Research Associate - (two posts available)

Location: Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London 

Job Summary 

Your role will be to develop new software and algorithms for the data processing pipeline for the imaging radar instrument VenSAR, onboard the ESA/NASA EnVision mission to Venus, as a key part of the UK’s contribution to the mission. This very exciting and long-term project, funded by the UK Space Agency (UKSA), begins now and aims to deliver an important open-source software toolkit to the mission’s ground segment in readiness for spacecraft launch in 2031. 

You will make a significant contribution to this effort by developing open source code and algorithms for detecting inter-mission change (changes that have occurred over the last 40 years since the Magellan mission) and intra-mission changes (those that occur during the course of the EnVision mission). The toolkit developed will form part of the ground segment facilities for the mission to maximise the science return and benefit to the science community. You will also make use of Earth analogue study sites (such as Iceland or Hawaii) to help understand the likely characteristics of changes expected at Venus, and radar data from Earth Observation sensors to simulate VenSAR’s data products and to help develop the tools. 

Duties and responsibilities 

You key duties and responsibilities will be to design, plan and drive the research programme, and to develop algorithms and software tools for classifying surface geomorphological features and for change detection between multi-temporal digital image data. You will also help to supervise post-graduate and Masters students in their own research work. You will contribute to technical reports and submit your research outputs for publication in scientific journals, as well as present the findings at conferences. From time to time, you may also get the opportunity to present your work at informal mission science team meetings online and in person. 

Essential requirements 

You should have a strong background in any field of computational science or engineering, with an interest in geosciences and/or planetary science or space exploration, with good coding skills, and perhaps interest or experience in remote sensing and image processing. The broad list of skills we are looking for include (but are not limited to): 

• Experience in processing radar data and other digital image data
• Matlab, Python (Java and C or C++)
• Strong numeracy skills, experience of signal processing and some knowledge of Machine Learning methods
• Some understanding of geoscientific concepts, environment and/or landscape features and processes, would be advantageous (but not essential since you can always learn about these along the way)
• Problem-solving skills and spatial awareness 

You should have a first degree (or equivalent) in science, computing, physics or engineering and a PhD in similar fields. 

Further Information 

This is a full time fixed term position for up to 1 year with a possibility of extension. 

Further information can be obtained from Dr PJ Mason, p.j.mason@imperial.ac.uk 

Should you have any queries about the application process please contact: Katie Rycraft k.rycraft@imperial.ac.uk                                                    

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