Postdoc: Microwave Remote Sensing and Radar Instrumentation for Atmospheric Observations

About the role

Located in Pasadena, California, JPL has a campus-like environment situated on 177 acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. JPL is unique among NASA Centers in that its staff are Caltech employees, yet can access NASA technical resources. Cross-discipline teamwork is standard: colleagues across JPL's science and engineering organizations and on Caltech's academic campus often work together. JPL staff are encouraged to create mission concepts that address humanity's core questions through a combination of science and technology, and are supported in developing ideas into proposals and hardware, and in communicating funded missions' results to the scientific community and the broader public.

JPL’s Submillimeter-Wave Technologies group is searching for a postdoctoral scholar to conduct independent research in microwave remote sensing, radar instrumentation, and atmospheric science in support of the NASA Earth Science Decadal Survey Incubator project. This research aims to advance next-generation radar technologies for observing Earth's planetary boundary layer and improving atmospheric water vapor and cloud measurements. The selected postdoc will develop and evaluate novel microwave radar retrieval techniques, investigate sources of systematic measurement error, and contribute to the design, testing, and deployment of advanced radar instrumentation. For reference publications, see JPL Submillimeter-Wave Technologies group publications.

Postdoc positions are awarded for a minimum of one-year period and may be renewed up to a maximum of three years. The appointee will carry out research in collaboration with a JPL advisor, resulting in publications in the open literature.

Responsibilities

• Implement Doppler radar capabilities to characterize clouds and precipitation
• Improve water vapor profiling algorithms using advanced statistical approaches
• Analyze hardware-induced measurement uncertainties
• Evaluate high-frequency microwave switch performance
• Support deployment of JPL’s Vapor Inside-cloud Profiling Radar (VIPR) 170 GHz radar system aboard a NASA aircraft
• Develop and evaluate novel microwave radar retrieval techniques
• Investigate sources of systematic measurement error
• Contribute to the design, testing, and deployment of advanced radar instrumentation

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Atmospheric Science, Physics, Remote Sensing, Applied Physics, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated research experience in microwave or RF systems, radar remote sensing, or scientific instrumentation
• Experience with laboratory instrumentation and measurements, including RF test equipment (e.g., vector network analyzers), data acquisition systems, and electronic instrumentation
• Strong programming skills in Python or MATLAB for scientific computing and data analysis
• Knowledge of signal processing techniques, including statistical analysis, filtering, retrieval algorithms, or uncertainty analysis
• Strong record of peer-reviewed publications and excellent written and verbal communication skills

Benefits

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

Pay

The typical full-time equivalent annual hiring range for this position in Pasadena, California is $83,820 – $83,820. In extending an offer, JPL considers factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s job-related skills, experience, knowledge, and relevant education/training.