Image Scientist - Senior

Position Description:

Join a skilled, highly respected and long standing team supporting product quality mission for our government customer. This is a unique opportunity to enhance your career by working with the community subject matter experts, directly with the customer and with project autonomy not customarily given as a government contractor. Based on the priorities of the customer, the image scientist will support product evaluations, quality studies, new product initializations, product algorithm assessments, or develop image quality equations to quantify the expected quality of a system given various parameters. Candidate should have a working understanding and practical application of modeling components of the image path to include sensor, detector, atmospheric, and material properties. Simulation and modeling experience and ability to develop algorithm description documentation for software development is needed. Familiarity with current GEOINT systems, products and development, as well as the exploitation software packages will be necessary to develop test and verification methodologies. The candidate will work within an existing team to complete tasks as prioritized by government customers. Good communication and team work is necessary. A history of delivering results is critical to success.

The specific sub-tasks and activities to be performed include, but are not limited to:

•         Sensor modeling; decomposing product formation elements to quantify the overall quality of the image chain

•         Algorithm assessment to quantify the performance of a product given desire mission application

•         Performing baseline assessment of system performance to support sensor initialization

•         Operational monitoring of system performance over time

•         Responding to detected errors and artifacts by recommending possible causes and corrective actions           

Required Experience/Education:

• Experience working with SAR or OPIR imaging platforms

• Image processing and Digital Signal processing experience

• Image chain analysis to include sensor modeling, signal quality and noise, optics, detector calibration, and image processing of pixel data

• Application of error estimation.

• Understanding and application of image quality standards (e.g. NIIRS), scales, metrics and image quality equations.

• Significant applied knowledge of sensor imaging systems, products, and exploitation processes

• Strong understanding of the systems engineering lifecycle to include independent testing and data verification

• Strong written and oral communication skills, with emphasis on briefing to obtain decisions and solve technical issues and test plans/reports writing

• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team

• Willingness to learn, solve problems and perform in a dynamic work environment

• Track record of delivering results

• Provide technical expertise and guidance related to strategic and operational support the customer's image and product quality assessment mission.

• Execute image and product quality assessments

• Perform statistical analyses of evaluation results to determine adequacy, accuracy and integrity of image data and products

• Assist in the development and maintenance of image quality standards and scales.

• Resolve important image quality problems in a face-paced, dynamic customer environment.

• Provide comprehensive understanding of NSG image chain analysis as well as the tasking, collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination functions

• Apply image science and systems engineering experience with sensor phenomenology of NTM, Airborne, OPIR, LIDAR, FMV, Motion Imagery, and/or Commercial systems

• Develop and application of image quality standards (e.g. NIIRS), scales, metrics and image quality equations

• Perform system initializations

• Perform comprehensive test and evaluations using comprehensive experience performing formal quality assessments

• Apply knowledge of NSG tasking, collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination (TCPED) image chain, sensor imaging systems, products, and exploitation processes

• Develop and conduct briefings to obtain decisions and solve technical issues and test plans/reports writing

• Identify phenomenological (i.e., radiometric, thermal, spectral) impacts to data quality

• Evaluate quality of data cubes from multiple modalities using tool suites such as Python, Matlab, IDL, RemoteView, Socet GXP, and/or Envi

• Provide recommendations on the methodologies and approaches for image and product quality assessments of NSG systems and processes used in the collection, processing, exploitation, storage, and dissemination of GEOINT data and products

• Must have 8 to 10 years with BS/BA or 6 to 8 years with MS/MA or 3 to 5 years with PhD.

• Requires a TS/SCI

Preferred Skillset:

• Knowledge of National System for Geospatial-Intelligence (NSG) tasking, collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination (TCPED) image chain, specifically the inclusion of radiometric support weather data and material properties (NEFDS).

• Experience working in a DoD or IC operational environment

• Experience developing engineering code (C, Python, Matlab, IDL) to solve hard problems and create processes for repeatable results.

Education:

• Science or Engineering Education, including Physics and Math is required for this Scientist position

Location:

• Springfield, VA