Space Enabled Remote Sensing and GIS Analyst Position
(Part time/Temporary)
To Apply, please complete the form here.
Overview: The Space Enabled Research group at the MIT Media Lab seeks an experienced analyst with skills in satellite remote sensing data analysis, geospatial mapping, and applications of machine learning for classifying geospatial information. The position will be responsible for assisting with tasks in support of existing projects that include remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems. The analyst will complete tasks as part of a team effort to build integrated modeling that includes physical, social and economic parameters. The analyst may also be asked to create and deliver training material related to the methods used in the work.
Background: Professor Danielle Wood, director of the Space Enabled Research Group, is working with a team to pursue research applying earth science data to support societal applications with a focus on work to monitor and manage progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. As part of this effort, Space Enabled is developing and implementing a framework called Environment-Vulnerability- Decision Technology or EVDT, first published under the following citation: Reid, Jack, Cynthia Zeng, and Danielle Wood. “Combining Social, Environmental and Design Models to Support the Sustainable Development Goals,” in 2019 IEEE Aerospace Conference, pp. 1-13. IEEE, 2019. The EVDT Framework is both a design approach and research method that guides the development of Decision Support Systems, which in turn help leaders implement projects that leverage data in support of societal needs toward sustainability. In most cases, Sustainability is defined based on progress toward one of the Sustainable Development Goals, however, Space Enabled seeks to follow the priorities set by community, national and regional leaders in each project based on EVDT. The EVDT framework curates data and models related to environmental changes, socio-economic benefits and hazards, decision making and the technological systems that provide greater insight into environment and social outcomes. In the course of implementing EVDT projects, Space Enabled applies a design framework called Systems Architecture to understand and analyze context, stakeholders, objectives and implementation approaches for each project.
Currently, at the invitation of leaders in each context, Space Enabled is pursuing projects that apply Systems Architecture and EVDT in Angola, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, Benin and the United States. Space Enabled also shares the work publicly by hosting virtual events and speaking at conferences. In some projects, team members visit the collaborators and perform field work. Most EVDT projects result in a Decision Support System which is a web-based information system that visualizes EVDT data using maps and graphs. As an example, the current projects that are high priority for support include designing a Decision Support System for Drought with the Government of Angola and supporting a Decision Support System for Invasive Species Management for collaborators in Benin. Additional work with collaborators from Indonesia and the Yurok Tribe addresses topics such as coastal management and forest monitoring.
More information about projects is available here:
https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/integrated-complex-systems-modeling/overview/.
Space Enabled seeks a remote sensing and GIS analyst who will support the scientific and geospatial analysis for the projects.
The position to be filled is not an MIT employee. It is a temporary, occasional position via the MITemps hiring mechanism. The work can be done remotely or in person. The level of effort and period of performance will be negotiated based on the needs of Space Enabled and the skills and availability of the candidates. The compensation will be based on the experience level of the candidate.
Requirements:
- Bachelors, Masters or equivalent professional experience with satellite remote sensing, geography, GIS, machine learning for data classification, computer vision or a related skill set
- Demonstrated examples of past projects applying skills listed above
- Experience with data analysis with multiple types of satellite remote sensing data
Desired skills
- programming and map making using Google Earth Engine, Python, R, Matlab, data visualization software, ESRI, Q-gis or related tools
- Experience with analyzing SAR, LiDAR, multispectral, infrared and microwave remote sensing data sets