Senior Scientist - Remote Sensing of Land Cover and Forestry

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 has a long tradition, but Remote Sensing has never been more innovative & 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 120 motivated scientists, IT engineers and project managers. To facilitate the growth of our ambitions we are looking for an extra colleague, more specifically a scientist with focus on Remote Sensing of Land Cover & Forestry.  

In this function, you will be full time employed as a scientist in VITO’s Remote Sensing team.

• This means that you will contribute to large projects for institutional clients like the European Commission, the European Space Agency, or the United Nations. Next to the institutional services, you will also contribute to the development of commercial services, e.g. for the forestry sector.  

• This function requires expert skills with respect to the processing of remote sensing data. You should be able to handle large and complex data sets. This requires excellent programming and data analysis skills. You should also be a borne team player who likes to join forces with the other team members to achieve top notch results.  

• In VITO you will report on the progress of your projects to the team manager and the program manager. Outside VITO you will communicate frequently with clients and partners. Hence, excellent writing and presenting skills are key.  

• We are looking for a senior profile, creative and highly motivated, with the following qualifications. 

What VITO has to offer:

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

Who are you?

• You hold a Master or PhD degree related to engineering, bio-science engineering, or environmental sciences; 

• You have a passion for the natural environment and wants to contribute to solutions that improve the sustainability of our environment; 

• You have proven knowledge and at least 5 years hands-on experience in satellite remote sensing  

• You have proven knowledge and hands-on expertise in the mapping of land use/land cover and/or forestry parameters 

• Expertise with respect to AI technologies is a strong asset; 

• Sound experience with programming languages such as Python; 

• You have a proactive, decisive and flexible working attitude; 

• You are a borne team player; 

• You have excellent writing and presentation skills in English;  

• You have a strong interest to work in an international environment.