Research Scientist (AI)

TL;DR

Research Scientist (AI/Earth Science): Developing data-driven physics and machine learning methods to forecast glacier ice flow and sea level rise with an accent on combining physics with AI on remote sensing and field data. Focus on designing physics-informed ML models, processing large-scale cryospheric datasets, and running numerical simulations of ice dynamics.

Location: Remote (US-based markers: 401k, HSA, FSA, and US Health Insurance)

Salary: $120,000 - $150,000

Company

hirify.global is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to understanding the risk of catastrophic sea-level rise and assessing interventions to stabilize ice sheets.

What you will do

• Collaborate with scientists and engineers to develop methods for forecasting glacier ice flow and sea level rise.
• Develop and evaluate probabilistic ML and hybrid physics-ML models for cryospheric processes.
• Run large-scale numerical simulations of ice dynamics and integrate domain knowledge into model design.
• Process and curate large-scale observational and synthetic datasets from satellite radar, altimetry, and optical imagery.
• Apply advanced statistical methods to quantify uncertainty and validate model outputs.
• Identify sensitivities of model outputs to imperfections in low-quality source data or data gaps.

Requirements

• PhD in atmospheric science, geophysics, applied mathematics, computer science, or a closely related field.
• 3+ years of postdoctoral or equivalent research experience applying ML/DL to weather forecasting or Earth system modeling.
• Proficiency in Python and ML frameworks such as PyTorch or JAX.
• Experience with remote sensing datasets and high-performance or cloud computing environments.
• Ability to handle noisy data and uncertainty propagation in a geoscientific context.
• English: C1+ required for clear communication of complex technical concepts.

Nice to have

• Experience with ice dynamics models (ISSM, PISM, MALI).
• Knowledge of physics-informed neural networks (PINNs), neural operators, GNN, or AI-accelerated FEM modeling.
• Familiarity with Bayesian inference, adjoint methods, or uncertainty quantification.
• Experience with Zarr, xarray, and Dask for large gridded datasets.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance (100% employee premium paid).
• 401k retirement plan with 6% matching.
• Pre-Tax HSA with $275 monthly employer contributions and FSA.
• 15 days PTO and 16 paid holidays per year.
• Paid parental leave and comprehensive disability/life insurance.
• Fully remote work environment with occasional in-person meetings.