25-114: Satellite Remote Sensing Specialist for Weather Research Applications
Colorado State University
IT
Fort Collins, CO, USA
USD 67k-70k / year
Posted on Oct 17, 2025
25-114: Satellite Remote Sensing Specialist for Weather Research Applications
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Please see Special Instructions for more details.
*Applications must be submitted via online portal.* We will not accept materials sent via email or other mode. NOTE: In your cover letter, please specifically address the required and preferred qualifications of this position. A cover letter that fails to address the qualifications of this position may not be further considered after review by the search committee. Likewise, an online application with a generic cover letter or missing a cover letter, and/or an application that does not include current/correct reference contact information may not be further considered after review by the search committee. Please list only professional references who have worked or collaborated with you within the last 3 years. References will not be contacted without prior notification to candidates.
CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you need assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact.
Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you need assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact.
Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
Posting Details
Posting Detail Information
| Working Title | 25-114: Satellite Remote Sensing Specialist for Weather Research Applications |
|---|---|
| Position Location | Fort Collins, CO |
| Work Location | Position qualifies for hybrid/in-office work |
| Research Professional Position | Yes |
| Posting Number | 202501508AP |
| Position Type | Admin Professional/ Research Professional |
| Classification Title | Postdoctoral Fellows |
| Number of Vacancies | |
| Work Hours/Week | 40 |
| Proposed Annual Salary Range | $67,000 - $70,000 commensurate with experience and qualifications. |
| Employee Benefits | Colorado State University is not just a workplace; it’s a thriving community that’s transforming lives and improving the human condition through world-class teaching, research, and service. With a robust benefits package, collaborative atmosphere, and focus on work-life balance, CSU is where you can thrive, grow, and make a lasting impact.
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| Desired Start Date | 01/05/2026 |
| Position End Date (if temporary) | |
| To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on | 12/01/2025 |
| Description of Work Unit | The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University (CSU) is a multi-million dollar research organization located on CSU’s Foothills Campus in Fort Collins, Colorado. CIRA is a cooperative institute (CI) that is also a research department within CSU’s College of Engineering, in partnership with the Department of Atmospheric Science. Its vision is to conduct interdisciplinary research in the atmospheric sciences by entraining skills beyond the meteorological disciplines, exploiting advances in engineering and computer science, facilitating transitional activity between pure and applied research, leveraging both national and international resources and partnerships, and assisting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), CSU, the State of Colorado, and the Nation through the application of our research to areas of societal benefit. Expanding on this Vision, our Mission is to serve as a nexus for multi-disciplinary cooperation among CI and NOAA research scientists, University faculty, staff and students in the context of NOAA-specified research theme areas in satellite applications for weather/climate forecasting. Important bridging elements of the CI include the communication of research findings to the international scientific community, transition of applications and capabilities to NOAA operational users, education and training programs for operational user proficiency, outreach programs to K-12 education and the general public for environmental literacy, and understanding and quantifying the societal impacts of NOAA research. |
| Position Summary | The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) on the Foothills Campus at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, CO, seeks to hire a Postdoctoral Fellow to work on the development of physics-based approaches and machine learning methods for several environmental remote sensing applications. This Postdoctoral Fellowship is a 12-month appointment with a flexible start date between 1 January 2026 and 1 March 2026, and option to renew for an additional year contingent upon satisfactory performance and available funding. The individual in this Fellowship will support multiple projects funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as related to operational geostationary and polar-orbiting satellite programs (GOES, JPSS, and GeoXO) and will be involved in CIRA’s global 3D satellite atmospheric cloud research sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR). Target projects include estimating quantitative global cloud properties with various satellite sensors and developing physical and statistical methods to quantify cloud characteristics. They will also explore applications for multi-scale weather research to offer critical new insights to existing environmental satellite data records together with in-situ and model data, utilizing physics/statistics-based approaches and AI/machine learning methods if applicable. The individual in this Fellowship will report to the CIRA Cloud Team Lead and will be co-mentored by the leads of the aforementioned projects. The objective of this position is to provide an opportunity for a motivated researcher to explore innovative approaches in several high-impact, cutting-edge environmental satellite data applications while working in a highly stimulating and interdisciplinary team environment. Onsite presence is preferred for this position because it requires significant collaboration with on-site teams, but flexible work arrangements including hybrid office/telework may be considered or negotiated. |
| Required Job Qualifications | In your cover letter, please address EACH required qualification. A cover letter that fails to address the required qualifications for this position may not be considered further after review by the search committee.
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| Preferred Job Qualifications | In your cover letter, please specifically address the applicable preferred qualifications for this position. A cover letter that fails to address the preferred qualifications for this position may not be considered further after review by the search committee.
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Essential Duties
| Job Duty Category | Applied Research |
|---|---|
| Duty/Responsibility |
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| Percentage Of Time | 45 |
| Job Duty Category | Independent Research |
|---|---|
| Duty/Responsibility |
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| Percentage Of Time | 20 |
| Job Duty Category | Collaborative Research |
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| Duty/Responsibility |
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| Percentage Of Time | 20 |
| Job Duty Category | Documentation & Reporting |
|---|---|
| Duty/Responsibility |
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| Percentage Of Time | 15 |
Application Details
| Special Instructions to Applicants | Applications must be submitted via online portal. We will not accept materials sent via email or other mode. NOTE: In your cover letter, please specifically address the required and preferred qualifications of this position. A cover letter that fails to address the qualifications of this position may not be further considered after review by the search committee. Likewise, an online application with a generic cover letter or missing a cover letter, and/or an application that does not include current/correct reference contact information may not be further considered after review by the search committee. Please list only professional references who have worked or collaborated with you within the last 3 years. References will not be contacted without prior notification to candidates. CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you need assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact. Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution. |
|---|---|
| Conditions of Employment | Pre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires) |
| Search Contact | Linn Barrett, linn.barrett@colostate.edu |
| EEO | Colorado State University (CSU) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. |
| Background Check Policy Statement | Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so. |
References Requested
References Requested
| Minimum Requested | 3 |
|---|---|
| Maximum Requested | 3 |
Supplemental Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
- * This position requires a Ph.D. in meteorology, atmospheric sciences, or a closely related STEM field, and the PhD program must be successfully completed before the starting date. Do you currently have a Ph.D. or will you have completed your Ph.D. program by January 5, 2026, the preferred start date of this position?
- yes
- no
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
- Cover Letter
- Resume or CV