Vegetation Modeling Specialist (NPS, The North Coast and Cascades Network)

$56,160 - $56,160/Yr

The Great Basin Institute - Port Angeles, WA

Full-time - Entry Level

Port Angeles, WA

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About the position

The Vegetation Modeling Specialist position at The Great Basin Institute involves developing and implementing automated methods for processing and analyzing remote sensed imagery and spatial data in collaboration with the National Parks Service. The role focuses on monitoring landscape disturbances in national parks using advanced remote sensing techniques, contributing to ecological assessments, and creating educational materials for park managers and the public.

Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with network staff to complete development of a machine learning algorithm to label landscape change polygons in NCCN parks.
• Apply coding skills in reproducible data processing and analysis to address ecological questions.
• Test and facilitate the adoption of new technologies and data streams in remote sensing for ongoing inventory and monitoring programs.
• Use GIS software (ArcGIS Pro, Google Earth Engine) to develop and assemble geometric, topographic, and spectral predictor variables for modeling.
• Update existing code to automate vegetation disturbance label attribution in wilderness park lands using human-reviewed labels to train and test the model.
• Review disturbance patches generated by LandTrendr against other imagery sources and assign labels to individual disturbance patches using pre-defined categories and criteria.
• Summarize error rates between human-validated labels and automated labels.
• Compare high resolution change detection employed by other agencies with our current approaches and quantify how well the higher-resolution imagery performs.
• Help to coauthor a manuscript summarizing results.
• Apply models developed for remote wilderness areas to smaller parks with more human influence to evaluate efficacy and make updates to models to increase label attribution accuracy.
• Explore approaches for imagery-based modeling of seasonal phenology and snowpack in high elevation systems using Google Earth Engine (GEE).

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree, or equivalent work experience, in a field related to ecology, natural resource management, conservation, geography, physical sciences, or biological science.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to carry out scientific analysis and automated data processing.
• Knowledge and experience using database systems.
• Experience using ArcGIS or Google Earth Engine (or similar GIS/Remote sensing software).
• Experience with R or similar programming language.
• Upper level undergraduate or graduate-level course work involving remote sensing, aerial photo interpretation, and processing and analysis of scientific data.
• Possess a valid, state-issued driver's license and clean driving record.
• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident.

Nice-to-haves

• Soft skills (organization, communication).

Benefits

• Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental (with option to upgrade in coverage), and vision insurance.
• $25,000 Basic Life & AD&D insurance at no cost.
• Competitive PTO accrual and paid holidays.
• Paid leave and holidays.