Are you interested in a career in the measurement science of satellite derived air quality and emissions products?

At NPL, we are looking for a post doctorate graduate with a real passion for tackling climate issues and an interest in metrology to join our Climate and Earth Observation group. We are world leaders in the theory, methods, and practice of metrological traceability of Earth Observation (EO) instrumentation and their data products. Our projects span the full life cycle of EO instrumentation traceability; from mission specification, pre-flight calibration, in-orbit validation & sensor inter-operability, together with L1, L2 and higher derived product quality assurance.

You will be based at our Teddington site and will use your analytical and problem-solving skills to apply metrological ideas to the solution to real world problems in air quality, atmospheric composition, and emissions monitoring from satellite sensors. Answering questions on how data should be used, whether it is suitable for an application and can it ultimately be trusted. You will work on data-based projects, developed through a combination of theory-based learning and on the job training.

For this role we encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams and bring fresh perspectives. We believe that diversity of perspective is key to sparking the creativity needed to respond to national environmental challenges and are seeking individuals, particularly women, those with disabilities and minority ethnic candidates, who can bring their backgrounds and personal experiences to the team.

Our expectations

In this role, you will be able to:

• Undertake quantitative data analysis on EO data, their products and quality metrics for the purpose of improving confidence in remote sensing data as a measure of our stewardship of the environment and the policies enacted to protect it – specifically in the atmospheric domain in air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Apply new methods to improve the quality assurance, interoperability, and metrological traceability of atmospheric domain satellite-derived data records for the quantitative monitoring of environmental and climate variables towards a sustainable future based on research, regulation, and policy drivers.
• Develop accreditation frameworks for satellite-derived emissions and/or air quality products.
• Work collaboratively as part of our team and with partner organisations to help us achieve our goals.
• Use logical thought processes to design and follow a scientific work plan.
• Write technical documentation and scientific publications, both collaboratively and independently
• Analyse complex data sets such as satellite imagery and non-orbital measurements, to apply new methods is quality assurance, interoperability, and metrological traceability to understand the information content of data and its fitness-for-purpose for research and regulation.
• Learn about, develop and then follow established protocols for data processing
• Use mathematical and scientific programming languages such as Python to apply and develop new software tools, working with cloud computing resources such as JASMIN and Google Earth Engine
• Work within established Health and Safety and Quality systems to safely produce accurate and repeatable results.

• You have a PhD or equivalent in Physics, Maths, Computational Sciences or Earth Science
• You have a good understanding of Earth Observation products, ideally from satellites.
• You have experience of working in a team to achieve a common goal
• You are able to communicate effectively and collaborate with colleagues in your team, verbally and in written form.
• You enjoy problem solving and can demonstrate critical thinking, assessing the pros and cons of any given approach
• You have evidence of high-quality writing scientific technical reports, publications and presentations.
• You are able to demonstrate the ability to complete work which requires a high level of attention to detail
• You understand the value of providing good customer service to both internal and external customers, wanting to meet and exceed customer expectations through delivering high quality work with proactive communications
• You are committed to personal development and taking on learning opportunities to get the most from the role

If it sounds like this is the role for you, we look forward to hearing from you.

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK.

NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled, black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we hold memberships and accreditations to ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome, please see our Diversity & Inclusion page.

We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of benefits. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success.

To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.