Geophysical Oceanographer

The University of Southern Mississippi • Gulfport, MS

6d • Onsite

About The Position

This position conducts applied oceanographic and geophysical research supporting autonomous underwater systems, seabed characterization, multi-sensor data collection, and environmental context modeling. The position plans and analyzes underwater survey data, characterizes seafloor and environmental conditions, and evaluates their impact on survey quality, sensor interpretation, and autonomous mission planning. Working collaboratively with AI/ML engineers, signal processing researchers, and field operations personnel, the position supports the research, development, testing, and evaluation of advanced underwater sensing and autonomous systems at the Center for Ocean Enterprise.

Requirements

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Geophysical Oceanography, Physical Oceanography, Geophysics, Hydrography, or a related field and six (6) years of related experience; or a Ph.D. from an accredited college or university in Geophysical Oceanography, Physical Oceanography, Geophysics, Hydrography, or a related field and four (4) years of related experience.
• U.S. Citizenship with the ability to obtain a government security clearance.
• Valid driver’s license and eligibility to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).
• Knowledge of geophysical oceanography, seabed characterization, hydrographic surveying, and/or marine remote sensing principles and practices.
• Knowledge of underwater survey data interpretation, including sonar imagery, bathymetry, navigation, and geospatial data.
• Knowledge of the effects of seabed characteristics, water-column conditions, sensor geometry, survey design, and operational conditions on underwater sensing and data quality.
• Knowledge of environmental and geophysical metadata used in AI/ML, signal processing, sensor interpretation, and autonomous systems.
• Knowledge of underwater sensing technologies, including side-scan sonar, synthetic aperture sonar, multibeam echosounders, magnetometers, ROVs, and related systems.
• Skill in analyzing and evaluating large geospatial, oceanographic, acoustic, bathymetric, and remote-sensing datasets.
• Skill in evaluating underwater survey quality, including resolution, coverage, navigation consistency, altitude, range, motion effects, acoustic artifacts, and georeferencing.
• Ability to translate scientific, environmental, and geophysical information into engineering, testing, performance assessment, and operational guidance.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams, including AI/ML, software, signal processing, sensor engineering, and field operations personnel.
• Ability to communicate complex scientific and technical information effectively through technical reports, publications, maps, briefings, presentations, and other research documentation.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple research priorities, and coordinate research and field-support activities in a collaborative environment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with autonomous underwater vehicles, unmanned maritime systems, or field-based oceanographic operations; underwater sensor data collection and analysis; seabed classification, sediment characterization, or acoustic interpretation; and evaluating the effects of environmental conditions on survey quality and sensor performance.
• Experience developing marine survey or test plans, quality-control procedures, and working with geospatial or environmental data.
• Contributions to applied research, technical reports, peer-reviewed publications, or related field programs preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conducts geophysical and oceanographic characterization for autonomous underwater sensing, including analysis and interpretation of seabed, bathymetric, environmental, sonar, magnetic, navigation, and other geospatial survey data.
• Plans, supports, and evaluates multi-sensor underwater data collection involving side-scan sonar, synthetic aperture sonar, multibeam echosounders, magnetometers, ROVs, navigation systems, and environmental sensors.
• Defines and evaluates environmental, seabed, and survey metadata needed to support AI/ML, signal processing, sensor interpretation, and autonomy workflows, including bottom type, bathymetry, acoustic context, navigation quality, survey quality, and sensor operating conditions.
• Evaluates the effects of seabed characteristics, environmental conditions, sensor geometry, vehicle motion, altitude, range, and survey design on data quality, sensor interpretability, and model confidence.
• Develops and evaluates data quality standards and environmentally informed decision-support approaches for underwater survey products, translating oceanographic and geophysical conditions into model inputs, performance metrics, confidence factors, and operational guidance.
• Interprets georeferenced sonar, bathymetric, magnetic, ROV, and related datasets to support seabed classification, environmental characterization, reacquisition planning, and validation of autonomous perception and sensing outputs.
• Collaborates with AI/ML, signal processing, software, sensor engineering, and field operations personnel to incorporate real-world oceanographic and seabed conditions into model development, performance evaluation, testing, and mission planning.
• Prepares technical reports, maps, data summaries, survey assessments, research publications, presentations, and other documentation; remains current with advances in geophysical oceanography, hydrographic surveying, marine remote sensing, seabed classification, and autonomous underwater sensing.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior