New

Staff Scientist

California Institute of Technology
vision insurance, parental leave, paid time off, sick time, tuition reimbursement
United States, California, Pasadena
Aug 19, 2025
Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community. Job Summary Theresearcher position will be approximately half Mars 2020 rover Perseverance Mastcam-Z work and half lunar polar water work with occasional assistance on Earth remote sensing projects. The Mars portion will include working with the science and operations teams of Mars-2020, assisting in staffing tactical operations and, scientifically, working on the identification of geologic/compositional units along the rover traverse, combining Mastcam-Z multispectral data with color and compositional mapping from orbit (CRISM and color imagers). The Moon work will include the multi-dataset analysis of the abundance and distribution of water in lunar polar regions, making maps for publication Essential Job Duties Working with the science and operations teams of Mars-2020, assisting in staffing tactical operations to plan rover science activities and analyze daily downlinks. Working on the identification of geologic/compositional units along the rover traverse, combining Mastcam-Z multispectral data with color and compositional mapping from orbit (CRISM and color imagers). Analyzing multi-datasets of the abundance and distribution of water in lunar polar regions Making maps for publication. Basic Qualifications Ph.D. and post-Ph.D experience. Experience in data reduction of spectrometer, lidar, and imaging instrument data. Coding and scripting for science data analysis. Demonstrated intellectual leadership by scientific first-author publications. Preferred Qualifications Experience in Moon and Mars data reduction and science questions. Required Documents Resume Hiring Range $59,800 to $85,900 per year The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training. As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks. EEO Statement We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Caltech is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor. To read more Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) go to eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf. Disability Accommodations Caltech complies with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants and employees to perform the essential functions of a position. If you would like to request an accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please contact Caltech Recruiting at employment@caltech.edu. Additionally, if you do not meet the basic qualifications of a role but believe you can perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, please reach out to Caltech Recruiting at employment@caltech.edu.