Job opening at the Group on Earth Observations

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Secretariat is hiring a Business Engagement Specialist to support the Global Ecosystems Atlas initiative during its transition from technical development to real-world usability testing.

Job Title: Global Ecosystems Atlas Business Engagement Specialist (Consultant)
Job Location: Home-based, Remote
Closing Date: 23 February 2026
Contract Type: Variable (up to 12 months, depending on project needs)
Start Date: 1 April 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter

The specialist will lead market discovery efforts, facilitate early-adopter collaborations, synthesize user feedback, and shape strategic messaging to promote adoption at scale.

This role involves extensive stakeholder engagement, strategic analysis, and producing high-profile publications to position the Atlas as a vital tool for decision-makers.

About the Group on Earth Observations

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Secretariat is an intergovernmental partnership committed to making Earth intelligence accessible and actionable. GEO works globally to support sustainable development, environmental management, and climate resilience by providing vital Earth observation data and insights.

The Secretariat collaborates with governments, businesses, NGOs, and academia to promote data sharing, standardization, and innovative applications for a sustainable future.

The GEO Secretariat is based in Geneva, Switzerland, but many roles, including consultancy positions like this, are home-based or remote. The organization values diversity and inclusivity and encourages applications from qualified women, men, and persons with disabilities.

Position Overview

The Global Ecosystems Atlas Business Engagement Specialist is a crucial role within the GEO Secretariat, focused on advancing the global initiative to develop the most comprehensive, standardized resource on ecosystems worldwide.

The Atlas aims to map, monitor, and analyze ecosystems’ distribution, condition, and change, enabling better decision-making for sustainable management and conservation.

This consultancy supports the transition of the Global Ecosystems Atlas from its technical development phase to real-world usability. The main objective is to foster engagement with business and finance sectors, ensuring the Atlas’s data and services meet operational needs and generate tangible value for users.

Duties and Responsibilities

The responsibilities of this consultancy are multi-faceted, requiring strategic thinking, stakeholder engagement, and analytical expertise. Under the supervision of the GEO Secretariat Director, the specialist will perform the following tasks:

1. Stakeholder and Market Analysis

Conduct comprehensive analysis of how businesses and financial institutions currently integrate ecosystem data and nature-related frameworks into their operations.
Identify existing workflows, decision-making processes, and value gaps that could be addressed by the Global Ecosystems Atlas.
Document how different user groups operate, understanding their specific requirements, constraints, and decision contexts.

2. Building Early-Adopter Engagements

Secure and lead 3-5 collaborations with early adopters, including businesses, financial institutions, and other stakeholders.
Formalize partnerships through collaboration agreements and structured feedback mechanisms.
Coordinate and facilitate usability testing of the Atlas beta dataset within real-world workflows, ensuring user needs are met.

3. Usability Testing and Data Impact Assessment

Design and oversee usability testing processes, working closely with the technical team responsible for the Atlas.
Assess how Atlas data influences decision-making processes, disclosures, risk management, and compliance.
Gather evidence on the dataset’s performance, challenges, and opportunities to improve.

4. Strategic Communication and Thought Leadership

Develop and co-author a flagship paper based on evidence from early-adopter use cases, positioning the Atlas within global sustainability and finance debates.
Lead the development of messaging for the Atlas roadshow, engagement with key stakeholders, and visibility activities aligned with major events such as the CBD COP17, Global Nature Positive Summit, and the WEF Annual Meeting 2027.

5. Recommendations and Evolution

Synthesize insights from engagements into actionable recommendations for the evolution and scaling of the Atlas.
Support the development of a strategic roadmap for broader adoption and integration into decision-making processes.

Expected Deliverables

The consultancy will produce several key outputs that will shape the future of the Global Ecosystems Atlas:

Engagement Strategy: A detailed partner mapping, segmentation, and engagement framework designed to attract and retain early adopters.
Partnerships: Formalized collaborations with 3-5 early adopters, including signed agreements.

User Feedback Reports: Consolidated evidence from usability tests, documenting the performance of Atlas datasets, workflows, friction points, and impacts.
Use Case Profiles: Three detailed descriptions illustrating sector-specific applications, objectives, outcomes, and lessons.
Flagship Paper: A co-authored publication drawing on evidence from early use cases, to be published as part of the Atlas roadshow.

Event Content for WEF AM 2027: Partner contributions, presentations, and promotional materials for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.
Recommendations Document: Strategic insights on how to evolve the Atlas dataset and scale adoption across sectors.

Qualifications and Experience

Candidates interested in this role should possess a blend of academic credentials, professional experience, and strategic expertise:

Educational Background

An advanced degree (Master’s or PhD preferred) in environmental science, ecology, geography, economics, public policy, sustainability, data science, or related fields.
Alternatively, a combination of formal education and extensive professional experience in product development, data platforms, or market adoption of scientific/technical systems.

Professional Experience

Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in areas such as corporate sustainability, ESG reporting, environmental data, market intelligence, or related fields.
Proven success in translating complex scientific or technical data into decision-grade applications for business or financial sectors.

Demonstrated ability to lead market discovery, user segmentation, and usability testing with senior stakeholders.
Deep familiarity with nature-related frameworks and standards, including TNFD, SBTN, CSRD, GRI, and SEEA, and their practical deployment.

Experience in securing and managing high-level partnerships and collaborations.
Established credibility and relationships within business and financial sectors, enabling effective senior-level engagement.

Skills and Competencies

Strong analytical and synthesis skills, capable of extracting insights from multi-stakeholder inputs.
Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.

Skilled in managing ambiguity and structuring work in evolving, complex initiatives.
Ability to work independently while maintaining coordination across distributed teams.
High levels of integrity, professionalism, and discretion.

Language Requirements

Fluency in English (both oral and written) is essential.
Knowledge of other official languages of WMO (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) is advantageous.

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How to Apply

Application Deadline: 23 February 2026

Applicants should include a financial proposal with their submission, referencing the proposed daily fee: USD $560 per day (Pay Band C / D). Selected candidates may be asked to undertake a written test and/or interview as part of the recruitment process.

To apply, please follow this link: Apply here

APPLY HERE FOR THIS ROLE

Candidates are required to submit their application online through the WMO e-recruitment portal: https://erecruit.wmo.int/public.

Additional Information

For further inquiries, contact the focal point at: jobs@geosec.org

Please ensure your application is complete and submitted through the designated portal. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next steps.

Group on Earth Observations is hiring: Global Ecosystems Atlas Business Engagement Specialist (Consultant)

Job Description