earth Observation-driven methods and geospatial data analysis.
• Proficiency in math, statistics and data processing (Stata, Python, R).
• Familiarity with NASA Earth science datasets and applied conservation or biodiversity applications.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, leadership, and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Support BDEC scientific and application activities.
• Provide remote sensing data applications support for projects.
• Translate results into accessible products and materials for collaborators and end users.
• Coordinate with scientists and stakeholders to assess needs and pipeline.
• Support capacity-building, training, and knowledge transfer for remote sensing, EIAs, and BDEC workflows.
• Contribute to prototype tools, tutorials, and documentation for BDEC products.
• Lead and contribute to peer-reviewed publications and conferences.

Skills

Remote sensing

GIS applications

Economic modelling

Verbal and written communication

Leadership experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in economics, environmental and social science

Master's degree in remote sensing and GIS applications

Master's or PhD in economics, environmental and social science

Tools

Stata

Python

R

Job description

Purpose of the Position:

The UAH Lab for Applied Science (LAS) under the Earth System Science Center (ESSC), based in Huntsville, Alabama, is seeking a highly motivated Research Associate to support the Biological Diversity and Ecological Conservation (BDEC) research and application activities at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

This is an exciting opportunity to help advance one of NASA’s most compelling Earth science efforts: using satellite observations, models, in situ data, and geospatial analysis to better understand the richness of life on Earth, how and why it is changing, and how that knowledge can be translated into practical conservation action. The position will focus on both implementing Economic Impact Assessments (EIA) and conducting remote sensing analyses to support BDEC activities by integrating EIA into both new and existing projects across the BDEC portfolio. This position will work closely with BDEC VC scientists and end-users as well as other experts in EIA across NASA.

This Research Associate will contribute to the development, testing, and refinement of EIAs that support BDEC’s mission to better connect NASA Earth observations to various stakeholders, including scientists and land managers. Work will include designing and implementing economic impact assessments, which may entail interviews with stakeholders, running economic models, among other activities. The role will also support cross-center collaboration, technical coordination, and capacity-building activities tied to BDEC activities. Processing of satellite remote sensing datasets to support tasks for data production is also expected for this position.

BDEC is designed to bridge NASA Earth science and on-the-ground decision-making by helping scientists, land and water managers, and conservation partners turn observations into action. The Virtual Center emphasizes early engagement with end users, cross-center collaboration, and the creation of actionable products and services that support biodiversity science, ecological conservation, and real-world stewardship of landscapes and ecosystems.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Support BDEC scientific and application activities
• Provide scientific and technical support in remote sensing data applications for specific projects
• Translate complex technical results into products, presentations, and materials that are accessible to scientific collaborators and end users.
• Coordinate with BDEC scientists and stakeholders to assess needs and support the needs-to-solutions pipeline
• Support capacity-building activities, including training and knowledge transfer related to remote sensing methods, Economic Impact Assessments, and BDEC workflows.
• Contribute to the creation of prototype tools, tutorials, and documentation that support deployment and use of BDEC-related remote sensing products.
• Participate in cross-center collaboration, technical discussions, and stakeholder-facing efforts that support BDEC VC goals.
• Support and conduct Economic Impact Assessments (EIA)
• Support coordination and data collection for EIA projects, including interviews with a variety of stakeholders
• Provide economic modelling support to EIA projects
• Coordinate with other NASA EIA efforts
• Assist with documentation of the methodology, tools, and other scientific literature for relevant EIA projects
• Lead and contribute to peer-reviewed publications and present at scientific conferences
• Contribute to scientific publications, conference presentations, and other dissemination products.

Minimum Requirements

• A Bachelor`s degree in economics, environmental and social science, or a related field.
• Minimum of 2-4 years of verifiable, full-time work experience.
• Basic experience in remote sensing and GIS applications or a master`s degree in remote sensing and GIS applications with experience in working with EO data impact assessments.
• Experience in Earth Observation-driven methods and models and geospatial data analysis.
• Experience in math, statistical & scientific data processing automation (State, Python, R).
• Record of publication commensurate with level of experience.
• Familiarity with NASA Earth science datasets, remote sensing products, and applied conservation or biodiversity applications.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, demonstrated leadership experience, and experience working with diverse groups of people.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a technical, interdisciplinary team and communicate clearly with scientists and stakeholders.

Desired Qualifications

• A Master`s or PhD in economics, environmental and social science, or a related field
• Experience working with NASA and/or other federal, state, local, tribal, or private sector organizations is desired.

Published Salary (if available)

$52,216 - $64,985