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Ocean Career: SIO Staff Research Associate

UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) is developing a Geodesy Track within its Geophysics PhD Program. SIO is rich with geodesy practitioners and users. Several groups within the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences are active in geodetic research, including the collection and curation of large geodetic datasets for the larger academic community, as well as for the private and government sectors. The Principal Investigator (PI) is director of the Scripps Orbit and Permanent Array Center (SOPAC) and the California Spatial Reference Center (CSRC). SOPAC has served a large community of users, starting in 1991, with a focus on the analysis and archiving of precise GNSS data/metadata and data products. The CSRC is responsible for establishing and maintaining an accurate state-of-the-art network of GNSS control stations for a reliable spatial reference system in California. In addition, CSRC also operates the California Real Time Network (CRTN) that supports several thousand users with streaming GNSS data for precise positioning applications. SOPAC/CSRC is funded through several multi-year grants and contracts from Federal (NOAA, NASA, NGA) and State agencies (Caltrans, California Department of Water Resources), California Counties and the public sector, and through a registered UCSD Support Group with oversight by an external executive committee.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Under the general supervision of the PI, the Staff Research Associate III directs the work in the SOPAC/CSRC laboratory, consisting of researchers, several staff members, graduate students, 2 postdocs, undergraduate interns and frequent visitors. The incumbent performs research using large sets of geodetic, meteorological, and geophysical data and metadata collected by state of the art geodetic and seismic instrumentation and applying modern analysis methods, including ML and AI, in the areas of crustal deformation, natural hazards mitigation (earthquakes, tsunamis, extreme weather) and geodetic reference frames. The Staff Research Associate III serves as primary curator of on-site and cloud-based archives of raw and processed Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data, metadata and data products. The incumbent ensures the proper functioning of real-time processing scripts and programs for the California Real Time Network of GNSS stations. Diagnoses system failures in response to external users. Recommends appropriate software modifications or process changes. Oversees publication of monthly usage of real time data. The incumbent also oversees quality assessments of SOPAC’s data archive. The Staff Research Associate III manages the InSAR/GNSS Displacement Maps and Utilities. The position attends weekly group meetings as well as project-oriented meetings with collaborators within and outside of the university.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Demonstrated knowledge of geodetic concepts and experience with data collection and analysis, statistics, and physics.
  • Demonstrated experience with geodetic measurement techniques and analysis methods, in particular integrating GNSS and InSAR for geophysical applications such as crustal deformation and hydrology.
  • Experience analyzing and retrieving geodetic data from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data, metadata and data products. Experience utilizing commercial and custom software to decode raw geodetic data into Receiver Independent Exchange Format (RINEX) and other geodetic data formats. Experience with SOPAC Coordinate Interpolator Prompt (SCIP) software utility.
  • Proven experience and skill using standard computer software for scientific programming including Python, graphical applications, word processing, and AI applications (e.g., ChatGPT).
  • Experience independently participating in the execution of research projects or portions of such projects, independently planning, organizing, and performing experiments and selecting data for analysis.
  • Demonstrated ability to independently advise and work with scientific staff in a mid-size research group in an academic or university environment. Demonstrated ability to manage undergraduate students. Skill to train others in various laboratory techniques and procedures.
  • Experience contributing to preparation of data and results for scientific publications, grant proposals and presentations at meetings and conferences. Proven ability to utilize scientific literature and apply to a research project. Experience conducting scientific literature searches, including online databases and other resources.
  • Ability to develop, follow, and troubleshoot established lab protocols and lab procedures with direction from PI. Ability to make important original contributions pertaining to laboratory procedures.
  • Demonstrated familiarity with data collection and analysis, statistics, and physics.


Pay range: $69,763 – $112,181

Application deadline: February 16, 2026

Learn more about this opportunity and how to apply.

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