Regional Manager, GIS & Remote Sensing
South Pole is an energetic, global company offering comprehensive sustainability solutions and services. With offices spanning all continents across the globe, we strive to create a sustainable society and economy that positively impacts our climate, ecosystems and developing communities. With our solutions, we inspire and enable our customers to create value from sustainability-related activities.
Our Project Development team is at the forefront of developing and managing climate mitigation activities. By working closely with project owners and developers as well as their local communities, we manage the complete registration, verification and evaluation of carbon projects to enable the issuance of emission-reduction certificates, in line with official carbon standards. If you are a smart, ambitious and dynamic sustainability professional with a strong passion to make a real difference in the fight against climate change, the below position may be right for you!
Job summary:
You will directly work with GIS & RS specialists and a Regional GIS Manager located in different regions. Additionally, you will closely collaborate with NBS project technical experts focussing on the African portfolio and advisory offering, and with NBS global strategy and digital innovation managers.
Our GIS & RS capability is in transition, exploring innovation opportunities, efficiency measures and new solutions to support the expanding offering of the business line.
The ideal candidate must be able to deal with uncertainties and thrive in an environment where change is constant.
We are looking for a senior figure, capable of bringing both technical expertise, as well as project management and roadmapping skills to the team.
The capability to interact with senior management on matters related to digital innovation and strategy is a prerequisite. Communication and interpersonal skills are a great success factor in this context.
Your Role:
You will spearhead the execution and strategic oversight of GIS & RS projects and will be responsible for the design, implementation and delivery of GIS & RS tasks related to land use planning, ecosystem services, terrain mapping and forestry management, mostly relevant for the African region but possibly extending to the Asia-Pacific region.
You will be at the forefront of designing and implementing innovative techniques and models that bolster our project development efforts and enhance our Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) processes, both for our projects as well as our advisory services.
Your role is crucial in supporting a wide array of current and future projects which cover various mitigation technologies, such as reforestation, forestry conservation, improved forest management, sustainable agriculture and biodiversity, and ensuring they meet our ambitious impact goals.
You are an expert in your field, eager to mentor other GIS & RS specialists, to bring in knowledge on state-of-the-art methods and tools in your field and to ensure the highest technical quality of all GIS & RS deliverables produced by the team, across the lifecycle of our Nature-Based Solutions (NBS).
This includes overseeing meticulous assessments of project outcomes, applying rigorous methodologies, conducting comprehensive quality checks, and managing the validation and verification processes for the issuance of carbon credits.
You'll coordinate GIS & RS requirements to meet NBS team commitments in terms of technical reviews, due diligence, and the development of project documents and monitoring reports.
At the same time, you have an interest which goes beyond technical work.
You will not shy away from supporting the ongoing operational improvements of our GIS processes and building a strong network of expertise on GIS and RS across teams.
You will be responsible for facilitating the team weekly work allocation and capacity planning and prioritization, in line with regional and global business priorities. Finally, you will contribute to develop a vision and strategy on how South Pole can best integrate the use of remote sensing data and GIS systems in its operations, and inform build vs buy decisions in this context.
Your Main Tasks:
- Directly reporting to a Regional Head of Nature-based Solutions, you will be responsible for leading comprehensive Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing (GIS&RS) analyses to support the timely evaluation of NBS and biodiversity projects, adhering to the company's procedures.
(Technical) Analytics, Project Management and Quality Assurance (60%)
- Take the lead in performing GIS & RS analyses on satellite data, and developing/implementing spatial solutions for GIS & RS components in support of evaluation of project opportunities, project development, Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) process. Examples include: geo-referencing, calibration, image processing and analysis, feature extraction, and the production of land cover/land use maps; change detection, modelling, and simulation for Land Cover/Land Use analysis. Ensure technical excellence and innovation in approach.
- Provide expert support and recommendations for the adoption GIS&RS best practices across projects’ life cycle. Ensure methodologies are up-to-date, efficient, and aligned with project goals.
- Draft new and revise existing GIS & RS Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ensuring that SOPs reflect current best practices, technological advancements, and regulatory requirements.
