Manager - Geospatial Science

About Wildlife Works

Wildlife Works is a community-centered conservation company that implements market-based initiatives to protect the planet’s threatened wilderness and endangered wildlife. The company was founded on the premise that if we want wildlife in our world, it must work for local communities who share their environment.  Wildlife Works’ conservation projects drive direct financing to forest communities to fund their own economic development, while preventing millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere annually.

Job Summary

The Manager - Geospatial Science will oversee the geographic science, analysis, and reporting tasks as they relate to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) accounting, supporting the delivery of best-in-class carbon credits across all Wildlife Works’ projects and partnerships. The role requires a candidate with extensive experience in remote sensing, adept in land use/land cover change analysis, cartography, and the remote sensing of biomass change. The ideal candidate will have firsthand experience with large-scale emissions estimation, disturbance monitoring, and risk mapping, and a familiarity with REDD+ project and program standards, particularly in forest and biodiversity conservation. Both academic achievements and practical experience with tangible outcomes are vital for this position.

Reporting directly to the Chief Technology Officer in Burlington, Vermont, the main responsibility of the candidate is to furnish scientifically sound deforestation and degradation estimates to aid Wildlife Works' baseline setting and forest monitoring efforts. The role also involves leading a growing team of geospatial analysts across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America and requires efficient collaboration with national governments and their donors to meet the project's objectives. The position is based in Wildlife Works’ Burlington, Vermont office and preference will be given to candidates located in, or willing to relocate to, Burlington. However, candidates may optionally be based in North Carolina or California. Wildlife Works operates on a market-based solution to climate change, emphasizing community partnerships; thus, the suitable candidate should align with these principles. 

Responsibilities:

·       Lead remote sensing projects focused on GHG accounting, land cover change analysis, and carbon stock & change evaluation.

·       Manage an international geospatial team for geospatial project execution, including remote sensing and GIS data acquisition, processing, and reporting.

·       Innovate in remote sensing techniques to improve GHG accounting, in collaboration with technology partners.

·       Stay updated on remote sensing technology to support accurate baseline setting and monitoring, reporting and verification.

·       Communicate GHG accounting outcomes to both internal and external stakeholders.

·       Contribute cartographic, carbon accounting and risk mapping inputs for key documentation throughout project development lifecycles.

·       Foster relationships with government and academic partners to promote science-based emission reduction estimates.

Requirements

Required       

• Advanced degree in Remote Sensing, Geography, Environmental Science, or related field.

• Minimum 5 years of experience in remote sensing focused on land cover change and / or emissions monitoring.
• Proficient in remote sensing processing, including uncertainty analysis, for GHG accounting using optical, lidar, and radar data sources.
• Expertise in GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS Pro), programming (Python or R), GIS workflows, and geoprocessing.
• Strong communication and presentation skills to demystify technical concepts for non-experts.
• Excellent interpersonal abilities for effective multi-cultural team collaboration.
• Highly organized and capable of working across multiple time zones.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States.

Preferrred       

• Knowledge of REDD+ project implementation, GHG accounting programs / methodologies, and current trends in jurisdictional & nested REDD+.
• Understanding of REDD+ policies, market trends, meta-standards and integrity initiatives.
• Experience in direct biomass measurement approaches using spaceborne sensors.
• Familiarity with machine learning and/or artificial intelligence for remote sensing data analysis.
• People management experience, ideally with a diverse, international team.
• Language proficiency in French, Spanish, or Bahasa Indonesia is advantageous.

Benefits

• Health Care Plan with Fertility Benefits
• Dental and Vision
• 401K with Company Match
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary, AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Sick, Vacation, Holidays)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability