IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) is a membership Union, founded in 1948. It is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,350 government and NGO Members and close to 16,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by a Secretariat that has over 900 staff, located in offices across 50+ countries, and headquarters based in Gland, Switzerland. IUCN is governed by a Council that is elected every four years, based on nominations and votes by the IUCN membership.
Biodiversity/ Ecological Assessment is a key programme focus for IUCN towards more data-informed conservation decisions and actions and underpins many of the key planning and decision support tools commonly applied, including the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM), Marine Spatial Planning, Marine Protected Areas Planning and the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric – and relies on access to relevant datasets such the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, World Database on Protected Areas, and World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas brought together under the IBAT (Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool) as well as others platforms.
The Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) is a global standard developed by IUCN to assess the risk of ecosystem collapse and document their conservation status. It helps identify common symptoms, both spatial and functional, to understand the level of risk ecosystems face and can influence decision making.
The Project officer will integrate the Science and Strategy Group- SSG in IUCN Asia Regional Office-ARO in Thailand.
The immediate aim of this position is to support the delivery of Red List of Ecosystem programme portfolio of projects across Asia, ensuring technical support for on-ground assessments, upscaling the use of both the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems and IUCN Global Ecosystem typology, and ensuring quality for projects on the ground across terrestrial, freshwater and marine systems. This programme of work is developed in close collaboration with Commission on Ecosystem Management and RLE partnership and requires supporting network of experts and commission members towards joint delivery.
Red List of Ecosystems project management and implementation :
Ensure that projects and initiatives are implemented in a timely and effective manner, successfully achieving the set objectives and results;
Participate in field missions to follow-up on project implementation and provide the necessary assistance to project teams, partners and members;
Organise workshops and training activities, ensuring adequate agendas and good participation of all relevant stakeholders;
Prepare technical and financial reports for donors and the team, in accordance with established formats and time schedules;
Technical Support to Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) assessments :
Support IUCN national offices and partners in applying the RLE methodology and other spatial planning analysis across terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems;
Ensure correct application of the RLE methodology in IUCN portfolio of projects by supporting project managers in its application, and its linkages with restoration, conservation and protection projects;
Consolidate pilot experiences and lessons for global, regional and national assessments;
Data collection and collation and management of geospatial data sets
Identify and utilize/transform existing spatial layers or other databases on ecosystems distribution, trends and potential indicators to support the evaluation of ecosystem risk of collapse.
Interpretation and communication of RLE results to inform/ influence policy and decision making processes relating to the protection and conservation of biodiversity/ ecosystems.
Facilitate integration of RLE in Biodiversity Assessment and other knowledge products :
Collate and synthesize GIS-based data to provide a spatial understanding of biodiversity patterns, trends, and drivers relevant to specific needs / enquiries
High-quality spatial analyses that inform biodiversity status, threats, and opportunities
Develop spatial maps to enable visualisation of biodiversity status, challenges and opportunities based on specific needs and requirements
Support RLE data and Knowledge products dissemination, and communication
Animate network and maintain a regular exchange and learning on RLE with thematic focal points, and regional experts;
Ensure contribution of national and local projects to global thematic initiatives;
Support the visualization and sharing of data used in ecosystem assessments worldwide, in view of future assessments (translate technical data into useful information for action)
Support the RLE database and the IUCN Global Ecosystem typology database to provide updated, reliable, and sound information.
Building and facilitating a RLE stakeholders network :
• Maintaining and expanding the network of RLE practitioners across different time zones
• Ensure knowledge management channels between global and national assessments.
• Maintain updated contact list and regular exchanges between CEM experts, national agencies, IUCN members and IUCN Secretariat
Support resource mobilization for RLE Programme Development:
Support the development of new project proposals and resource mobilization plans to implement the programme of work of red list of ecosystems.
Education:
Master’s degree in Geography, Geoinformatics, Environmental Science, or a related field with a strong focus on GIS and remote sensing and analysis
Required Experience:
5-7 years of experience in GIS analysis, spatial modelling, and remote sensing, particularly in biodiversity conservation or natural resource management.
Required Qualifications:
Expertise in GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS) and cloud-based platforms (like Google earth engine or similar remotes sensing tools)
Advanced skills in R (and/or Python) for spatial data analysis, ecological modelling, statistical analysis, and automated data processing would be an asset.
Strong analytical skills, including proficiency in spatial data analysis, habitat modelling, and land cover change detection.
Experience in producing high-quality maps and visualisation products that effectively communicate complex spatial data.
Excellent teamwork and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary and multinational teams and present findings to diverse stakeholders.
Other: Familiarity with biodiversity conservation challenges and opportunities
Ability to work independently and as part of complex teams and meet tight deadlines
