Postdoctoral Associate - Advanced Sensemaking

Position Summary Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, in partnership with the Center for Advanced Space Sensing Technologies (CASST) and the U.S. Space Force, is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar in Advanced Sensemaking. The role focuses on developing artificial intelligence and machine learning models, datasets, compute workflows, and visualization tools to analyze quantum sensing and hyperspectral imaging data. The scholar will be mentored by Baker Institute Fellow Kenneth Evans and will collaborate closely with faculty at the Rice Space Institute, Weiss School of Natural Sciences, George R. Brown School of Engineering, and external partners at UCLA, UCSB, Georgia Tech, and Aegis Aerospace. The appointment is a 3‑year position initially split into three consecutive 1‑year terms, subject to performance and programmatic needs. Responsibilities Lead the research and development of AI/ML models, datasets, compute workflows, and visualization tools to support CASST sensemaking objectives. Develop and manage datasets and compute workflows that integrate results from quantum sensing, hyperspectral imaging, and compressive imaging research teams. Contribute to technical reporting, program documentation, and research presentations. Support the mentoring and training of junior research team members, including graduate and undergraduate students. Perform all other duties as assigned. Qualifications Minimum Requirements: Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in computer science, computational physics, electrical engineering, or a related field. Skills: Strong analytical, planning, and organizational abilities; ability to work independently with varying levels of oversight; ability to establish and maintain rapport with faculty and staff in academic and professional settings; ability to work collaboratively with a team, manage multiple deadlines, and respond to a high volume of requests, including from CASST faculty and U.S. Space Force technical liaisons. Preferences: Research interest and experience in one or more of the following areas: reinforcement learning or adaptive decision systems; computer vision, remote sensing, or geospatial analytics; GPU or high‑performance computing workflows; deployment of AI systems in resource‑constrained environments; hyperspectral imaging and quantum sensing. Previous experience collaborating with engineering or operational research teams. Demonstrated ability to write, publish, and communicate research, including proposal development and presentations at professional conferences. Visa sponsorship not available; candidates must possess work authorization that does not expire or require renewal in the future. Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcomes the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at View email address on click.appcast.io. For additional questions, please email View email address on click.appcast.io. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University. #J-18808-Ljbffr Rice University