Manager, Geographic Information System (GIS)

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO); Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is seeking a senior GIS leader to drive end-to-end geospatial operations. You will oversee data quality, spatial analytics, and enterprise GIS systems across RSPO projects and member engagements.

The role requires 6–8 years in relevant fields, 3+ years in leadership, and strong proficiency in ArcGIS, ERDAS ENVI, and Google Earth Engine. You will collaborate with multiple departments and external partners to advance RSPO's

Qualifications

• Degree in GIS, Remote Sensing, Geography or related field.
• 6–8 years in palm oil, conservation, environmental research, or related natural resource management.
• 3+ years in leadership, team management, or supervisory role.
• Experience leading geospatial projects and translating analytics into strategy.
• Proven ability to manage large GIS databases and ensure data quality.

Responsibilities

• Provide spatial solutions for monitoring environmental risks within RSPO.
• Maintain RSPO spatial data e.g. concession boundaries and MSU layers.
• Manage RSPO GIS systems like fire hotspot and HCV monitoring.
• Configure and maintain GIS infrastructure and platforms.
• Oversee LUCA submissions for RaCP and NPP applications.
• Evaluate concession boundary submissions for membership and ACOP.
• Liaise with members and external partners on GIS projects.
• Support GIS needs of RSPO Secretariat and other departments.

Skills

GIS leadership

Remote sensing

Cartography

Team management

Data quality

Spatial analysis

English communication

Education

Degree in GIS/Remote Sensing/Geography

Tools

ERDAS Imagine

ENVI

ArcGIS Desktop

ArcGIS Online

QGIS

Google Earth Engine

Job description

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a global partnership to make palm oil sustainable. Today, the RSPO is a global, non-profit organisation with over 6,000 voluntary members across 104 countries and territories, representing every link in the supply chain: oil palm producers, palm oil processors and traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and social or developmental NGOs.

At RSPO, we believe that our success is built by the passion, dedication, skills, and expertise of our people. They are the ones who drive our organisation to new heights and guide us through the next phase of our development.

This position leads, manages, and oversees RSPO's geospatial and GIS operations, ensuring high-quality, effective delivery of spatial data, systems, and advanced analytical solutions. Drives and manages RSPO’s end-to-end GIS and geospatial activities, maintaining complete ownership over the quality, integration, and delivery of spatial systems, data, and analytics. Spearheads RSPO’s mapping and geospatial strategy, managing operations to ensure the seamless quality, monitoring, and delivery of spatial data and enterprise GIS systems.

The location of this role is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties include but will not be limited to the following:

• Assume a key role within the Integrity Unit by providing spatial solutions for monitoring environmental risks such as non-compliant land clearing and persistent fire within RSPO growers concessions.
• Maintain the database of spatial data under the RSPO scheme, which include,but not limited to RSPO member concession boundaries, certified area, certified mills, High Conservation Value (HCV) area, peat area, New Planting Area, and other auxiliary map layers within RSPO scheme.
• Manage RSPO geospatial systems such as fire hotspot monitoring and HCV monitoring for NPP areas and communicate with members on ground verification.
• Configure and maintain the GIS infrastructure, including GIS software deployment, digital mapping platform and data layers.
• Manage the use change analysis (LUCA) submissions for Remediation and Compensation Procedure (RaCP) and for New Planting Procedure (NPP) applications.
• Evaluate concession boundary submission during membership applications and ACOP submissions.
• Liaise and communicate with members and external partners on GIS projects and solutions.
• Assist the Complaints Unit by verifying location of complaints and allegations.
• Support the GIS and mapping needs of other departments within the RSPO Secretariat.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending conferences and seminars; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; benchmarking state-of-the-art practices; participating in professional societies
• Apart from the duties stated above, to perform any duty or duties reasonably assigned by the management

THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT

Education

• Preferably a degree in GIS, Remote Sensing, Geography or other related fields.

Experience

• Minimum of 6–8 years of professional experience in palm oil, conservation, environmental research, or related natural resource management fields, including at least 3 years in a leadership, team management, or supervisory role.
• Demonstrated experience leading and executing projects in remote sensing, satellite image processing, and land-use change analysis, with the ability to translate technical spatial analytics into actionable conservation strategies and business decisions.
• Proven track record in establishing spatial data workflows and managing complex, large-scale GIS databases—including rasters, vector features, and multi-source spatial datasets—while enforcing data quality standards across team projects.
• Advanced proficiency in cartography with a proven ability to guide, review, and approve high-quality maps and spatial visualizations for public release, executive reports, and academic publication.
• Operational & Capability-Focused: Drives team performance and delivery of RSPO's GIS priorities by allocating work, setting performance targets, assuring technical quality, and actively developing team capabilities through mentorship.
• Provides cross-functional technical leadership to plan, allocate, and oversee GIS workloads while mentoring spatial analysts, assuring quality across all technical outputs, and aligning deliverables with senior stakeholders and regulatory partners.
• Combines strategic team leadership with hands-on oversight to manage GIS work planning, ensure rigorous quality control on spatial deliverables, build team capability, and engage external research and regulatory bodies

Technical and Professional Knowledge

• Expertise in remote sensing software, including ERDAS Imagine, ENVI,or other similar programmes.
• Proficiency in standard GIS software, including ArcGIS Desktop10.x, ArcGIS Online and QGIS.
• Experience working with Google Suite of tools(i.e.GoogleEarthEngine)would be advantageous.
• Knowledgeable in sustainability, conservation, environment, land use change, biodiversity management and palm oil industry.
• Strong analytical skills, including raster analysis, generating statistics and indicators from spatial data, and automating common tasks.
• Excellent communication skills to develop and establish cooperation and rapport with respective users and teams at working levels from different nationalities.
• Creative problem-solver who likes to be challenged.
• High proficiency in English (oral and written).

**RSPO is an equal opportunity employer. Due to the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.**