Manager, Geospatial Scientist

Position:
Manager, Geospatial Scientist

Department:
Keller Science Action Center

Our Mission:
Since the 1893 World Columbian Exposition, our organization has aimed to connect people to the natural environment and human history.

The Field Museum's Keller Science Action Center (KSAC) translates museum science, collections, and partnerships into results for conservation and quality of life. Our interdisciplinary teams of ecologists, social scientists, and specialists work with communities, scientists, conservation practitioners, and public agencies to co-create knowledge and action for biodiversity conservation, territorial management and human well-being. The Manager, Geospatial Scientist oversees and develops the application of geospatial science across KSAC's Andes-Amazon and Chicago Region programs.

Manager, Geospatial Scientist provides the advanced technical skills and strategic thinking to make KSAC a leader in the management and application of spatial data for conservation. The position combines advanced technical expertise with management, ensuring that spatial analysis, remote sensing, cartography, and data systems directly inform KSAC projects, from the initial planning stages through execution, data analysis, and follow-up. The Manager, Geospatial Scientist will proactively identify high-impact opportunities for KSAC, translate complex spatial information into actionable insights for our staff and partners, and guide multiple initiatives from scoping through delivery and evaluation.

Expected projects include expert participation in biological and social inventories of remote areas of the Andes-Amazon region; modeling of biotic and abiotic assets of unvisited natural areas; application of novel remote-sensing technologies to inventory large tropical landscapes; and monitoring of conservation impacts and interventions.

This position works closely with ecological and social scientists, community engagement specialists, program leaders, museum colleagues, and spatial data science leaders in partner organizations. The Manager, Geospatial Scientist establishes shared geospatial standards, oversees quality and spatial data governance, manages staff and collaborators, and strengthens geospatial capacity across teams and partner organizations. The role is expected to balance technical leadership with responsive, relationship-based collaboration.

• Provide leadership in design and implementation of geospatial science in support of KSAC’s conservation, territorial management and strategic planning. Work with Andes-Amazon and Chicago Region program teams to identify priority spatial questions, develop analytical approaches that advance program strategies and partner-defined conservation goals, and lead multiple initiatives providing effective project management and implementation, work plans, indicators, publications.
• Supervise staff to support geospatial management and analysis. Develop staff leadership capacities and effective collaboration with partners in academia, communities, Indigenous federations, government agencies and conservation organizations.
• Identify strategic opportunities to expand geospatial programming and funding, and collaborate on grant writing, budget management, progress evaluation, reporting and communications that strengthen Action Center programs and projects in Andes-Amazon and Chicago.
• Integrate satellite and aerial imagery, field observations, biodiversity inventories, climate and environmental data, participatory mapping, and appropriate social and cultural information into interdisciplinary assessments and analyses including land-use and land-cover change, habitat and ecological connectivity, climate vulnerability and resilience,…