Senior Scientist - Radar Altimetry or SAR specialist

NPL
Teddington
1 year ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Senior Scientist - Data Science for Simulation

Higher/Senior Scientist in Quantum Computing and Machine Learning

Higher/Senior Scientist in Quantum Computing and Machine Learning

Senior Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist

NPL is the UK’s National Metrology Institute. Our role is to research, create and deliver the measurement infrastructure which underpins the UK’s prosperity and quality of life across many fields of industry.  The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is seeking an experienced Senior Research Scientist to join our team in Teddington.

The Climateand EarthObservation(CEO)groupat NPL is a world leader in the theory,methods,and practice of metrological(measurement science)traceability ofEarthObservation(EO)instrumentation and their data products.CEO projectscover the metrology and quality assurance of satellitedata products – from the pre-flight calibration and onboard processingto the higher-level data products providing essential climate variables and other societal datasets. We also develop in-situ fiducial reference measurement (FRM) techniques for calibration and validation of satellite data products.We collaborate strongly with other teams within NPL, especially the Data Science team, and externally with a wide range of collaborators. 

 

Ourresearch programme in active satellitesensors(radar altimeters and related technologies)is growing rapidly, with recently wonprojects looking at the uncertainty assessmentandcharacterisation metrics for radar altimetry(including both the altimeter and the microwave radiometer)onCopernicus Sentinel 6, Sentinel3,and CRISTAL missions, along with the development ofsuitableFRMs, for oceans,inland water, sea ice and land icesurfaces. We have alsorecently started projects that consider how observational uncertainties can be used in Earth systems modelling. Weare looking to expand our efforts with suchactivesensors, and to develop new capability relating to SAR-mode processing(fully focused and interferometric)of radar altimeters. Additionally, weare keen to explore the metrological aspects of SAR itself, especially where SAR observations are complementary to our active research projects on vegetation and Nature Based Solutions. 

  

Some of the day to day duties and responsibilities of the Senior Scientist will involve:

Leading cutting-edge research, recognising aspects that could be commercially viable
Representing NPL to promote our work and raise our profile
Crafting winning bids, in line with NPL’s growth strategy
Working inclusively and collaboratively to develop partnership opportunities

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

AI Jobs for Career Switchers in Their 30s, 40s & 50s (UK Reality Check)

Changing career into artificial intelligence in your 30s, 40s or 50s is no longer unusual in the UK. It is happening quietly every day across fintech, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, government & professional services. But it is also surrounded by hype, fear & misinformation. This article is a realistic, UK-specific guide for career switchers who want the truth about AI jobs: what roles genuinely exist, what skills employers actually hire for, how long retraining really takes & whether age is a barrier (spoiler: not in the way people think). If you are considering a move into AI but want facts rather than Silicon Valley fantasy, this is for you.

How to Write an AI Job Ad That Attracts the Right People

Artificial intelligence is now embedded across almost every sector of the UK economy. From fintech and healthcare to retail, defence and climate tech, organisations are competing for AI talent at an unprecedented pace. Yet despite the volume of AI job adverts online, many employers struggle to attract the right candidates. Roles are flooded with unsuitable applications, while highly capable AI professionals scroll past adverts that feel vague, inflated or disconnected from reality. In most cases, the issue isn’t a shortage of AI talent — it’s the quality of the job advert. Writing an effective AI job ad requires more care than traditional tech hiring. AI professionals are analytical, sceptical of hype and highly selective about where they apply. A poorly written advert doesn’t just fail to convert — it actively damages your credibility. This guide explains how to write an AI job ad that attracts the right people, filters out mismatches and positions your organisation as a serious employer in the AI space.

Maths for AI Jobs: The Only Topics You Actually Need (& How to Learn Them)

If you are a software engineer, data scientist or analyst looking to move into AI or you are a UK undergraduate or postgraduate in computer science, maths, engineering or a related subject applying for AI roles, the maths can feel like the biggest barrier. Job descriptions say “strong maths” or “solid fundamentals” but rarely spell out what that means day to day. The good news is you do not need a full maths degree worth of theory to start applying. For most UK roles like Machine Learning Engineer, AI Engineer, Data Scientist, Applied Scientist, NLP Engineer or Computer Vision Engineer, the maths you actually use again & again is concentrated in a handful of topics: Linear algebra essentials Probability & statistics for uncertainty & evaluation Calculus essentials for gradients & backprop Optimisation basics for training & tuning A small amount of discrete maths for practical reasoning This guide turns vague requirements into a clear checklist, a 6-week learning plan & portfolio projects that prove you can translate maths into working code.