Scientist I

Universities of Wisconsin • Madison, WI

3d • $65,000 - $85,000

About The Position

The Townsend Lab in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology seeks a Scientist I to support research advancing ecological remote sensing. With supervision by the Principal Investigator, the Scientist I will lead efforts to generate and analyze spatial data on ecosystem function, structure, and biodiversity using advanced airborne and satellite hyperspectral datasets and UAS based LiDAR. The Scientist I will integrate remote sensing data with ancillary environmental data, drawing on both new and existing field and lab data to support modeling and ecological inference. The Scientist I will lead the publication of high-quality data products and peer-reviewed manuscripts. The position works within a highly collaborative research environment that includes scientists, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students, and external partners. The work by the Scientist I will improve remote sensing methodologies and expand our understanding of ecosystem variability across local to global scales.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience using airborne and/or terrestrial LiDAR and/or imaging spectrometer data (AVIRIS, NEON, EMIT) to support ecological or environmental research, with evidence of successful application to scientific questions.
• Demonstrated experience in geographic and statistical analysis of remote sensing datasets, using tools such as Python, R, and GIS platforms.
• Demonstrated experience with scientific productivity and writing, with clear evidence of intellectual ownership of research projects (e.g., first author publication(s), reports, or other scientific deliverables).
• Experience working in collaborative, multi investigator research settings, contributing effectively to projects involving multiple team members, workflows, or disciplinary perspectives.
• Ph.D. in ecology, plant biology, environmental science, remote sensing, geography, statistics, data science or related field is required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience conducting ecological fieldwork and analyzing ecological data from temperate and/or neotropical environments.
• Demonstrated experience communicating project goals, workflows, and results to external collaborators representing a range of technical backgrounds.
• Experience designing and implementing ecological or remote sensing field data collection campaigns, following established scientific protocols and ensuring data quality and reproducibility.

Responsibilities

• Attends and assists with the facilitation of scholarly events and presentations in support of continued professional development and the dissemination of research information.
• Assists with the identification of research problems and the development of research methodologies and procedures.
• Serves as a main point of contact and liaison with internal and external stakeholders providing information and representing the interests of a specialized research area.
• Conducts literature reviews, prepares reports and materials, and disseminates information to appropriate entities.
• Writes or assists in developing grant applications and proposals to secure research funding.
• Collects and analyzes research data, conducts experiments and interviews, and documents results according to established policies and procedures under general supervision and limited responsibility.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees