Senior Electro-Optical (EO) Imagery Scientist (TS/SCI)

Xcellent Technology Solutions

$135K — $145K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Current active Top Secret / SCI clearance with willingness to obtain CI poly.
  • PhD + 10 years, Master's + 13 years, Bachelor's + 15 years, or Associate's + 16 years of relevant experience.
  • Deep expertise in Electro-Optical (EO) collection systems and phenomenology.
  • Strong experience evaluating AI/ML algorithms with operational EO datasets.
  • Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, and/or Google Earth Engine.
  • Experience applying image quality metrics and assessing environmental impacts.

Responsibilities

  • Evaluate and validate AI-enabled GEOINT capabilities against operational imagery datasets.
  • Analyze how environmental effects influence collection geometry and algorithm performance.
  • Design analytic methodologies for testing AI systems under non-ideal conditions.
  • Shape the accreditation process of emerging AI capabilities for the NGA.
  • Directly impact how AI is operationalized in national security applications.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to influence national security through advanced AI technologies.
  • Work at the forefront of GEOINT and AI/ML evaluation.
  • Collaborate with experts in the field of Electro-Optics and remote sensing.
  • Gain exposure to cutting-edge technology and methodologies.
Full Job Description
This is a special opportunity to join us as an Electro-Optical (EO) Imagery Scientist to support the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's (NGA) Assurance and Governance Office (QA) Accreditation of AI Models (AGAIM) program. Looked upon your expertise to help evaluate and validate AI-enabled GEOINT capabilities against operational imagery datasets to ensure AI systems perform reliably in the environments where mission success matters most. Working at the intersection of GEOINT tradecraft, remote sensing science, and AI/ML evaluation. You'll analyze how environmental effects collection geometry, sensor limitations, and image quality impact algorithm performance to designing analytic methodologies and validation frameworks that test AI systems beyond ideal conditions. Your expertise in EO phenomenology, collection systems, and image exploitation will directly shape how NGA accredits and operationalizes emerging AI capabilities across the enterprise. If you are ready to apply your expertise and directly influence the future of operational AI within national security, apply today!

Requirements
  • Current active Top Secret / SCI clearance with the willingness to obtain CI poly.
  • You've achieved an accomplishment of a PhD + 10 years / Master's degree + 13 / Bachelor's degree + 15 / Associate's degree + 16 / 18+ years of relevant experience.
  • You've gained deep expertise in EO collection systems, phenomenology, and image formation to properly evaluate AI performance as understanding how imagery is created, how sensors behave, and how environmental conditions affect what an algorithm 'sees'.
  • Strong experience evaluating AI/ML algorithms using operational EO datasets to support in assessing whether an algorithm performs reliably across the variability complexity of real-world GEOINT collection.
  • Experience exploiting EO imagery to determine occurrence and location of objects of interest (OOIs), in order to evaluate whether AI outputs are analytically meaningful.
  • Experience developing, testing, or evaluating analytic methodologies or algorithms to support methodology design, testing framework, and measurable performance standards.
  • Proficiency with Python, MATLAB, and/or Google Earth Engine as you will be handling large operational datasets, testing analytic workflows, and assessing model outputs.
  • Deep understanding of remote sensing principles and GEOINT tradecraft.
  • Experience applying image quality metrics and assessing environmental or sensor impacts in order to understand how haze, shadows, off-nadir angle, weather, compression, or sensor limitations affect algorithm confidence and reliability.

Desired
  • Experience with computer vision and machine learning applied to EO imagery


If you are passionate in helping define how NGA evaluates AI performance, establishes operational confidence, and ensures AI-enabled GEOINT capabilities are mission ready before they reach the analysts or the battlefield, send your resume directly to Lanchi Lai, ([email protected]).

Salary Range: $135,000-$145,000/annually, with final compensation determined based on experience, qualifications, and alignment with the requirements of role.

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