Postdoc: Urban Land Cover and Land Use Change

Job Details

New ideas are all around us, but only a few will change the world. That’s our focus at JPL. We ask the biggest questions, then search the universe for answers—literally. We build upon ideas that have guided generations, then share our discoveries to inspire generations to come. Your mission—your opportunity—is to seek out the answers that bring us one step closer. If you’re driven to discover, create, and inspire something that lasts a lifetime and beyond, you’re ready for JPL.

Located in Pasadena, California, JPL has a campus-like environment situated on 177 acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and offers a work environment unlike any other: we inspire passion, foster innovation, build collaboration, and reward excellence.

JPL is unique among NASA Centers in that its staff are Caltech employees, yet can access NASA technical resources. Cross-discipline teamwork is standard here: colleagues across JPL's science and engineering organizations and on Caltech's academic campus often work together. Learning to speak and understand other disciplines' languages is a doorway to the creativity needed to do what has not been done before. JPL staff are encouraged to create mission concepts that address humanity's core questions through a combination of science and technology. They are supported in developing ideas into proposals and hardware, and in communicating funded missions' results to the scientific community and the broader public. JPL seeks to employ scientists and engineers who are passionate about lifelong learning and excited to both contribute to and lead team efforts. We emphasize the importance of partnering across discipline boundaries and creating a friendly, constructive work environment to overcome space exploration's challenges. The Postdoctoral scholars at JPL benefit from an informal mentoring network, an annual conference showcasing their results, a dedicated seminar series, exposure to diverse career paths, and social connections across the JPL and Caltech community for advice on housing, childcare, and other aspects of living in southern California.

As part of JPL's Earth Science Section, postdocs have a unique opportunity to engage in groundbreaking research and contribute to the understanding of our changing planet. At JPL, postdocs are immersed in state-of-the-art technology and world-leading expertise that spans all aspects of the Earth system, enabling us to map the myriad connections between Earth’s vital processes and the climate impacts of ongoing natural and human-caused changes.

In partnership with JPL’s diverse science, technology, and engineering workforce, and with Earth scientists and other partners at universities and other institutions, JPL postdocs have the opportunity to contribute to the development and demonstration of cutting-edge research and new technologies that can be directly applied to a broad range of Earth science measurements, missions, model development, and other advances. Opportunities include leveraging satellite observations, data from airborne missions, and computer modeling to transform measurements into a deep understanding of Earth's system and the interaction between processes. Increasingly, work at JPL includes using that understanding to inform decision makers and society at large.

What sets Earth science research at JPL apart is thus our broad and unique spectrum of research elements, providing a one-of-a-kind and enriching experience that goes beyond that found in traditional research environments. JPL is ideally suited to postdocs who are passionate about advancing our understanding of the Earth system.

About the Project:

The rapid growth of urban settlements, combined with climate change and the urban heat island effect, has increased the risk of extreme heat exposure. For example, in the Indian subcontinent, fast-developing cities have experienced a significant rise in the frequency, intensity, and duration of heatwaves, posing a threat to nearly a billion people who regularly experience temperatures exceeding 100F during summers. Current global estimates of heat exposure underestimate the risk to urban residents due to high thermal variability within cities. Therefore, there is an urgent need of characterizing where urban growth and extreme heat emergence intersects at an intra-urban high spatial resolution.

The project team is searching for a postdoc who will use a combination of thermal infrared Earth observation data from the VIIRS, ECOSTRESS, and Landsat sensors, combined with visible shortwave infrared data to answer a set of key science questions related to the intersection of urban growth and extreme heat emergence for the Indian subcontinent:

What is the impact of heatwaves (large-scale advective driven) versus the urban heat island (local-scale convective driven) on the intra-urban thermal footprint of each city? From city growth over the past decade (from 2013-2023), where does rapid urban growth and extreme heat emergence intersect in each of the cities? What are the dominant thermal properties of different urban LCLU classes that contribute to the day and nighttime surface urban heat island effect?

Required Qualifications:

• PhD degree in Physics, Earth science, Ecological science and engineering, Environmental engineering or similar.

• Demonstrated problem-solving ability in research and broad range of experimental skills including numerical modeling, remote sensing, and algorithm development. 

• Demonstrated ability to process multidimensional data from a range of observation sources such as field campaigns, airborne data, reanalysis, or satellite remote sensing.

• A track record of recent contributions to peer-reviewed publications.

• Experience with scientific programming languages (such as Python, R, MATLAB), and high-performance computing.

• Experience of working with large multidimensional geospatial datasets and spatio-temporal data visualization.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Experience or interest in Earth science applications

• Experience and /or interest in contributing to broader fields of weather and climate research, investigating land-atmosphere interaction, and water resources applications

The appointee will carry out research in collaboration with the JPL advisor, resulting in publications in the open literature.

Applicants may be subject to additional program requirements by NASA. Postdoc positions are awarded for a minimum of one-year period and may be renewed up to a maximum of three years. Candidates should submit the following to this site: CV, representative publications, contact information for three references, and a cover letter stating their research accomplishments and interests.

JPL has a catalog of benefits and perks that span from the traditional to the unique. This includes a variety of health, dental, vision, wellbeing, and retirement plans, paid time off, learning, rideshare, childcare, flexible schedule, parental leave and many more. Our focus is on work-life balance, and living healthy, fulfilling lives as we Dare Mighty Things Together. For benefits eligible positions, benefits are effective the first day of the month coincident with or immediately following the employee’s start date.

For further benefits information click Benefits and Perks

The hiring range displayed below is specifically for those who will work in or reside in the location listed. In extending an offer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory considers factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s job related skills, experience, knowledge, and relevant education/training. Hiring range for this job may be adjusted based on primary work location outside of Pasadena, California. This adjusted range will be provided to candidates by the Recruiter when applicable.

The typical full time equivalent annual hiring range for this job in Pasadena, California.

$82,180 - $82,180

JPL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy or perceived pregnancy, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, protected military or veteran status or any other characteristic or condition protected by Federal, state or local law.

In addition, JPL is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

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The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federal facility. Due to rules imposed by NASA, JPL will not accept applications from citizens of designated countries or those born in a designated country unless they are U.S. Citizens, Legal Permanent Residents of the U.S or have other protected status under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). The Designated Countries List is available here.