Forestry Mission Lead - Earth Observation, Forest Decision Support and Intelligence

Forestry Mission Lead - Earth Observation, Forest Decision Support and Intelligence

ETH Zurich is establishing ETH Swiss Geo Lab, a new interdisciplinary unit of ETH Zurich | Space
. ETH Space will soon become one of the strategic centres of ETH Zurich and encompasses five units.

The Geo Lab is focused on Earth observation and its applications. It uses satellite, airborne, ground-based and in-situ observations and applies AI-driven analysis methods and high-performance computing to these diverse data sets to develop solutions for specific societal and economic challenges.

Located at the D4 Business Village in Root, close to Lucerne, ETH Swiss Geo Lab works at the interface of research, technology development and practical application. In its first phase, the Geo Lab is focusing on a small number of high-impact application areas where Earth observation, geodata and AI-based analytics can create tangible value for Switzerland. In forestry, this includes challenges related to forest health and vitality, climate resilience, disturbances, biodiversity, carbon, timber and other ecosystem services, as well as decision support for forest owners, managers and public authorities.

The ETH Swiss Geo Lab is led by Prof. Dr. Verena Griess and Prof. Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, with Dr. Felix Seidel as Managing Director, responsible for the day-to-day operations of this exciting activity. The Geo Lab will grow into a project-based hub of around 100 experts over the coming years and will collaborate closely with other ETH units, the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS), Swiss research institutions, public-sector stakeholders, forest owners and managers, forestry organisations, industry partners, start-ups and international stakeholders.

This position is offered as a fixed-term appointment for an initial period of two years, with the possibility of extension.

As Forestry Mission Lead, you will spearhead the forestry-focused initiative - the Geo Lab Forestry Mission - within Geo Lab. You will identify high-impact challenges in Swiss forestry through direct interchange with key stakeholders and by drawing on domain-relevant data and expertise. You will define ambitious mission outcomes, translate practitioner and policy needs into research and product goals, and drive solutions through field validation, operational testing and adoption.

You will report to the Managing Director of ETH Swiss Geo Lab and work closely with other Geo Lab mission teams, the Research Program Support team, the Geo-Intelligence team and external partners. You will lead cross-functional and external experts and will have the authority to prioritise, redirect, and pivot or pause activities within the approved mission charter, budget and governance framework.

As part of your role, you will:

• On behalf of the Geo Lab leadership team, define an ambitious and coherent Forestry Mission addressing major opportunities in forest health, resilience, sustainable management, biodiversity, carbon and the provision of forest ecosystem services
• Identify operational gaps where ETH Swiss Geo Lab can create distinctive value for Swiss forestry and forest policy
• Engage directly with forest owners and managers, forestry enterprises, advisory and professional organisations, cantonal and federal authorities, research institutions, insurers, technology providers, NGOs and industry partners
• Identify unmet needs, operational constraints, incentives and economic drivers in forest management, silviculture and monitoring
• Translate forestry challenges into clear research, data, product and technical requirements
• Assess user value, operational relevance, economic viability, scalability and adoption potential
• Establish measurable mission outcomes, roadmaps, assumptions and success criteria aligned with Swiss forestry needs and the overall Geo Lab strategy, and actively track progress against these outcomes
• Manage the delegated mission budget, define priorities, milestones and decision points, and track finances and results through regular and transparent reporting to Geo Lab leadership and other stakeholders
• Work with Geo Lab’s Geo-Intelligence team - focused on geospatial AI, Earth observation foundation models and the analysis of large data volumes - and with external partners to drive pilots, field validation, operational testing and integration into forestry workflows
• Assess evidence and performance, and recommend the continuation, redirection, scaling, pausing or termination of activities
• Identify and mobilise strong ETH groups, research institutions, forestry organisations, technology companies, start-ups, service providers, public agencies and implementation partners
• Represent ETH Swiss Geo Lab across Swiss forestry, scientific, policy and innovation communities
• Communicate mission goals, progress, evidence and lessons learned at field events, workshops and conferences
• Guide and train students, researchers and external contributors where required and support knowledge transfer into forestry…