Senior SAR Imagery Scientist / Exploitation Specialist / NGA MAVEN Program
Location: Springfield, VA
Clearance: Active TS/SCI Required
Position Type: Full-Time
Position Overview
Seeking a Senior SAR Imagery Scientist to support the NGA MAVEN Program. This role serves as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery, supporting advanced GEOINT, AI/ML, and data exploitation initiatives. The selected candidate will provide technical leadership for SAR imagery acquisition, preprocessing, quality assessment, sensor integration, and data preparation supporting operational intelligence and machine learning applications.
Key Responsibilities
- Serve as the SAR SME supporting NGA MAVEN imagery exploitation and sensor integration efforts.
- Assess emerging SAR sensors and integrate new data sources into existing data pipelines and workflows.
- Analyze SAR phenomenology, collection geometry, metadata, image quality, and exploitation products.
- Develop preprocessing, tiling, orthorectification, and imagery transformation workflows for AI/ML applications.
- Evaluate imagery quality using RNIIRS and SAR-specific quality metrics.
- Support development of automated processes, algorithms, and methodologies using SAR imagery and remote sensing data.
- Generate and manage imagery pre-labels derived from intelligence reporting, machine observations, and human analysis.
- Collaborate with data scientists, engineers, and analysts to prepare data for machine learning model development.
- Support weekly imagery deliveries and rapid-turn operational requirements.
- Identify opportunities to integrate coincident EO imagery and other sensor sources to enhance exploitation.
Required Qualifications
- Active TS/SCI Clearance.
- Bachelor's degree in Remote Sensing, Engineering, Computer Science, Geospatial Intelligence, or related technical field.
- 4+ years of SAR imagery exploitation and analysis experience.
- Strong understanding of:
- SAR collection and phenomenology
- Image formation processes
- Sensor geometry and metadata
- SAR exploitation methodologies
- Experience using:
- SARPy
- MATLAB SAR Toolbox
- Python
- MATLAB
- Experience developing algorithms, processes, and analytical workflows using SAR imagery.
- Experience communicating technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience applying AI/ML or Computer Vision techniques to SAR imagery.
- Experience supporting NGA, NRO, DIA, or Intelligence Community GEOINT programs.
- Experience with cloud-based geospatial processing environments.
- GEOINT Professional Certification (GPC) preferred.
Why Join MAVEN?
This role directly supports NGA's mission to leverage Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies to transform GEOINT operations. You'll help develop next-generation SAR exploitation capabilities that support critical national security missions across the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense.
Pay: $225,000.00 - $234,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Experience:
- of SAR imagery exploitation and analysis : 5 years (Required)
Security clearance:
Work Location: In person
