Visiting Scientist (San Francisco Office)

NextGenEnergyJobs; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

HSA with company contribution

Paid time off

16 weeks parental leave

Wellness program

Employee assistance program

Home office reimbursement

Phone and internet reimbursement

Tuition reimbursement

Equity

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Planet is seeking a Visiting Scientist (Postdoctoral Researcher) to join our AI Research team for a one-year residency. You will work directly with Dr. Mirela Tulbure to develop GFMs trained on our imagery and drive in-house model production for geospatial analysis.

You will build temporally dense embeddings, enable processing across PlanetScope, Landsat, and Sentinel data, and collaborate with data pipelines and analytics to apply academic rigor to real-world challenges.

Qualifications

• PhD in Geospatial Analytics, Computer Science, Remote Sensing, or a related field.
• Experience building AI models for environmental change or satellite image analysis.
• Hands-on with foundation models and deep learning frameworks (PyTorch/TensorFlow).
• Expert Python and geospatial stack: xarray, Dask, Rasterio, GeoPandas.
• Experience building automated pipelines for planetary-scale data.
• Collaborative research experience applying academic rigor to industry challenges.
• Research in flood-extent mapping, water dynamics, or disaster response.
• Experience fine-tuning GFMs like TerraMind, Prithvi, or Clay.
• Proficiency with PlanetScope, Landsat, and Sentinel-1/2 data.
• Ops-minded with human-in-the-loop labeling for time-sensitive data.

Responsibilities

• Join AIR team for a one-year residency to develop proprietary geospatial foundation models.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers to bridge academic work and production AI/ML solutions.

Skills

Python

foundation models

PyTorch/TensorFlow

geospatial stack

data pipelines

multi-sensor data

academic research

collaboration

Education

PhD in Geospatial Analytics

Tools

xarray

Dask

Rasterio

GeoPandas

Job description

Planet designs, builds, and operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history.

Key Responsibilities

• We are seeking a highly motivated Visiting Scientist (Postdoctoral Researcher) to join our AI Research (AIR) team for a one-year residency. In this role, you will work directly with Dr. Mirela Tulbure during her sabbatical at Planet to develop our proprietary geospatial foundation models (GFMs).
• While Planet has historically leveraged external models, we are now focused on building in-house models specifically trained on our unique imagery. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will be the primary technical engine behind creating temporally dense embeddings that capture the dynamic and ephemeral nature of our planet—such as rapid flooding and disaster impacts. You will collaborate with "Planeteers" across data pipelines and analytics to bridge the gap between academic research and operational AI/ML solutions.

Requirements

• Academic Foundation: A recently completed PhD in Geospatial Analytics, Computer Science, Remote Sensing, or a related field.
• Research Track Record: Demonstrated experience in building AI-based models for environmental change or satellite image analysis.
• AI/ML Fluency: Hands-on experience with foundation models, contrastive learning, and deep learning frameworks (PyTorch/TensorFlow).
• Advanced Technical Stack: Expert-level Python skills and proficiency with the geospatial scientific stack (e.g., xarray, Dask, Rasterio, GeoPandas).
• Data Engineering Aptitude: Experience building automated pipelines for preprocessing and labeling planetary-scale datasets.
• Collaborative Research: Experience working within a research lab environment and a strong desire to apply academic rigor to industry challenges.
• Specialized Domain Knowledge: Prior research in flood-extent mapping, water dynamics, or disaster response.
• GFM Fine-Tuning: Direct experience fine-tuning or modifying specific GFM architectures like TerraMind, Prithvi, or Clay.
• Multi-Sensor Expertise: Proven ability to work with a variety of sensors including PlanetScope, Landsat, and Sentinel-1/2.
• Operational Mindset: A history of developing "human-in-the-loop" workflows or active learning strategies for labeling time-sensitive data.
• These offerings are dependent on employment type and geographical location, based upon applicable law or company policy.
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with a company contribution
• Generous Paid Time Off in addition to holidays and company-wide days off
• 16 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave
• Wellness Program and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Home Office Reimbursement
• Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement
• Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning
• Equity
• Commuter Benefits (if local to an office)