- Participate in technical plans and reports writing in English when GIS & RS data components are included, and coordinate technical reviews of all GIS & RS project and GIS deliverables, including spreadsheets, maps, reference documentation, and the entire package submitted for project certification. This responsibility includes supervising auditing processes to validate and verify NBS projects.
- Ensure the timely and high-quality delivery of GIS & RS projects Perform site visits in different regional (e.g., African) ecosystems to carry out and/or supervise data collections for feasibility studies and MRV site visits.
- Design and draft educational and workshop material and deliver training sessions to train the local community and/or other stakeholders in GPS/mapping/navigation techniques
Team Leadership and Management (20%)
- Technically supervise, mentor and people-manage a team of GIS specialists
- Support the NBS Technical Head on managing the team’s structure and implementing strategies for attracting, developing and retaining talent
- Co-lead the GIS & RS team workload / tasks prioritization and allocation, in alignment with regional NBS priorities ad global business line needs
Strategic Networking, Business Development and Operational Integration (20%)
- Take the lead in facilitating transparent and effective communication between the GIS & RS team and all its internal and external stakeholders; ensure visibility and impact of GIS & RS projects, strategic and operational alignment with the organization's common goals
- Support and coordinate knowledge sharing, provide technical expertise, and facilitate capacity building on GIS & RS across regions.
- Stay informed and communicate about technological, market, research and industry trends in the GIS & RS domain.
- Provide technical advice to the continuous development of the business line GIS & RS innovation strategy
Requirements:
Essential -
- Academic background / University degree in geospatial information processing, software engineering, computer science, environmental science, natural resource management, ecology, forestry engineering, geography, or any other related field.
- At least 5 years (ideally 7y) of experience in GIS analysis in the natural resource sector, particularly Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LUCC) analysis, and in the field of natural resources management; experience with the varied African ecosystems is a pre’.
- Knowledge of forest mapping and monitoring; knowledge of REDD+ and ARR mapping using GIS required.
- Very good knowledge and hands-on experience in geospatial information systems, data analysis and analytical tools. GIS and remote sensing analytical skills using open-source or proprietary software (e.g., QGIS, Esri suite, ENVI, etc.) for image processing and analysis.
- Experience with programming and Cloud environments (GEE, etc.)
- Highly organised with the ability to work unsupervised, including prioritizing and working effectively under deadlines, as well as developing independently their approach to solutions
- Very good capacity for setting priorities and managing the workload of a team; proven experience in leading numerous (multi-disciplinary) teams, and providing process-oriented and technical input to guide the work of others, providing technical expert-level guidance
- Very good capacity to draft and prepare concise documents (proposal and deliverables), as well as prioritise assigned tasks.
- Capacity to work effectively within multicultural, interdisciplinary and remote teams, to increase work efficiency and share necessities and opinions on projects.
- Business-quality fluency in spoken and written English is required; knowledge of one of the other major African languages such as French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, etc. will be considered a plus
- National or holder of a valid work visa in the country of application
Desirable -
- Knowledge of forest carbon and carbon standards like VERRA, GS, CDM, and Plan Vivo among others.
- Hands-on experience in forestry data collection inventory and/or any other ecological data collection (wildlife census, etc.)
- Experience with GIS data pipelines; experience with programming and Cloud environment; experience with GIS software development is a pre’
- Experience or willingness to acquire technical project management and/or Agile skills
- Experience or willingness to work on designing and implementing technology strategies and roadmaps
- Ability to work under little supervision on diverse assignments, apply company policies, processes, and procedures, and identify critical routes to resolve various issues/problems on time.
- Understand and be sensitive to the social contexts, risks, and demands that can emerge in the context of carbon project development
What we offer:
At South Pole, we care about our employees as much as we care about the planet. South Pole is not just an employer, we are a Team. South Pole does not just offer people a job, we offer you a career. By joining our team, you will find strong purpose and deep meaning in everything you do. You will have the chance to make a real difference for our clients and for the planet, working alongside a passionate team of like-minded colleagues, while building your knowledge/skills and developing your career in a fun, dynamic, international and fast-growing organisation.
We’re a planet of 7.5 billion unique and different people. We all have a contribution to make; South Pole is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status or disability. Our recruitment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.
