Scientific Expert – Earth Observation Services

About VITO

The Environmental Intelligence unit at VITO processes petabytes of Earth Observation (EO) data. We specialize in extracting reliable, actionable information from vast amounts of satellite imagery for customers worldwide.

Within this unit, the Copernicus Services team designs, builds and operates large-scale, end-to-end EO processing chains for vegetation, land cover and agriculture monitoring, in the context of the Copernicus program and related European and international initiatives.

To strengthen our scientific capacity within operational services, we are looking for an experienced and highly motivated Scientific Expert – Earth Observation Services.

Your Role at VITO

As a Scientific Expert, you play a key role in the scientific design, evolution and credibility of our operational EO services. You combine strong scientific expertise with operational thinking, ensuring that EO products and indicators are scientifically sound, state-of-the-art, traceable and fit for use by institutional stakeholders such as ECMWF, ESA, EUMETSAT, EEA, FAO and JRC.

You work at the interface between science, engineering and stakeholders, contributing to both service delivery and future service evolution.

Key responsibilities

• Contribute to the design, maintenance and evolution of EO services and processing chains from a scientific point of view

• Translate user, policy and service requirements into scientifically robust EO products and indicators

• Ensure scientific quality, consistency, traceability and documentation of algorithms, methods and outputs

• Perform validation activities, uncertainty analysis and performance assessment of EO products

• Collaborate closely with software engineers, service operators and external partners to bridge science and operations

• Contribute to technical documentation, scientific reports and reviews

• Support proposal writing, service negotiations and contract follow-up within European framework and service contracts

• Represent VITO in technical and scientific fora with clients, partners and consortia

• PhD or MSc with strong experience in Earth Observation, Remote Sensing, Environmental Sciences, Geosciences or a related field

• Solid understanding of satellite data, biophysical variables and/or environmental indicators

• Experience processing and analysing spatial data in Python, including visualization is a must

• Experience with operational or pre-operational EO services is a strong asset

• Familiarity with Copernicus Services and their context is a plus

• Good knowledge of optical satellite data and related processing methods is a plus

• Ability to work at the interface between science, engineering and stakeholders

• Strong analytical mindset with a high degree of accuracy, attention to detail, and commitment to scientific quality, reproducibility, robustness, and high-quality delivery

• Comfortable working in international, multidisciplinary teams

• Excellent communication skills in English (written and spoken); Dutch is a plus

• Team-oriented attitude and collaborative working style

Offer

• We operate in an activity‑based way, meaning your work activities guide where you work. Our headquarter is located in Mol, and we anticipate an average onsite presence of about 50%. We also support flexibility: parttime remote work or working from one of our satellite offices in Antwerp‑Berchem, Genk, Ghent, Leuven, Kortrijk or Ostend is possible.

• A competitive salary with a range of benefits, including allowances, insurance, and a modular package of holidays.

• Innovation is our asset, so it goes without saying that we give our employees the opportunity to take additional training courses and stay up-to-date in their field. You will always have the opportunity to broaden your knowledge and discover new technologies.

• You will have the opportunity to be part of an organization with an international reputation, known for its cutting-edge technological research and scientific consultancy.

• With us, you will contribute directly to sustainable developments at a local, national and global level through your innovative applications. You provide answers to contemporary societal challenges.

• Moreover, we highly value a good work-life balance at VITO! This is achieved by adopting a flexible attitude depending on your specific needs.