Postdoctoral – Remote Sensing & Fuel Moisture Modelling - Scion

Overview

Location : Christchurch or Rotorua (Remote). Duration : 2 years. Organisation : Scion Research.

Are you passionate about using satellite data to solve real-world environmental challenges? Join a cutting-edge international collaboration aimed at transforming wildfire preparedness in New Zealand and beyond.

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to lead the development of near real-time predictive models of vegetation fuel moisture using a combination of field data and satellite imagery from Sentinel-2 and Landsat (HLS). This role is part of a multi-institutional and cross-country initiative led by Scion, in partnership with NASA Ames, the US Forest Service, Australian National University, and Fire and Emergency NZ.

The successful candidate will play a central role in the development of operational tools that provide updated fuel moisture products every 3-5 days and map fuel type quarterly to biannually—filling a critical gap in fire danger prediction. Your work will directly contribute to improving New Zealand's ability to anticipate and respond to wildfire and drought risks, protecting communities, ecosystems, and the economy.

Key Responsibilities

• Acquire, process, manage, and integrate field and satellite data (Sentinel-2, Landsat / HLS).
• Develop, calibrate, and validate predictive models of vegetation fuel moisture.
• Integrate auxiliary datasets (e.g., weather, topography, vegetation type) into modelling workflows.
• Collaborate with national and international partners to align methodologies and share insights.
• Lead authorship of 1-2 peer-reviewed publications.
• Contribute to the development of long-term model maintenance and update strategies.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

What We Offer

Applicants must be eligible to work in NZ - be a NZ / Australian resident or hold a valid NZ work permit

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