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

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

100%, Zurich, fixed-term

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ETH Zurich is establishing ETH Swiss GeoLab, 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 GeoLab 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 GeoLab works at the interface of research, technology development and practical application. In its first phase, the GeoLab 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 GeoLab 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 GeoLab 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.

Job description

As Forestry Mission Lead, you will spearhead the forestry-focused initiative - the GeoLab Forestry Mission - within GeoLab. 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 GeoLab and work closely with other GeoLab 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 GeoLab 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 GeoLab 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 GeoLab strategy, and actively track progress against these outcomes
• Manage the delegated