Geospatial Young Professional

NatCarbon Africa; Gqeberha; On-site; ZAR 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

NatCarbon Africa is seeking a Geospatial Young Professional for the Spekboom Restoration Project in the Eastern Cape. You will support UAV operations, GIS analysis, and field data collection to monitor and report on restoration progress.

Ideal candidates hold a geomatics-related degree and have hands-on experience with ArcGIS/QGIS; willingness to travel and develop RPC/BVLOS qualifications is essential for this entry-level role.

Qualifications

• Completed degree in Engineering, Land Surveying, Geomatics, Remote Sensing, Earth Science or related field.
• Entry-level role; internship, vacation work, or academic project experience is advantageous.
• Willingness to travel frequently within Eastern and Western Cape and remote locations.

Responsibilities

• Assist with high-precision drone flights and data capture.
• Support processing of complex spatial datasets to derive insights for the Spekboom Restoration Project.
• Contribute to development of tools, frameworks, and databases for data collection and analysis.
• Collaborate with restoration teams and provide regular progress updates.
• Undertake on-the-job training toward RPC and BVLOS certifications.
• Travel frequently for fieldwork in remote locations.

Skills

Physical fitness

GIS analysis

Remote sensing

English proficiency

Driver's license

Photogrammetry

Education

Geomatics degree

Tools

ArcGIS

QGIS

Agisoft Metashape

Job description

Geospatial Young Professional, Spekboom Restoration Project

Technical and Carbon Department, Eastern Cape (Gqeberha), South Africa

Location: Gqeberha, Eastern Cape

Reports to: Senior Geospatial Field Technician

Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary adventure that will revitalise landscapes, combat climate change, and promote sustainable agriculture?Join NatCarbon Africa: a mission-driven, proudly African organisation dedicated to high-quality implementation of large-scale carbon, climate, and biodiversity projects. We embrace the power of innovative technology to enhance project execution. Community engagement lies at the heart of our projects, driven by a genuine commitment to meaningful and inclusive participation and co-benefits, such as biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic upliftment.

NatCarbon Africa seeks a Geospatial Young Professional in the Technical and Carbon Department for the large-scale Spekboom Restoration Project in the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa.

With our partner, Imperative Global, our aim is to restore up to 100,000 hectares of degraded subtropical thicket biome. The Project entails planting Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) on privately owned land to improve ecosystem functioning and agricultural productivity over time, promote biodiversity, improve soil filtration, enhance water storage capabilities, and to reduce soil erosion. The Project is estimated to permanently store large quantities of Carbon Dioxide over the Project life, thus positively contributing towards climate change mitigation.

Position Summary

The Geospatial Young Professional will support aerial monitoring and field data collection using high-precision drones, assisting with data processing, analysis, and reporting for NatCarbon's large-scale restoration initiatives. This role offers hands-on experience with UAV operations, remote sensing, GIS analysis, and data-driven decision-making within a safety-focused, results-oriented team. The successful candidate will be supported in obtaining their Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) qualifications and is expected to bring insight from their academic discipline to help develop innovative ways to manage, display, and analyse spatial data, deepening the team's understanding of biomass accumulation across the landscape.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Assist with high-precision drone flights and data capture using advanced sensors and UAV technology.
• Support the processing of complex spatial datasets to derive meaningful insights for the Spekboom Restoration Project, helping to manage data layers and analyses that guide project activities and reporting.
• Contribute to the development of tools, frameworks, and databases that streamline data collection and analysis.
• Work alongside restoration teams on non-drone-related activities as needed and provide regular updates on progress.
• Undertake on-the-job training towards the Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) certification, working towards the regulatory standards required for UAV operations.
• Travel frequently for fieldwork in remote locations, as required.

• Contribute to research and innovation in geospatial monitoring methodologies that advance ecological restoration and carbon assessment practices.

General

• Embrace a culture of continuous learning by adapting to evolving job responsibilities, driven by NatCarbon Africa’s commitment to innovation, personal growth, and shifting operational priorities.
• Some travel within the Eastern and Western Cape may be required, including to remote locations, with occasional weekend or holiday work to accommodate schedules.
• Work hours may be irregular.

• This outline of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. The employer reserves the right to assign additional duties or responsibilities at any time, provided they are reasonably aligned with the scope of the role or necessitated by operational requirements. The functions and responsibilities detailed within this job description may be subject to modification at the employer’s discretion, based on evolving operational requirements, while remaining consistent with the parameters of the employee’s position.

Skills

• Physically fit and willing to work in remote field locations.
• High computer literacy, including spatial data analysis and statistical software; experience with photogrammetry is an asset.
• Proficiency in English (Afrikaans and isiXhosa is advantageous).
• Valid South African driver's licence for travel between field sites (off-road driving experience advantageous).

Qualifications

A completed degree in Engineering, Land Surveying, Geomatics, Remote Sensing, Earth Science, Environmental Science, or a related field.

Knowledge and Experience

• Sound knowledge of remote sensing, image analysis, and GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS, Agisoft Metashape).
• Familiarity with GPS surveying, UAV operation, and environmental data monitoring.
• This is an entry-level role: prior professional experience in geospatial or UAV operations is not required, though relevant internship, vacation work, or academic project experience is advantageous.

Working Conditions

• Frequent travel within the Eastern and Western Cape anticipated, including to remote locations.
• Travel may on occasion cross weekends and holidays to accommodate schedules.
• Work hours may be irregular

You will join a great team!We are:

• From diverse locations and backgrounds, but all experts in our respective fields. We bring together a wide range of cross-sector experiences, ideas, and skills.
• Relentless in our pursuit of excellence and innovation, always pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo. But it is not all work for us – we also believe in celebrating our successes, recognising individual contributions, and taking time to support each other’s growth and development.
• At our core, explorers, constantly learning, evolving, and seeking new ways to deliver impactful solutions. We are not afraid to dream big, take risks, and step out of our comfort zones because we know that together, we can achieve great things.

Compensation

To help us attract and retain top talent, NatCarbon Africa pays employees competitively to the market, depending on experience. Salary is one component of NatCarbon Africa’s total compensation package which also includes health care and life insurance, contributions to each employee’s retirement plan, paid time off and funds to support professional development. We will recognise employees who go beyond expected performance with salary increases and/or promotions.

In return, we expect each employee to, at a minimum:

• Meet expectations in terms of work effort and performance.
• Take the initiative to build the skills and knowledge needed to do their job effectively; and
• Embody the values of NatCarbon Africa.

NatCarbon Africa provides equal opportunity for all job applicants and employees and is committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination.