Scientist – Remote Sensing of Water Quality

VITO develops technology to facilitate the transition to a more sustainable society and economy. One of the key technologies applied in this context is Remote Sensing. The Remote Sensing Unit of VITO celebrated last year its 25^th anniversary but Remote Sensing has never been more fascinating than today. With the increasing number of satellites, drones, processing facilities and technologies like artificial intelligence, the opportunities with remote sensing are larger than ever.

Meanwhile the Remote Sensing team of VITO counts more than 100 motivated scientists, IT engineers, economists and project managers. To facilitate the growth of our ambitions we are looking for an extra colleague, more specifically a Remote Sensing scientist who is or wants to become an expert in water quality monitoring.

Your Tasks:

As part of a flexible team you will be working on projects for clients like the European Commission, the Flemish/Belgian government, or the European Space Agency. Occasionally there could be commercial customers. This function requires sound skills in aquatic remote sensing and data science.

The tasks should be executed with high degree of independency, though in close collaboration with the internal and external team members. In VITO you will report on the progress of your work to the team lead of the water&coast team, outside VITO you will communicate on your work in meetings with clients or partners.

Concerning the projects, you will operate in an international setting and take initiative to liaise with project partners of different consortia. Good communication skills with project partners, end-users and stakeholders are a must. Willingness to travel in and outside Europe is a must.

• You have a Master or PhD degree in exact sciences, applied sciences, bioscience engineering or civil engineering;
• You have proven experience in the scientific development and application of aquatic remote sensing methods;
• You have at least 5 years of hands-on experience in remote sensing research projects;
• You have sound programming skills in Python, R or C++;
• Knowledge and background in ocean optics and ocean colour is a strong asset;
• Expertise in machine learning techniques on remote sensing data is a strong asset;
• International experience would also be an asset;
• Excellent writing and presentation skills in English is key;
• You have a strong interest to work in an international environment.

Offer

• We work 'activity-based', our activities bring us to our location. Our headquarter is in Mol. Hybrid / Part-time working from home or a satellite office in Antwerp-Berchem, Genk, Ghent 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 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.