Polarimeter Research Scientist (Remote, Part-Time)

About the position AMA is seeking a remote, part‑time Polarimeter Research Scientist to support NASA Langley Research Center in advancing next‑generation remote sensing capabilities for upcoming NASA Earth science missions. This role is ideal for candidates with strong analytical skills, experience in radiative transfer and machine learning, and a passion for developing operational retrieval algorithms for spaceborne and airborne instruments. The selected candidate will collaborate with NASA scientists and engineers to develop operational retrieval algorithms for passive polarimeter and active lidar instruments. This work directly supports the NASA PolCube CubeSat polarimeter mission and the NASA Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission. This is a part-time position averaging 15 hours a week. Pay rate is $29.80-$39.42 commensurate with education and experience. Analytical Mechanics Associates (AMA) is proud of our customer relationships, our diverse and dynamic work environment, and our employees' career satisfaction. AMA is a small business with a wide reach; headquartered in Hampton, VA, AMA has operations in Greenbelt, MD; Huntsville, AL; Dallas and Houston, TX; Denver, CO; Mountain View, CA; and Edwards Air Force Base, CA. With over 60 years of experience, AMA specializes in aerospace engineering, science, analytics, information technology, and visualization solutions. AMA combines the best of engineering, science, and mathematics capabilities with the latest in information technologies, visualization, and multimedia to build creative solutions. We offer competitive salaries and a substantial benefits package, including but not limited to paid personal and federally recognized holiday leave, salary deferrals into a 401(k)-matching plan with immediate vesting, tuition reimbursement, short/long term disability plans, and a variety of medical, dental, and vision insurance options. AMA is committed to the professional growth of every employee, understanding that the successes of our employees drive our success. We provide a work environment that is engaging, collaborative, and supportive. To learn more about our company, please visit our website at www.ama-inc.com/careers and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn . AMA is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited under federal, state, or local laws.

Responsibilities

• Conducting scenario‑based analyses and developing software to transform polarimetric and lidar simulations into an autonomous, AI‑driven operational retrieval system
• Advancing and optimizing radiative transfer models and simulators
• Applying scientific machine learning techniques to aerosol, ocean, and trace‑gas retrievals
• Leading and contributing to peer‑reviewed publications and presenting at scientific meetings

Requirements

• B.S. in Computer Science, Physics, or a closely related technical or scientific field
• Programming experience developing and implementing remote sensing algorithms in Fortran and Python
• Experience with model development, numerical analysis, neural networks, and machine learning techniques
• Ability to work independently and within an integrated team of scientists, engineers, and students
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to contribute to peer‑reviewed publications and present at local and global science conferences

Nice-to-haves

• Experience working with large scientific datasets
• Experience with strong understanding of configuration management and proficiency with Git/GitHub/GitLab

Benefits

• paid personal and federally recognized holiday leave
• salary deferrals into a 401(k)-matching plan with immediate vesting
• tuition reimbursement
• short/long term disability plans
• a variety of medical, dental, and vision insurance options