Senior Lightning Scientist

About the role

This position represents a leadership opportunity to define the end-to-end science and engineering of lightning intelligence at AccuWeather. The hire will own the complete lightning pipeline, from initial raw signal acquisition through to the delivery of trusted, actionable products that protect lives and critical infrastructure. Success in this role requires converting complex atmospheric physics and RF phenomena into robust algorithms, hardware standards, and operational systems that are both accurate and reliable. The individual will work at the intersection of atmospheric electricity, RF sensing, and real-time data processing to push the boundaries of lightning detection, interpretation, and forecasting. This is a hands-on technical leadership role where deep scientific expertise directly shapes the core capabilities of a global weather organization. The position demands intellectual rigor, systems thinking, and the ability to bridge the gap between advanced research and operational deployment. You will be responsible for ensuring that every flash of lightning is characterized with precision and delivered with the timeliness required for life-saving decisions.

Key facts

What you'll do

Architect next-generation detection strategies by guiding algorithm choices for Time-of-Arrival, Time-Difference-of-Arrival, interferometry, and hybrid geolocation methods.

Champion RF signal analysis across the full spectrum of lightning bands, establishing rigorous waveform quality rules and noise mitigation tactics that sharpen event classification and reduce false alarms.

Forge hardware calibration and sensor layout standards in close collaboration with electrical engineering teams, specifying antenna form factors, strategic placement tactics, and front-end electronic configurations.

Design and validate end-to-end processing flows that convert raw detections and counts into dependable real-time and historical lightning records with high data integrity.

Drive comprehensive validation regimes using verified truth sets to quantitatively measure detection efficiency, location accuracy, timing precision, and flash classification performance.

Integrate lightning intelligence seamlessly into forecasting and nowcasting systems, ensuring physical models are linked effectively to operational decision tools used by emergency managers.

Provide scientific leadership and mentorship to multidisciplinary teams, clearly articulating complex methods, inherent limitations, and nuanced findings for both technical and nontechnical audiences.

Translate breakthrough research findings into scalable, production-ready solutions that operations teams can deploy reliably for commercial clients and public safety users worldwide.

Define and enforce quality assurance protocols that maintain the highest standards of data consistency, latency, and reliability across all product streams.

Evaluate emerging sensor technologies and signal processing methodologies to identify opportunities for enhancing detection robustness and expanding network capabilities.

Collaborate with product managers to align technical capabilities with market needs, ensuring that lightning products deliver clear value and competitive differentiation.

Document all methodologies, algorithms, and standards in detail to ensure reproducibility, auditability, and smooth knowledge transfer across the organization.

Champion the adoption of best practices in data provenance, version control, and software engineering to support long-term maintainability.

Act as the primary technical expert on lightning detection and sensing for internal stakeholders and external partners, representing the science in high-stakes discussions.

Requirements

You hold an advanced degree in atmospheric science, electrical engineering, physics, geophysics, or a closely related discipline that provides a deep foundation in electromagnetic phenomena.

You possess a thorough understanding of electromagnetic emissions from thunderstorms and the complete physical chain from charge discharge through propagation to final detection by sensors.

You bring deep RF systems and signal processing experience, including advanced spectral analysis techniques for operation in noisy and dynamic environments.

You have hands-on history with geolocation techniques such as Time-of-Arrival, Time-Difference-of-Arrival, or interferometry applied in real-world or operational contexts.

You demonstrate extensive coding abilities in Python, C++, or comparable scientific computing environments, with a proven capacity to handle large, complex, real-time observational datasets.

You communicate intricate scientific and technical concepts with clarity and precision to both specialist engineers and nontechnical stakeholders, ensuring alignment on strategy and outcomes.

You exhibit strong judgment and the ability to work independently while managing multiple high-priority tasks in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

You hold a commitment to accuracy and safety, recognizing that the products you help build may directly influence emergency response and public protection decisions.

Nice to have

Experience with physical sensors, detector networks, or custom lightning hardware that directly feeds critical data into production pipelines.

A background in antenna theory, RF propagation models, and embedded configuration such as FPGAs or software-defined radios.

Exposure to cloud data platforms, high-throughput streaming pipelines, and machine learning techniques for signal enhancement or event classification.

A record of peer-reviewed publications or patents specifically tied to lightning detection, RF sensing, or atmospheric electricity.

Proven collaboration history with forecasting or severe weather operations teams, ensuring scientific outputs are operationally relevant.

Practical notes

Engagement: Remote collaboration with science, engineering, and product organizations.

Location: Remote with optional presence in State College, PA.

Compensation: $137,500 to $182,500 USD per year.