Geo Owl · SDVOSB · Est. 2013
NGA MAVEN PROGRAM · SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR · GEOINT · EXPERT · KEY POSITION
Synthetic aperture radar sees through cloud cover, darkness, and camouflage — and making that capability useful for AI/ML model development takes a scientist who understands the physics, the phenomenology, and the pipeline. As the SAR Imagery Scientist on NGA Maven, you are the subject matter expert who ensures the right SAR data is identified, acquired, pre-processed, and delivered to support machine learning that matters to national security.
The Imagery Scientist is the subject matter expert on synthetic aperture radar. You'll provide technical direction and conduct the work necessary to acquire and prepare SAR imagery of the quality, standards, and requirements the Government specifies — with solutions informed by the specific phenomenology limitations and advantages of each sensor and platform. You'll integrate emerging SAR sensors into Maven pipelines, develop pre-processing and tiling workflows, generate pre-labels, and provide geospatial and imagery expertise to improve data curation in support of ML algorithm training and evaluation.
Source-Derived Role Summary
The Imagery Scientist is the subject matter expert on their respective imagery modality (e.g., Synthetic Aperture Radar). They shall provide technical direction and conduct the work necessary to acquire and prepare imagery of the necessary quality, standards, and requirements provided by the Government. Developed solutions should be informed by specific phenomenology limitations and advantages of the sensors and platforms in mind.
Mission Impact
The SAR data you curate, tile, and pre-label becomes training material for NGA Maven's AI/ML models. The precision of your science — how well the imagery reflects the phenomenology the model needs to learn — directly determines how those models perform against real-world targets.
Geo Owl Impact
As a Key Position, your SAR expertise anchors Geo Owl's technical depth on Maven and distinguishes our ability to deliver across both EO and SAR modalities — a capability that directly drives program performance.
Your Growth
You'll work at the cutting edge of applied SAR science — integrating pre-IOC sensors, developing novel preprocessing pipelines, and expanding expertise into computer vision and ML data workflows in a high-consequence operational environment.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience Point Requirement
This is a Expert-level (Level 5) position requiring a minimum of 18 experience points. Points are calculated as follows:
✔ Great Fit
You are an experienced SAR imagery scientist energized by working at the boundary of remote sensing and machine learning. You want your expertise to directly shape AI/ML training data quality on a consequential national security program — and you're comfortable owning that work technically from day one.
✘ May Not Be For You
This may not be the right fit if you prefer purely analytical or finished intelligence work without hands-on pipeline and preprocessing responsibilities, or if SAR sensor phenomenology is not your primary area of expertise.
This role builds deep expertise at the intersection of SAR science, AI/ML data engineering, and national security GEOINT. You'll gain hands-on experience integrating emerging sensors in pre-IOC environments, developing production-grade preprocessing pipelines, and contributing to a program that advances the state of the art in overhead imagery exploitation. The combination of SAR scientific depth and applied pipeline engineering is rare — and highly valued across the intelligence and defense community.
Benefits:
Health Insurance (Geo Owl pays 80%+ of the premium).
401k matching.
Dental, Vision, and other supplemental insurance plans available.
Company-paid short-term and long-term disability and life insurance.
Peer-to-Peer spot bonuses.
120 hours of PTO per year plus federal holidays.
Fully Paid Military Leave: *You make your full Geo Owl salary while you are on military duty*
Exiting the Military? Apply to our Military Transition Program for key insights into making the transition to civilian life from people who have been there before!
Engage with Your Team!
About Us:
Our mission is to empower EVERYONE with geospatial technologies.
Geo Owl is a premier provider of geospatial intelligence services, delivering cutting-edge solutions to the Department of Defense, intelligence agencies, and enterprises around the globe. Our comprehensive products and services include advanced geospatial analysis, imagery intelligence, remote sensing analysis, data science, and space-based custom intelligence solutions. At Geo Owl, we are dedicated to leveraging the latest analytic principles and technology to support and enhance the missions of our clients.
Our core values—innovation, integrity, and excellence—drive everything we do. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of geospatial intelligence to ensure our clients receive the most accurate, timely, and actionable intelligence possible. Integrity is at the heart of our operations; we uphold the highest standards of ethics and accountability in our work. Striving for excellence is not just a goal but a standard; we consistently aim to exceed expectations in every project.
Geo Owl's culture is built on collaboration, continuous learning, and respect. We cultivate an environment where team members can grow both personally and professionally. Our team is composed of passionate, dedicated experts who are always ready to support each other. We value work-life balance, offering flexible working arrangements and a supportive workplace where everyone feels valued.
At Geo Owl, we invest in our employees' growth and development. We provide ongoing training, career advancement opportunities, and a platform to work on impactful projects that make a real difference. Our team enjoys a strong sense of camaraderie and purpose, knowing that their work contributes to national security and global stability. If you are looking for a dynamic, rewarding career in geospatial intelligence, Geo Owl is the place for you. Join us and be part of a team that is shaping the future of geospatial intelligence.
A Note From Our CEO:
Our 14 Principles:
Equal Opportunities
Geo Owl is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, marital status, military status, genetic predisposition, or any other basis protected by law.
Follow Geo Owl on LinkedIn!
GEO OWL is the result of an absolute obsession to create the most effective and innovative partner possible for your mission. From the beginning, we’ve been dedicated to innovation, vitalized by an engaged team of professionals that always seek to elevate your project to the next level. We believe you need a partner that will provide maximum support in the most efficient ways possible and provide the utmost consideration to every detail of your mission. Geo Owl doesn’t just provide support, we engineer solutions and provide professional leadership that will carry you through your vision and beyond. We’re built on a foundation of belief in our craft. Our team is energetic, methodical and extremely proficient. You will succeed with Geo Owl by your side.
Geo Owl is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business
