Research Scientist II

New Mexico State University • Las Cruces, NM

1d • Onsite

About The Position

New Mexico State University’s Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences is seeking a Research Scientist II to develop and contribute to a research program using satellite LiDAR, radar, and optical remote sensing to study forest vegetation structure, ecosystem function, and hydrological processes. The research will primarily focus on the southwestern United States, with opportunities to apply the approaches at regional and global scales.

The Research Scientist will develop a research program focused on global remote sensing of forest vegetation structure and ecosystem and hydrological function, combining satellite LiDAR and radar remote sensing with field measurements. The successful candidate will contribute to vegetation analysis and ecosystem-function research, including vertical and horizontal structural retrievals using orbiting LiDAR and complementary radar and optical data. The role includes testing and developing models for retrieving vegetation biomass and structure and examining their relationships to hydrological and ecosystem functions using advanced high-performance computing and cloud computing.

The position is a two-year appointment, full-time, and contingent upon external funding. The incumbent is expected to contribute scientific and data publications and collaborate on external research proposals. The position is based in Las Cruces and follows a standard Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. schedule.

Requirements

• Associate’s degree and 9 years of relevant experience, or a bachelor’s degree and 7 years of relevant experience.
• Experience using LiDAR, optical, and radar remote sensing.
• Experience with advanced HPC/cloud computing to test and develop models for vegetation biomass and structure retrievals and relationships to hydrological and ecosystem functions.
• Well-developed skills in data analysis, visualization, and synthesis of regional and global Earth observation data for vegetation retrievals.
• Familiarity with remote sensing and geospatial analysis, particularly LiDAR and radar data for forest monitoring.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree or higher; a doctorate degree is preferred.
• Experience working at large spatial scales using a combination of fine- and coarse-resolution remote sensing.
• Ability to mentor students and develop strong collaborative networks.
• Excellent written and oral science communication skills.
• Understanding of data providers and stakeholders in national and regional governmental and nongovernmental forestry and environmental agencies, particularly those interested in forest production, ecosystem function, and regional hydrology.

Responsibilities

• Develop and contribute to a research program using remote sensing to study forest vegetation structure, ecosystem function, and hydrological processes.
• Conduct vegetation analysis and ecosystem-function research, including vertical and horizontal structural retrievals using orbiting LiDAR with complementary radar and optical remote sensing data.
• Use field measurements and advanced HPC/cloud computing to test and develop models for retrieving vegetation biomass and structure and assessing relationships to hydrological and ecosystem functions.
• Analyze, visualize, and synthesize regional and global Earth observation data for vegetation retrievals.
• Contribute scientific and data publications.
• Collaborate on external research proposals.
• Potentially mentor students and develop collaborative networks, as preferred capabilities for the role.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree