Summary
United Arab Emirates University’s Desert Environment Research Center is seeking a Research Assistant to support research on land degradation, soil erosion, and climate-related hazards in arid and semi-arid environments. The role involves managing environmental datasets, conducting GIS and remote-sensing analyses, supporting predictive modeling, and preparing maps, reports, and scientific publications. The candidate will also contribute to field data collection and collaborate with an interdisciplinary research team. A Master’s degree in a relevant field with a strong GIS and remote-sensing focus is required; experience with GIS software, quantitative analysis, and scientific writing is expected.
The posting
As published on uaeu.ac.ae. Pulled from the employer's site and shown as they wrote it.
Job description
The Desert Environment Research Center (DERC) at United Arab Emirates University is seeking a highly motivated Research Assistant to support its research on land degradation, soil erosion, and climate-related hazards in arid and semi-arid environments. The RA will work closely with the center’s faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and external partners to develop geospatial datasets, analytical models, and maps that inform sustainable land and water management in desert landscapes.
The successful candidate will contribute to the integration of GIS, remote sensing, and data-driven modeling to assess soil erosion, flood and drought risk, groundwater vulnerability, and other environmental hazards relevant to desert ecosystems. The RA will assist in compiling multi-source spatial data (e.g., satellite imagery, digital elevation models, climate and hydrological data), developing and validating predictive models, and preparing high-quality maps, figures, and reports for scientific publications and applied projects.
Key responsibilities include:
• Collecting, cleaning, and managing spatial and non-spatial environmental datasets related to land degradation, surface processes, and water resources in arid and semi-arid regions.
• Performing GIS-based analyses and remote sensing workflows (e.g., image classification, change detection, land-use/land-cover mapping, terrain analysis).
• Supporting the development and implementation of statistical, machine-learning, or physically based models for soil erosion, flood susceptibility, drought risk, or related hazards.
• Assisting in the preparation of scientific manuscripts, technical reports, presentations, and policy-relevant outputs.
• Contributing to field data collection and ground-truthing campaigns when required, and integrating field observations with geospatial analyses.
• Collaborating with an interdisciplinary team working on desert soil systems, ecosystem resilience, and sustainable land and water management.
Minimum qualification
- A completed Master’s degree in Geography, Environmental Science, Geomatics, Geoinformatics, Civil/Environmental Engineering, or a closely related field with a strong focus on GIS and remote sensing.
- Solid hands-on experience with GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS) and remote sensing tools (e.g., ENVI, SNAP, or similar).
- Demonstrated experience in applying geospatial analysis to topics such as land degradation, soil erosion, natural hazards, hydrology, water resources, or climate-related environmental change.
- Good skills in quantitative analysis and handling large spatial datasets.
- Evidence of scientific writing ability (e.g., MSc thesis, reports, or publications).
- Ability to communicate effectively in English and to work in a collaborative, research-oriented environment.
Preferred qualification
- Experience with programming/scripting for geospatial analysis (e.g., Python, R, or MATLAB), including the use of machine-learning or statistical libraries for environmental modeling.
- Familiarity with handling and analyzing multi-temporal satellite imagery (e.g., Landsat, Sentinel, MODIS) for land-use/land-cover change, vegetation indices, drought monitoring, or similar applications.
- Previous research experience in arid or semi-arid regions, especially in topics related to soil erosion, land degradation, groundwater, or surface hydrology.
- A track record of peer-reviewed publications or conference presentations in relevant fields.
- Experience in integrating GIS/remote sensing with hydrological or geomorphological modeling.
Expected skills
- Early-career researcher with strong technical skills in GIS, remote sensing, and spatial data analysis.
- 0–5 years of post-Master’s research or professional experience; candidates with more experience and a strong publication record are also welcome to apply.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to design and implement geospatial workflows independently under supervision.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and document methods in a reproducible way.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary team addressing desert environment challenges.
Department
The Desert Environment Research Ctr
College or division
Research Centers