Special Information

• This position is an on-site position which requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. Opportunities for remote work are rare.
• This position is subject to the availability of funding. 
• Driving a vehicle on behalf of the university is anticipated to be a regular part of this position. Arizona Administrative Code Fleet Safety Policy requires all employees who drive on university business become authorized by submitting Driver’s license information for driving record monitoring, and completion of training appropriate to the level of driving performed. The law applies to all faculty, staff, and students who drive personal or university-owned motorized vehicles for any business purpose. More information on the NAU Authorized Driver Policy can be found on the NAU website.
• Due to this project’s funding source, this position is open only to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (green card holders).
• The position may require handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in accordance with sponsor and university data-security requirements. Work on this project may involve technical data, hardware, or software subject to U.S. export control regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); the incumbent must be able to comply with applicable export control requirements and with any project-specific technology control plan.

About the Department/College

The Radiant Center for Remote Sensing, in partnership with the Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics (RSG) Lab in the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering at Northern Arizona University, seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate to serve as lead technical researcher on a sponsored research project focused on UAV and terrestrial lidar data collection to create digital twins of forested study sites in northern Arizona.

This is one of several concurrent postdoctoral scholar recruitments at Radiant Center, and the successful candidate will collaborate closely with fellow postdoctoral researchers and faculty working simultaneously on related projects. 

About the Position

The project includes a gradient of forested study sites with increasingly complex vegetation and terrain, which will be imaged and modelled by the postdoctoral research associate using existing UAV and terrestrial lidar scanners in the RSG Lab. Each study site will be imaged with a terrestrial lidar scanner to create digital twins of the understory vegetation and terrain and UAV sensors to model the overstory canopy. The postdoctoral research associate will fuse the two datasets to create a complete point cloud of the forested sites. The postdoctoral research associate will then lead and collaborate with other team members to turn the point cloud into solid models for UAV swarm simulations. The postdoctoral research associate will work collaboratively with a team of postdoctoral researchers and faculty working on various other aspects of the project and will contribute to technical reporting and manuscript preparation. The position is based in Flagstaff, AZ.

This position requires extensive fieldwork, including UAV flights across Flagstaff-area terrain ranging from desert and canyon country to ponderosa pine, mixed conifer forest, and alpine tundra (spanning close to 8,000 feet of elevation change within about an hour of campus), as well as occasional overnight or multi-day travel for more distant field campaigns and for conference travel. The position may require occasional overtime, particularly around field campaigns and sponsor reporting deadlines.

Responsibilities Include

55% - UAV and Lidar Data Collection and Data Fusion for Full Point Clouds

• Image each study area with terrestrial lidar.
• Image each study area with UAV sensor and create SfM point cloud.
• Fuse understory and overstory point clouds.
• Convert point clouds to solid forest models.

20% - Identify Five Study Sites with Increasing Vegetation and Terrain Complexity

• Lead field site visits, ranking, and suitability analysis for UAV operations and lidar data collection

15% - Dissemination, Reporting & Travel

• Prepare technical reports and milestone updates for project sponsors.
• Author and co-author peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference presentations.
• Travel to attend and present research findings at scientific conferences, and travel to field sites to support data collection.)

5% - Team Supervision & Mentoring

• Help mentor graduate students in research methods, technical development, and professional growth.

5% - Other

• Perform other duties as assigned in support of lab and project needs.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in remote sensing, informatics, or a closely related field, completed prior to the start date.

*A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated research experience in lidar remote sensing and UAV image analysis.
• Proficiency in Python and/or C++.
• Experience in terrestrial and airborne lidar data collection, preprocessing, and analysis.
• Hands-on experience in UAV operations, data collection, and post-processing
• Experience in forest data collection and monitoring
• Record of peer-reviewed publications in the above topics
• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Strong programming skills in Python and/or C++.
• Working knowledge of UAV simulations and flight operations
• Ability to take initiative and complete complex, ambiguous technical tasks with minimal direct supervision.
• Ability to synthesize complex technical information into clear written reports, manuscripts, and presentations.
• Ability to safely plan and execute UAV field operations, including in remote/rugged terrain and under variable weather conditions.

Compensation

Salary range begins at $70,000. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.

Pre-Employment Check

Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, an employment history verification and a degree verification (in some cases) prior to employment. You may also be required to complete a fingerprint background check. Also, as an employer in the state of Arizona, NAU is required to participate in the federal E-Verify program that assists employers with verifying new employees' right to work in the United States.

This position has been identified as a safety/security sensitive position. Therefore, per AZ Revised Statute, Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, employment history investigation, degree verification (in some cases) and fingerprinting. If you are applying for a job that requires a CDL, you will be required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse and adhere to the clearinghouse requirements.

Notice of Availability of the Annual Fire and Security Report

Each year Northern Arizona University releases an Annual Security Report. The report is a result of a federal law known as the Clery Act. The report includes Clery reportable crime statistics for the three most recent completed calendar years and discloses procedures, practices and programs NAU uses to keep students and employees safe including how to report crimes or other emergencies occurring on campus. In addition, the Fire Safety Report is combined with the Annual Security Report for the NAU Flagstaff Mountain Campus as this campus has on-campus student housing. This report discloses fire safety policies and procedures related to on-campus student housing and statistics for fires that occurred in those facilities. If you would like a free paper copy of the report, please contact the NAUPD Records Department at (928) 523-8884 or by visiting the department at 525 E. Pine Knoll Drive in Flagstaff.

Immigration Support/Sponsorship

Northern Arizona University will not provide any U.S. immigration support or sponsorship for this position.

Submit your Application

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply" button on this page. You must submit your application by midnight of the application deadline.

If you are an individual with a disability and need reasonable accommodation to participate in the hiring process, please contact the Disability Resources Office at 928-523-8773, DR@nau.edu, or PO Box 5633, Flagstaff AZ 86011.