Role: Radiometric Scientist
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Bangalore, India
Educational Qualification: PhD or Masters in Remote Sensing, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Optics, or a closely related field.
Work Experience: 6+ yrs
Role Description:
We are seeking a Radiometric Imaging Scientist to lead the radiometric calibration and characterization of Pixxel’s hyperspectral constellation. You will sit at the intersection of sensor physics and product delivery, ensuring that raw detector counts are transformed into high-fidelity, physically meaningful radiance and reflectance products. You will define the protocols for pre-launch and in-orbit calibration to ensure data integrity across the entire constellation.
Responsibilities & Duties:
Radiometric Pipeline Ownership: Architect and maintain the radiometric processing chain, including Non-Uniformity Correction (NUC), dark current subtraction, and absolute radiometric scaling.
-
Sensor Characterization: Analyze and model sensor artifacts such as stray light, ghosting, SMILE, and Keystone effects to improve spectral and radiometric purity.
-
In-Orbit Cal/Val: Develop and execute Vicarious Calibration frameworks using RadCalNet sites and pseudo-invariant calibration sites (PICS) to monitor sensor stability post-launch.
-
Atmospheric Correction: Lead the implementation of advanced atmospheric compensation techniques to deliver analysis-ready Surface Reflectance products.
-
SNR & Performance Standards: Establish and monitor Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) benchmarks and radiometric uncertainty budgets for every mission.
-
Cross-Functional Feedback: Partner with Satellite Hardware teams to influence sensor design (PDR/CDR).
Required Skills:
Deep Domain Expertise: Experience in radiometric calibration of VNIR/SWIR imaging systems, preferably with hyperspectral or multispectral sensors.
-
Atmospheric & Radiometric Authority: Expert-level command of atmospheric modeling (e.g., MODTRAN, 6SV) and absolute radiometric calibration workflows.
-
Mathematical Proficiency: Advanced understanding of detector physics, photonics, and statistical methods for uncertainty quantification.
-
Modern Tech Stack: Proficiency in Python (NumPy, SciPy, Pandas) and experience with EO data libraries (GDAL, Rasterio, Spectral).
-
Scale Delivery: Experience building automated, cloud-native processing pipelines for petabyte-scale satellite data.
Preferred Skills:
Experience with hyperspectral sensor architectures and multi-detector focal plane arrays.
-
Familiarity with international standards such as CEOS/OGC, and experience working with RadCalNet sites or ARD (Analysis Ready Data) compliance requirements.
-
Background in developing automated, containerized processing pipelines using Docker and Kubernetes.
-
History of conference presentations or peer‑reviewed publications in photogrammetry
-
Excellent communication skills and demonstrated ability to mentor cross‑disciplinary teams
Candidate Acumen:
A strong desire to work in an unstructured, high-growth, fast-paced start-up environment
Benefits:
Health insurance coverage
-
Unlimited leaves & flexible working hours
-
Role-based remote work and work-from-home benefit
-
Relocation assistance
-
Professional Mental Wellness services
-
Creche facility for primary caregivers (limited to India)
-
Employee Stock Options for all hires
Pixxel is a space data company and spacecraft manufacturer redefining Earth observation with hyperspectral imaging. The company’s first three commercial hyperspectral satellites—Fireflies—deliver imagery at 5-meter resolution and 135+ spectral bands, providing 50x richer detail than traditional Earth observation systems and unlocking insights across agriculture, climate, energy, environment, and more.
Once fully deployed, Pixxel’s constellation of 18-24 satellites will capture imagery across up to 250 bands in VNIR and SWIR ranges, with a 40 km swath and daily global revisit capability. Pixxel’s most unique strength is its full-stack approach, integrating every layer of the value chain from satellite hardware and manufacturing to AI-powered analytics.
Pixxel’s satellite constellation is complemented by Aurora, its in-house Earth Observation Studio that simplifies satellite imagery analysis and democratises remote sensing for all. Designed to make hyperspectral data more accessible, Aurora by Pixxel combines high-frequency imagery with AI-powered tools to generate actionable insights, even for users without technical backgrounds. The third pillar of Pixxel’s ecosystem is its in-house satellite manufacturing capability. Beyond building its own spacecraft, Pixxel also provides satellite systems and subsystems to other organisations. This dual capacity sets it apart in a sector where most companies focus on either payload design or data operations, but not both.
Pixxel’s team is young but deeply mission-aligned, with a culture rooted in curiosity, speed, and long-term thinking. As the company grows its constellation and expands Aurora, the focus remains on making space-based insights practical, scalable, and genuinely helpful so that the health of the planet becomes measurable and action becomes possible.
Pixxel was the only Indian startup selected for the Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator in Los Angeles and has been recognised in TIME’s Best Inventions of 2023, Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and Via Satellite’s Top Innovators list.
Culture
Pixxel is an organization where we enable our employees to work on world-changing problems that they are passionate about, and a place where they can be their best selves day in and day out while ensuring they have fun every day.
Central to our employee-first ethos is a commitment to ensuring that every team member feels valued and heard. We nurture a healthy and supportive work environment where we prioritise well-being and growth in all aspects of life
