OPIR Imagery Scientist

Grvty•Charlottesville, VA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

GRVTY is seeking an Imagery Scientist to join its Charlottesville, Virginia team. The role works alongside community experts to advance persistent infrared remote sensing applications. The scientist applies expertise in Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) and develops practical tools, using sound software development practices and agentic AI to design, build, and validate tools while retaining analyst judgment where needed. The position supports exploitation of OPIR and other electro-optical/infrared sensor data, analytic tool and pipeline development, collection planning, signature analysis, and transition of new methods into operational use. It also involves collaboration with government customers, collectors, engineers, and analysts, and communicating technical findings to analysts, leadership, and customers. The position is based in Charlottesville, Virginia. The stated pay range is $180,000–$210,000. GRVTY describes its benefits as including healthcare, financial wellness, retirement planning, family assistance, continued education, paid time off, and opportunities for professional growth.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship and an active TS/SCI clearance, with ability to obtain a CI polygraph.
Hands-on exploitation of OPIR or other infrared sensor data for intelligence production.
Working knowledge of infrared phenomenology, including sensor resolution, sensitivity, and the strengths and limitations of persistent overhead collection.
Demonstrated experience developing analytic tools or data-processing software in Python or a similar language, including version control such as Git, testing, and documentation.
Proficiency with standard GEOINT and MASINT tools such as ArcGIS, ENVI, SOCET GXP, or RemoteView.

Nice To Haves

Prior support to NGIC, NASIC, NGA, MDA, or another DoD or IC production center.
Knowledge of TIV, PIV, or AFAST.
Degree in physics, engineering, remote sensing, computer science, or another STEM field; graduate education is a plus.
Background in radiometry, including radiometric calibration, detector response, signal-to-noise characterization, and uncertainty propagation.
Experience with temporal analysis, including time-series conditioning, event segmentation, and transient characterization.
Experience designing multi-step or tool-using AI agent workflows, or evaluating AI performance on analytic tasks.
Experience deploying software in classified or air-gapped environments, including containerization, CI/CD, and configuration management.
Familiarity with detection theory, signal processing, image processing, or machine learning.
Experience with SAR, MSI/HSI, or LiDAR exploitation in addition to infrared.
Experience planning or supporting collections at CONUS or OCONUS test ranges.

Responsibilities

Support first-, second-, and third-phase exploitation of OPIR and other EO/IR sensor data to detect, track, and characterize events, distinguishing real signatures from background clutter and false alarms.
Review processed OPIR data, sensor metadata, and collection geometry to assess data quality.
Design, build, and maintain algorithms, analytic tools, and data-processing pipelines for PIR collection planning, exploitation, and signature analysis, using version control, testing, documentation, and code review.
Use agentic AI tools and workflows to accelerate tool development, automate repetitive exploitation and data-conditioning tasks, and prototype analytic methods; verify and validate AI-generated code and outputs before operational use.
Develop repeatable workflows for data conditioning, calibration, quality control, and uncertainty characterization.
Compare laboratory or modeled signatures with overhead observations while accounting for sensor response, geometry, atmospheric effects, and background conditions.
Support transition of new tools and methods into operational use, including testing, verification and validation, documentation, and user feedback.
Author and review reports, graphics, and briefings for analysts, leadership, and customers, tailoring technical detail to the audience.
Help draft and prioritize collection requirements and support field tests, test-range activities, and data collections.
Work directly with government customers, collectors, engineers, and analysts to understand tool requirements.