Biodiversity and Conservation Specialist; Botany

Nabat is a climate-tech startup based in the UAE using advanced technology to protect and restore natural ecosystems with precision and scale! We operate at the intersection of ecological & environmental sciences, GIS, AI, and robotics. Our mission is to enable data-driven, science-backed ecosystem management and restoration at the speed and scale necessary to address the critical challenges of climate change, deforestation, land erosion, and biodiversity loss.

Our comprehensive solution - consisting of ecosystem management software, precision aerial seeding drones, AI & ecological models, and restoration services - is already being used to plant millions of mangroves in the UAE. But we’re just getting started, as we build our platform to serve the needs of coastal, marine and arid ecosystems around the world.

If this mission resonates with you, let’s talk.

The Biodiversity and Conservation Specialist (Botany) provides scientific leadership in the design, execution, and interpretation of ecological surveys, biodiversity assessments, and restoration monitoring programmes, with a primary focus on vegetation ecology, plant taxonomy, and ecosystem restoration.

This is a scientific role requiring deep expertise in botanical sciences, ecological restoration, biodiversity monitoring, survey design, applied ecological statistics, and habitat assessment. The successful candidate will lead the development of scientifically robust, regulator-ready ecological frameworks while providing technical leadership during demanding field operations.

Botanical specialization, expert-level plant taxonomy skills, and substantial ecological field experience within the GCC are essential for this position.

The successful candidate will possess an exceptional understanding of the flora of arid and coastal ecosystems, including native, endemic, invasive, and protected species, together with a sound understanding of faunal ecology and ecosystem interactions. They will apply this expertise to ensure that ecological surveys, biodiversity assessments, and restoration programmes are scientifically defensible, operationally feasible, and aligned with regional environmental regulations and international best practices.

• Design statistically robust ecological and botanical survey frameworks.
• Develop scientifically defensible vegetation sampling methodologies, including sampling unit size, replication, and spatial distribution.
• Apply advanced ecological statistics to detect ecological change and restoration outcomes.
• Ensure survey methodologies are reproducible, regulator-ready, and scientifically defensible.
• Adapt survey methodologies to field constraints without compromising scientific integrity.

• Serve as Nabat's botanical subject matter expert for terrestrial and coastal ecosystems.
• Demonstrate expert-level field identification of native, endemic, invasive, rare, and protected plant species.
• Lead floristic inventories, vegetation community assessments, habitat classification, and ecological condition assessments.
• Validate botanical species inventories and ensure taxonomic accuracy using current nomenclature and accepted taxonomic references.
• Assess vegetation structure, species composition, ecological health, and restoration trajectories.
• Identify indicator, invasive, protected, and priority species relevant to restoration and conservation objectives.
• Provide scientific guidance on restoration species selection and ecosystem management strategies.
• Mentor field ecologists in botanical identification, taxonomy, and survey methodologies.

• Make sound, evidence-based…