26-106: Optical Flow & Remote Sensing Application Specialist

Colorado State University•Fort Collins, CO

1d•$75,000 - $79,000•Onsite

About The Position

Description of the Work Unit: The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University (CSU) is a multi-million dollar research organization located on CSU's Foothills Campus in Fort Collins, Colorado. CIRA is a cooperative institute (CI) that is also a research department within CSU's College of Engineering, in partnership with the Department of Atmospheric Science. Its vision is to conduct interdisciplinary research in the atmospheric sciences by entraining skills beyond the meteorological disciplines, exploiting advances in engineering and computer science, facilitating transitional activity between pure and applied research, leveraging both national and international resources and partnerships, and assisting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), CSU, the State of Colorado, and the Nation through the application of our research to areas of societal benefit. Expanding on this Vision, our Mission is to serve as a nexus for multi-disciplinary cooperation among CI and NOAA research scientists, University faculty, staff and students in the context of NOAA-specified research theme areas in satellite applications for weather/climate forecasting. Important bridging elements of the CI include the communication of research findings to the international scientific community, transition of applications and capabilities to NOAA operational users, education and training programs for operational user proficiency, outreach programs to K-12 education and the general public for environmental literacy, and understanding and quantifying the societal impacts of NOAA research. Position Summary: The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University (CSU), located on the CSU Foothills Campus 5 miles northwest of the CSU main campus, seeks to hire a Research Scientist I to conduct research on Optical Flow and Artificial Intelligence applications for satellite remote sensing, cloud detection, nowcasting applications, and advanced winds retrievals. This Research Scientist position requires a start date between 1 April 2026 and 1 May 2026. Onsite presence is required for this position because it requests significant collaboration with on-site teams. This position is partially funded by a US Department of Defense contract and therefore is open ONLY to citizens of the United States. This research scientist position is part of CIRA’s Meteorological Satellite Application Team. The objective of this position is to provide an opportunity for a motivated researcher to push the envelope of capabilities in high-impact, operationally relevant environmental science applications tied to optical flow and satellite remote sensing, and to explore innovative approaches while working in a highly stimulating and interdisciplinary team environment. Specifically, the individual in this position will report to the CIRA Optical Flow team lead and interface closely with CIRA’s Meteorological Satellite Applications core expertise group, and with part of CIRA’s on-site Federal team from NOAA/NESDIS. Target projects will include the following activities: Using of high spatial/spectral/temporal resolution Geostationary satellite observations (e.g., GOES, Himawari, MTG) in conjunction with to low-earth orbiting satellite (e.g. EarthCARE and VIIRS) and ground-based remote sensing assets with practical applications for operational end-users Developing algorithms for convection intensity diagnosis, convective anvil spread models, wind retrieval from proxy geostationary sounder data, and geostationary green-band synthesis via artificial intelligence. Extracting valuable brightness motion and feature information from satellite imagery. Full consideration date: Thursday, April 16, 2026, 11:59pm (MT)

Requirements

Ph.D. in atmospheric science plus 1-2 years of Postdoctoral Fellowship experience
demonstrated (published in peer-reviewed literature and presented at scientific conference venues), deep understanding of methods for image processing tasks, including in use of machine learning such as convolutional neural networks to extract and predict information from satellite imagery
Remote sensing experience working with GOES ABI and GLM, Himawari AHI, and EarthCare
fluency in coding to read, write, and manipulate scientific datasets, using Python
experience with Linux/Unix OS
ability to communicate well, orally and written, and particularly across disciplinary boundaries

Nice To Haves

Strong mathematical background, including in calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra
experience working with optical flow algorithms and downstream applications
experience extracting information about cloud properties and/or convection from satellite data using geospatial tools and object-based tracking analysis
experience applying ancillary datasets (ground-based radar, lightning detection, local storm reports, numerical models) and processing methods for nowcasting improvements, automation, and verification
experience with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools and processing (e.g. Pytorch)
experience working as part of an interdisciplinary team

Responsibilities

conduct research and develop novel satellite optical flow and remote sensing-based applications geared towards better characterizing cloud and convection diagnosis and nowcasting
conduct basic research for synthesizing novel information from remote sensing platforms
coordinate and collaborate with other team members towards targeting and use of these methods in support of various applications in weather and environmental research
contribute to and lead scientific studies that serve and advance the CIRA mission
develop scientific ideas and skills for future proposals that may lead to an independent research program
collaborate with CIRA scientists working on relevant/complementary research projects
collaborate with operational partners and product end users as needed
collaborate with faculty and mentor students in the Atmospheric Science Department
present results at scientific conferences and sponsor-hosted reviews
prepare required project reports
publish scientific results in conference proceedings and peer-reviewed journal articles

Benefits

Colorado State University is not just a workplace; it’s a thriving community that’s transforming lives and improving the human condition through world-class teaching, research, and service.
With a robust benefits package, collaborative atmosphere, and focus on work-life balance, CSU is where you can thrive, grow, and make a lasting impact.
Review our detailed benefits information here.
Explore the additional perks of working at CSU here.
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Lastly, click here for more information about why Fort Collins is consistently ranked in the top cities to live in!

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