Principal Data Scientist, Wildfire Management

About AiDASH
AiDASH is making critical infrastructure industries climate-resilient and sustainable with satellites and AI. Using our full-stack SaaS solutions, customers in electric, gas, water utilities, transportation, and construction are transforming asset inspection and maintenance - and complying with biodiversity net gain mandates and carbon capture goals. AiDASH exists to safeguard critical infrastructure and secure the future of humanAIty™. Learn more at www.aidash.com    
We are a Series C climate tech startup backed by leading investors, including Shell Ventures, National Grid Partners, G2 Venture Partners, Duke Energy, Edison International, Lightrock, Marubeni, among others.  We have been recognized by Forbes two years in a row as one of “America’s Best Startup Employers.”  We are also proud to be one of the few climate software companies in Time Magazine’s “America’s Top GreenTech Companies 2024”. Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ recently ranked us at No. 12 among San Francisco Bay Area companies, and No. 59 overall in their selection of the top 500 for 2024.   Join us in Securing Tomorrow!
The Role
As a Principal Data Scientist for Wildfire Management, you will leverage remote sensing technologies and data to analyze, monitor, and evaluate wildfire risks and impacts. Your expertise will be critical in disaster response, mitigation, and recovery efforts, providing actionable insights through the interpretation of satellite imagery, aerial and other remote sensing data. In this role, you will collaborate closely with data science and analytics teams to build AI/ML and statistical models to support comprehensive risk and impact assessments.

How you'll make an impact:

• Lead the development of wildfire catastrophe models, including ignition and spread dynamics
• Build hazard models through simulations across geographically dispersed topologies
• Design risk and impact models to quantify potential consequences of wildfire events
• Develop and apply methodologies to analyze remote sensing data and extract key variables for model development
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate wildfire risk outputs into actionable business insights
• Design and execute field surveys and ground-truthing strategies to validate model predictions and improve accuracy

What we're looking for:

• Deep expertise in building a range of wildfire models, including ignition and spread models
• Proven experience in building hazard models using wildfire simulations to assess potential severity and intensity
• Extensive background in creating risk and impact models to estimate financial losses from wildfire events
• Proficiency in applying AI/ML techniques and statistical methods to build catastrophic risk models
• Master’s or PhD in Remote Sensing, Environmental Science, Computer Science, or a related discipline
• Nice to have: Experience applying wildfire risk models in the utility sector

What you'll love:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage: 100% coverage for employees and 80% for their spouses and children 
• Health Reimbursement Account (HRA): 100% funded by AiDASH to cover medical deductibles 
• 401(k) Plan: Begin contributing after three months of employment to prepare for your future. Currently, no company match is offered 
• Parental Leave: Supportive parental leave with 16 weeks for primary caregivers and 4 weeks for secondary caregivers 
• Generous Vacation Policy: Accrue 20 vacation days per year, plus enjoy an additional flex holiday to celebrate whatever feels most important to you!
• Winter Break: From December 25th through January 2nd, we give everyone time off to recharge and enjoy time with family and friends!

We are proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to embracing diversity and inclusion in our hiring practices, and we promote a work environment where everyone, from any race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, can do their best work. 
We offer a competitive base pay range for this full-time position, which is between $150,000 and $200,000 per year. This range reflects the anticipated base salary for new hires. We strive to ensure our compensation packages are equitable and aligned with industry standards. Your recruiter can share more about compensation during the hiring process.
We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible interview experience for all candidates. Please let us know if you require any accommodation during the interview process, and we will make every effort to meet your needs.