Spatial Reasoning Engineer

Spatial Reasoning Engineer at NV5

NV5 is seeking a Spatial Reasoning Engineer to join a growing team of geospatial, AI, and data science professionals. This role focuses on developing a Model Context Protocol (MCP)–based spatial reasoning platform, specifically the core AI spatial analytics layer that powers all higher-level reasoning in the system. We value engineers who are comfortable working in modern, open-source Python ecosystems and contributing to production-grade analytical tools.

As a Spatial Reasoning Engineer, you will design and implement deterministic, explainable spatial reasoning primitives using H3 hexagonal indexing, spatial statistics, and high-performance spatial analytics. This position is ideal for engineers who enjoy building AI applications, open-source spatial problem-solving, performance optimization, and constructing auditable analytics pipelines for production environments.

Work Environment & Company Culture

This is a fully remote position within an engaged, virtual division at NV5. Proof of U.S. Citizenship is required. NV5 is a global technology solutions and consulting services company with over 4,500 professionals across more than 100 offices worldwide. Our growth stems from strategic investments in firms with unique capabilities, bringing together talent from diverse fields including Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors, Architects, Photogrammetrists, GIS Professionals, Software Developers, and IT specialists.

At NV5 Geospatial, we foster a collaborative environment of intelligent, innovative thinkers who prioritize each other, our communities, and the environment. We value both intellect and empathy, and the diversity of our people and their experiences, which drives our leadership in the industry and expands our collective potential.

Responsibilities

• Translate business requirements into technical specifications.
• Support the development and evolution of the spatial reasoning core of our AI tool, including:
  • H3-driven spatial analytics pipelines.
  • Spatial aggregation, density estimation, and hotspot detection.
  • Proximity, adjacency, and neighborhood analysis.
  • Deterministic, reproducible spatial reasoning functions.
  • Performance-optimized algorithms for large datasets.
  • Spatial correctness tests and benchmarking suites.
• Deploy monitoring tools to track status and performance of system architecture and data flows.
• Develop API-driven backend services with FastAPI, Pydantic, and async Python.
• Work with columnar analytics stacks (DuckDB, PyArrow, Parquet / GeoParquet).
• Conduct vectorized data processing using NumPy, pandas, Polars.
• Develop spatial computation with H3, Shapely, and lightweight geospatial utilities.
• Write testable, benchmarked code using pytest and async test patterns.
• Use profiling and performance tools to reason about memory, CPU, and data layout.
• Build with python package managers like uv and poetry utilizing pyproject.toml for project management.
• Collaborate in open-source–style repositories with linting, formatting, typing, and CI expectations.

Deep Expertise in

• Spatial statistics and pattern detection.
• Algorithmic performance tuning.
• Memory efficiency, batching, query planning.
• Spatial benchmarking and correctness evaluation.
• MCP-aware backend development.
• LLMs used as assistive components, not decision-making black boxes.

Qualifications

Requirements:

• Experience working with Geospatial data.
• Strong Python engineering experience in production systems.
• Hands-on experience with H3 or similar spatial indexing systems.
• Proven ability to design efficient spatial data pipelines.
• Experience working with spatial data analysis at scale.
• Solid understanding of spatial statistics and spatial analysis concepts.
• Comfort working in backend systems that integrate with LLMs and AI.
• Strong focus on correctness, reproducibility, and explainability.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred:

• Familiarity with MCP-style tool interfaces.
• RAG and embeddings AI application development experience.
• Experience designing benchmark and AI evaluation frameworks.
• Background in geospatial analytics outside traditional GIS stacks.
• Experience integrating LLM services via clean Python interfaces.
• Experience with data lakehouse platforms such as Databricks.
• Understanding of geospatial metadata requirements.
• Security+ Certification.

Please note: Some positions may require the ability to obtain a security clearance, which is only granted to U.S. citizens. Applicants accepting a conditional offer may be subject to government security investigation(s) and must meet eligibility for access to classified information.

Benefits

NV5 offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including medical, dental, life insurance, PTO, 401(k), and professional development/advancement opportunities. NV5 is an equal employment opportunity employer.

Key skills/competency

• Geospatial Data
• Python Engineering
• H3 Spatial Indexing
• Spatial Analytics
• Spatial Statistics
• AI Applications
• Performance Optimization
• Data Pipelines
• FastAPI
• DuckDB