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Role: Image Processing Scientist - Geometric Employment Type: Full Time Educational Qualification: Ph.D. or M.S. in Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Geodesy, Physics, Computer Vision, or related field and hands‑on experience in geometric calibration and orthorectification of satellite or aerial imagery

Work Experience: 4+ yrs

Role Description:
We are seeking a Image Processing Scientist - Geometric to lead the design, development, and validation of geometric calibration and orthorectification pipelines for high‑resolution and hyperspectral satellite imagery. You will be responsible for defining and implementing robust camera models, attitude reconstruction algorithms, and metadata correction techniques to ensure sub‑pixel geolocation accuracy across single‑ and multi‑detector focal plane arrays.

Responsibilities & Duties:

• Geometric Calibration & Orthorectification

• Develop and maintain Python‑based libraries for camera intrinsics/extrinsics estimation, image‑to‑ground and ground‑to‑image transforms

• Implement orthorectification workflows, integrating DEM sources (e.g., Copernicus) and projection handling

• Design algorithms to reconstruct and correct pushbroom metadata (e.g., attitude, first_line_time, ephemeris) for congruent multi‑band alignment

• Sensor Characterization & Accuracy Assessment

• Calibrate focal‑plane arrays on orbiting satellites (single‑detector and multi‑detector architectures) to extract focal length, optical distortion, and mounting offsets

• Quantify and monitor pointing and geolocation errors (CE90, LE90) using GCPs, truth ortho references (e.g., Sentinel‑2), and scatter‑plot analysis

• Lead periodic assessments of geolocation performance and drive corrective action in attitude/orbit determination subsystems

• Pipeline Development & Automation

• Architect end‑to‑end processing pipelines for pushbroom sensor data: metadata ingestion, NUC application, orthorectification, packaging as GeoTIFFs

• Integrate external reference data services (e.g., Sentinel‑2 archives) for truth comparisons and validation

• Collaborate with DevOps to containerize and deploy processing services at scale

• Algorithm Research & Innovation

• Invent and prototype new registration techniques (e.g., multi‑channel registration, shear‑based band alignment, scale correction)

• Evaluate state‑of‑the‑art photogrammetric and computer‑vision methods to enhance geometric fidelity

• Publish and present technical findings at industry conferences

• Cross‑Functional Collaboration & Mentorship

• Work closely with radiometric scientists, data engineers, and mission planners to align geometric requirements with end‑user products

• Mentor junior engineers in best practices for camera modeling, metadata handling, and quality assessment

• Contribute to technical design reviews, documentation, and training materials

Required Skills:

• Ph.D. or M.S. in Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Geodesy, Physics, Computer Vision, or related field and hands‑on experience in geometric calibration and orthorectification of satellite or aerial imagery

• Proficient in Python (experience with NumPy, SciPy, Rasterio/GDAL)

• Deep understanding of camera models (pinhole, pushbroom), sensor geometry, and projection systems (UTM, WGS84, custom CRS)

• Proven track record of implementing attitude reconstruction algorithms and metadata correction workflows

• Expertise in geolocation accuracy metrics (CE90, GCP workflows) and DEM integration for terrain correction

• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with ability to validate complex algorithms quantitatively

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with hyperspectral sensor architectures and multi‑detector focal plane arrays

• Familiarity with CEOS/OGC standards, RadCalNet sites, and ARD compliance requirements

• Background in developing automated, containerized processing pipelines (Docker, 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

About Pixxel

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.

For more information, see our Careers page or follow Pixxel on LinkedIn and X/Twitter.

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