Direct from FAO careers
GIS/Remote Sensing and MRV Specialist
Full job description
Position details
- Vacancy number: 2602207
- Opportunity type: Non-staff opportunities
- Grade / contract type: NPP (National Project Personnel)
- Organizational unit: FAINS - FAO Representation in Indonesia
- Duration: 12 Months with 3 Months Probation
- Application deadline: 09/Nov/2026, 11:59:00 PM
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
- FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
- Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
- Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
- FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
- All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
- All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
Organizational Setting
FAO supports the Government of Indonesia in strengthening forest monitoring, forest inventory and measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems at national and sub-national levels. This includes strengthening the National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS), improving the implementation and use of the National Forest Inventory (NFI 2.0), enhancing the use of geospatial and remote sensing technologies, and promoting better integration of field-based and remotely sensed information for forest and land monitoring. Reliable, well-managed and interoperable spatial data are essential to these efforts, supporting forest inventory, land-cover assessment, biomass and carbon estimation, forest change monitoring, MRV and evidence-based decision-making.
Within this broader support, the MERANTI Project contributes to strengthening Indonesia's NFI and NFMS, including the operational implementation of NFI 2.0, enhancement of satellite-based land-cover assessment under SIMONTANA, and the development of approaches to integrate NFI field data with satellite, LiDAR and other remotely sensed data. The project also supports improvements in spatial data management, data integration, analytical workflows and the use of modern remote sensing tools and platforms to strengthen the efficiency, consistency and quality of forest monitoring.
This includes support for the assessment and strengthening of data and technical capacities, and improved linkages of forest monitoring arrangements and the national NFMS, including SIMONTANA and NFI. Effective spatial data management and analysis are therefore important to ensure that sub-national forest monitoring and MRV work is consistent with, and can contribute to, national systems and methodologies.
With this context, FAO is seeking a GIS/Remote Sensing Specialist to provide continuous technical and operational support across these areas of work. The Specialist will support the management, processing, analysis and visualization of geospatial and remote sensing data; provide technical inputs to NFI, NFMS, forest monitoring, and MRV -related activities; and support the work of national and international consultants and government counterparts. The position will also help ensure consistency, quality and interoperability of spatial data and analytical approaches across MERANTI project, FAO Indonesia Forestry project portfolio and related NFMS activities.
Reporting Lines
The GIS/Remote Sensing Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Indonesia, the general supervision of the FAO UN-REDD Programme Coordinator, and direct supervision of the MERANTI National Project Coordinator. The Specialist will work closely with the Ministry of Forestry, particularly IPSDH and relevant BPKH units, and relevant technical institutions, as well as national and international consultants under MERANTI and FAO Indonesia Forestry project.
The position will provide cross-project technical support and serve as the focal point for GIS, spatial data and remote sensing, working closely with specialized consultants and FAO technical experts as required.
Technical Focus
The Specialist will provide technical support in geospatial data management, remote sensing and spatial analysis to strengthen forest monitoring, National Forest Inventory (NFI 2.0) implementation, and the National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS), including SIMONTANA. The position will support the integration of field and remotely sensed data for forest and land-cover monitoring, biomass and carbon assessment, and measurement, reporting and verification (MRV), contributing to improved data quality, interoperability and evidence-based decision-making.
Tasks and responsibilities
• GIS and Spatial Data Management: Manage and maintain GIS databases, spatial datasets, geodatabases and thematic layers supporting NFMS, NFI 2.0, MERANTI and FAO forestry activities, ensuring data quality, consistency, documentation and accessibility
• NFI 2.0 Implementation and Spatial Analysis: Provide GIS support for NFI 2.0 implementation, including cluster and plot management, sampling, field planning, mapping and spatial analysis of inventory results.
• Remote Sensing and Forest Monitoring: Process and analyse satellite imagery and other remotely sensed data to support forest and land-cover monitoring, change assessment, biomass and carbon analysis, and forest monitoring and MRV activities.
• Data Integration and Interoperability: Integrate NFI field data with GIS, satellite imagery, LiDAR and other relevant datasets, as appropriate, and support interoperability between NFI 2.0, SIMONTANA and other forest monitoring datasets to strengthen the NFMS and related analyses.
• Technical Outputs, Quality Assurance and Tools: Produce and quality-check maps, spatial analyses and other GIS/RS outputs; document relevant datasets and analytical workflows; and apply appropriate tools and platforms, including SEPAL and Google Earth Engine, to support forest monitoring and MRV.
• Technical Assistance and Coordination: Provide technical assistance and knowledge sharing to national consultants and government counterparts on GIS, remote sensing and spatial data management, and coordinate technical inputs with relevant project teams and stakeholders.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Bachelor's degree in Geography, Geodesy, Geomatics, Forestry, Environmental Science or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in GIS, remote sensing, spatial data management and/or forest and land monitoring.
• Working knowledge (level C) of written and spoken English and Bahasa Indonesia.
• National of Indonesia
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Proficiency in ArcGIS and/or QGIS and spatial data management.
• Practical experience with remote sensing and satellite image analysis.
• Working knowledge of Google Earth Engine, SEPAL or comparable platforms is an advantage.
• Good understanding of spatial databases, geodatabases, metadata and geospatial data standards.
• Ability to integrate and analyse data from different spatial and non-spatial sources.
• Knowledge of forest inventory, NFMS, and MRV is an advantage.
• Basic programming or automation skills using Python, JavaScript or similar would be an advantage. Demonstrated experience in processing and analysing satellite imagery and geospatial datasets.
• Experience in forest monitoring, forest inventory, land-cover classification, MRV, REDD+ or related applications is highly desirable.
• Experience working with government institutions, international organizations or development projects is an advantage.
• Experience providing technical support to multidisciplinary teams and consultants is desirable.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
HOW TO APPLY
• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/. These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings.
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp
FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT
Listing sourced from FAO careers. Applications are handled entirely by the employer.
Similar impact roles
Contract Sr Data Analyst (SQL,Telemetry,Browser Engine)
Mozilla
