Applications Coordinator and Research Scientist

Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) seeks a talented and goal-oriented individual to join our team supporting NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The selected candidate will work closely with contractor and NASA scientists to support the utilization of Earth remote sensing data for societal benefit.

Situated at NASA/GSFC in Greenbelt, MD, duties include both applications coordination and research. It is expected that, on average, the selected candidate will spend approximately 50% time performing the Applications Coordinator role and 50% time in a related Research Scientist role.

The successful candidate must be willing to report to an office in Greenbelt, MD a minimum of three days per week. This hybrid work agreement may change if SSAI or NASA requirements for in-person work change.

The Applications Coordinator component entails:

• Managing the NASA program applications and documenting work performed, providing feedback to the project on applications of project data products
• Conducting focused workshops with users of project data to facilitate the incorporation of project data in their operational or research activities
• Initiating effective engagement between the project and users of satellite data products, as well as assisting project users in conducting research on the value of project data where appropriate
• Participation in regular project meetings and reporting to the project on the progress and value of project application activities

The successful candidate will be able to effectively interact and build relationships with a variety of stakeholders in the soil moisture community to support their data needs for weather forecasts, agriculture, droughts, floods, national security, and/or other applications of project data.

The Research Scientist component entails:

• Working with the project scientist to define relevant research products that may involve development of applications related to soil moisture science. Soil moisture science covers a wide range of applications from data assimilation for numerical weather prediction, land-atmosphere coupling, streamflow and flood forecasting, droughts, wildfire, agriculture and food security and others.
• Some travel (likely 2-3 trips per year) is required to various institutions where project workshops are to be held and/or conferences

Required Qualifications:

• MS or PhD in Environmental Science or other relevant scientific discipline and at least 5 years' related experience
• Experience with remote sensing, soil moisture, and hydrology
• Experience with land surface modeling
• Experience in one or more Earth science disciplines
• Knowledge of computational tools such as Matlab and/or computer programming languages (Fortran, C++, Python, etc.)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills are a must, as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications, oral presentations made at major science conferences, and/or successful collaboration with various scientific entities and partners, domestically or internationally
• Well-organized and effective in running and organizing meetings and should demonstrate skills in synthesizing information for different groups
• Capable of working both independently and within a dynamic project science team
• Able to work on-site in Greenbelt, MD a minimum of 3 days per week
• US Citizenship or Permanent Residency Required

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in the use and analysis of large remote sensing data sets (particularly satellite data) is highly desired
• Paper writing experience and presenting experience for both scientific audiences and the general public is preferred

Physical Requirements: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and use hands to touch, handle or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee frequently is required to talk and hear and occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.