Geospatial Developer

U-Spatial is seeking a Geospatial Developer (Research Associate) with a strong background in remote sensing and geospatial analytics to join our multifaceted team. The successful candidate will have experience in satellite imagery, remote sensing workflows, spatial modeling, and geospatial data visualization. They will be highly organized, able to build rapport with domain researchers, and comfortable working as part of an interdisciplinary research team on a diverse set of projects. This position is based on either the Duluth or Twin Cities campus. This position allows for a hybrid work option. Full-time remote work is not an option.

Responsibilities
Development of geospatial analytic tools (70%)
● Be the lead analyst and developer on large scale GIS and remote sensing projects
● Design and implement advanced remote sensing workflows, including image preprocessing, classification, change detection, and time-series analysis
● Design and develop appropriate informatics strategies related to GIS and remote sensing as required
● Assist in building out analytical infrastructure to support common needs of related research projects and tools, such as scalable cloud or HPC-based geospatial processing.
● Work collaboratively with a diverse population having a wide range of technical experience levels
Education and consulting (20%)
● Perform ad hoc GIS and remote sensing analysis as a consultant for University students, staff and faculty, as well as external groups
● Develop and deliver training materials on GIS and remote sensing methods
● Be the Primary Investigator (PI) and manage projects as needed. 
Professional development (10%)
● Stay current with developments in remote sensing technology and best practices
● Participate in relevant forums, communities, and conferences
 

Required Qualifications
● Advanced degree in geography, GIS, remote sensing, or related fields with one or more years of research training
● Broad experience (3+ years) with remote sensing, including satellite imagery processing and analysis, GIS, and geospatial computing
● Strong general computational skills and advanced proficiency programming in Python
● Ability to understand and translate domain researchers' scientific goals into analytical strategies and process requirements
● Demonstrated skill in communicating technical material to technical and non-technical audiences, such as in conference presentations and report-writing
● Hands on experience in developing and carrying out data analytical strategies and pipelines on geospatial datasets.
● Experience working with large-volume datasets, those likely requiring novel data structures and/or parallelized workflows for analytical processing
● Able to work independently with periodic guidance 

Preferred Qualifications
● Strong proficiency with open source geospatial and remote sensing libraries
● Experience with machine learning or deep learning approaches applied to remote sensing data.
● Database design and querying skills (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, or similar)
● Experience and general proficiency with the R programming language
● Experience processing data from remote sensors
● Familiarity with cloud-based geospatial environments (AWS, Google Earth Engine).

With offices on both the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses, U-Spatial collaborates with a variety of departments and centers, creating new opportunities and synergies around spatial research, teaching, and service by supporting projects with application development and spatial analysis. This position is based on either the Duluth or Twin Cities campus. This position allows for a hybrid work option. Full-time remote work is not an option.

U-Spatial is a nationally recognized model that advances the fast-growing need for expertise in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and spatial computing. The infrastructure eliminates duplication and fragmentation of resources by providing a framework of spatial data, equipment, and expertise. U-Spatial has supported over 3,000 researchers across every department and center at the University through the help desk, training, consulting, and events. U-Spatial has been integral to making the U of M one of the world’s first "Spatial Universities".

Organizationally, U-Spatial is within Research Computing, an academic center within Research and Innovation Office (RIO). Research Computing brings together the diverse portfolio of research computing and data resources available at the University. Research Computing currently houses five collaborative units that provide research computing expertise, resources, training, and services across the University and beyond. These resources cover a broad range of research needs, from consultation and collaboration with domain experts, to hardware and software resources, to education and training in computational methods and technologies.

Pay Range: $85,000 - $105,000; depending on education/qualifications/experience 

Time Appointment: 100% Time Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff 

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services 
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates if hired in the Twin Cities metro area