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ORAU · 3 weeks ago

A Next-Generation Wildfire Risk Assessment System: Integrating Satellite Data, Deep Learning, and Advanced Statistical Analytics

Pasadena, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

ORAU is involved in the NASA Postdoctoral Program, which offers unique research opportunities for talented scientists. The role focuses on developing an advanced wildfire risk assessment system by integrating satellite data and machine learning to enhance predictive capabilities for wildfire management.

Universities

Culture & Values

No H1B

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and validate a unified wildfire risk index that provides a comprehensive and dynamic assessment of wildfire potential across diverse landscapes

Create a comprehensive, multi-modal data repository by integrating diverse streams of satellite, meteorological, and geospatial data

Architect and train an ensemble of deep learning and statistical models capable of identifying key wildfire drivers and accurately predicting risk

Validate the system’s predictive accuracy against extensive historical wildfire records and benchmark against established conventional indices

Translate the validated risk index into actionable intelligence by creating intuitive, high-resolution fire risk maps and an interactive web-based dashboard for stakeholders

Qualification

Machine LearningDeep LearningGeospatial Data AnalysisPythonData EngineeringEarth Science KnowledgeStatistical AnalysisRemote SensingTeam Collaboration

Required

Ph.D. in a quantitative field such as Earth Science, Data Science, Computer Science, Remote Sensing, Environmental Science, Statistics, or a related discipline

Demonstrated experience with advanced machine learning models

Specific expertise in ensemble methods, gradient boosting frameworks (like CatBoost or XGBoost), and neural networks is highly sought

Experience with Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) is a significant plus

Strong proficiency in processing and analyzing satellite and geospatial datasets, particularly from NASA Earth Observation missions (e.g., MODIS, VIIRS, SMAP)

Expertise with libraries and tools like GDAL, Rasterio, GeoPandas, and QGIS/ArcGIS is essential

Advanced skills in Python and its core data science libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, Pandas, NumPy)

Experience in building and managing large, multi-modal data pipelines and repositories

A solid understanding of Earth science, climatology, and the environmental factors that drive wildfire behavior

Degree: Doctoral Degree

Company

ORAU

Glassdoor4.4

ORAU provides innovative scientific and technical solutions to advance research and education, protect public health and the environment and strengthen national security.

Founded in 1946