About Alba Orbital
Alba Orbital is a Glasgow-based space company developing and operating small satellites for Earth Observation and other commercial applications. We design and build our own spacecraft and have extensive experience in satellite operations, mission planning and autonomous spacecraft systems.
We are developing the next stage of our Earth Observation capability: using frequent satellite observations, environmental data and intelligent software to determine where and when new observations are likely to provide the greatest value.
The opportunity
We are looking for a Climate Data Scientist to provide expertise into combining satellite imagery, environmental data, and weather reports to determine where and when new satellite imagery is likely to provide the greatest climate value.
The role is particularly suited to someone with a background in climate science, environmental science, meteorology, Earth systems science, physical geography, environmental data science or a related field. This could be an excellent opportunity for a researcher or postdoctoral-level scientist interested in applying their expertise to a commercial space technology project.
The initial project is focused on developing a proof-of-concept system that combines freely available Earth Observation, weather and environmental datasets to identify potentially valuable observation opportunities.
Key responsibilities
You will:
- Identify and evaluate relevant climate, environmental, weather and Earth Observation datasets, particularly freely available sources.
- Analyse and interpret environmental and climate data to identify variables, patterns and indicators relevant to climate and environmental events.
- Develop the scientific methodology and logic underlying the observation prioritisation system.
- Determine how information from different locations and times could be combined to improve understanding or prediction of events.
- Develop approaches for retrospectively testing the methodology against historical events and subsequent observations.
- Work with Alba Orbital's software engineering team to translate scientific methods into computational models and prototype algorithms.
- Help assess the strengths, limitations and appropriate applications of different datasets and data sources.
- Contribute to technical reports and documentation describing the methodology and validation results.
- Where appropriate, support discussions with prospective customers and partners to understand their environmental monitoring requirements.
Essential experience and skills
We are looking for someone who can demonstrate:
- A degree, postgraduate qualification or equivalent professional experience in climate science, environmental science, meteorology, Earth sciences, physical geography, environmental data science or a related discipline.
- Practical experience working with climate, environmental, weather or Earth Observation data.
- Strong ability to analyse and interpret scientific datasets.
- An understanding of how environmental processes and variables can be used to explain or predict real-world events.
- Ability to develop and clearly communicate scientific methodologies and analytical approaches.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating closely with software engineers and other technical team members.
Desirable experience
The following would be advantageous but are not essential:
- Experience using Python, R, MATLAB or similar tools for scientific data analysis.
- Experience with geospatial or spatial-temporal datasets.
- Experience with satellite remote sensing or satellite-derived environmental products.
- Experience developing predictive, statistical or machine-learning models.
- Experience working with APIs, data pipelines or computational modelling.
- Experience working with commercial, government or operational users of environmental information.
We are more interested in what you can do than the exact title of your previous role or the specific datasets you have worked with.
What we offer
This is an opportunity to work at the intersection of climate science, Earth Observation and commercial space technology, with the potential to influence how a future high-revisit satellite constellation determines what it observes.
The initial appointment is for six months, corresponding to a funded development project, with the possibility of a permanent position as the technology and business develop.
We are open to part-time and flexible arrangements, making this potentially suitable for researchers or postdoctoral scientists with existing academic commitments. The successful candidate will, however, need to be able to work regularly on-site at our Hillington, Glasgow facility.
Pay: £28,000.00-£38,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
