Active Fire Data Product Cal/Val Engineer (m/f/d)

As a Cal/Val Engineer in the Active Fire (AF) product team at OroraTech, you will play a critical role in ensuring the scientific validity and operational reliability of our global wildfire detection products. Your primary responsibility will be to monitor, assess, and improve the performance of OroraTech’s fire detection pipeline through quantitative validation efforts. This includes the design and implementation of validation frameworks, participation in field campaigns, and collaboration with internal and external experts.

Your work directly contributes to the credibility and continuous improvement of a mission-critical product used by global wildfire management agencies, commercial partners, and scientific institutions. You will lead and contribute to validation campaigns and integrate ground-truth observations—including field data—to drive meaningful comparisons with other satellites and reference datasets.

Fire Detection Validation & Performance Monitoring

• Develop and maintain quantitative validation frameworks for fire detection products across multiple satellite sensors.

• Measure, track, and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) such as detection accuracy, false positive rate, and latency.

• Lead or support the design and analysis of validation campaigns, with a strong focus on gathering and integrating ground truth data from fieldwork and user feedback.

• Identify, secure, and integrate authoritative validation datasets from diverse sources (e.g., MODIS, VIIRS, regional fire agencies).

• Drive intercomparison studies with other active fire satellite products.
  
  

Data Quality Assurance & Algorithm Support

• Work closely with algorithm developers to refine fire detection methods using insights from ground-truth analysis

• Support ongoing quality assurance processes for the Active Fire product, ensuring outputs meet OroraTech’s internal standards and customer expectations.

• Contribute to the development and testing of validation metrics and methods, supporting both operational monitoring and long-term product evolution.
  
  

Cross-functional Collaboration & Communication

• Work closely with the Data Science, Software Engineering, and Product teams to feed back insights and validation results into product development.

• Represent OroraTech at relevant conferences and scientific forums.

• Assist in generating comprehensive performance reports and support customer-facing engagements on data quality topics.

• Maintain clear documentation and reproducibility of validation processes and tools.

Required Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Remote Sensing, Physics, Data Science, or a related field.

• 2+ years of experience in validation of remote sensing data products.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Experience collaborating with technical teams, such as Data Science, Data Engineering, and Software Engineering.

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly present complex technical information to high-level executives

• Willingness and ability to travel internationally for field validation campaigns.

Preferred Qualifications

• >4y industry experience or Ph.D. in a relevant field + 2y industry experience

• Experience with active fire detection algorithms or related EO data processing (thermal/NIR).

• Prior involvement in validation campaigns or intercomparison studies.

• Familiarity with key wildfire monitoring datasets (e.g., FIRMS, NIFS, GEOS-FP).

• Experience comparing performance across EO datasets, including uncertainty analysis and detection capability studies.

• Publication record or conference presentations on calibration/validation topics.

• Virtual shares for all permanent employees (VSOP=Virtual Share Option Program)
• Company pension scheme (bAV = Betriebliche Altersversorgung) 
• Company accident insurance for all employees (insurance for accidents during work and leisure time around the world 24/7)
• Flexible working hours and home office option (including working from other countries)
• Corporate health benefit via Wellpass Subscription
• Free Deutschland ticket
• Discount on lunch meals
• Company bike via JobRad
• Modern office in Neue Balan with a wonderful pool and campus area

• Be part of the solution to climate change.
• Flexible home office policy (3 days/week, more negotiable)
• Attractive office and modern labs in Munich (obviously including free snacks/drinks/coffee).
• Flexible working time. Take care of your family? Late sleeper? Early riser? We can make all of that happen.
• A responsible position with individual autonomy and design freedom.