Job Opportunity: Technical Lead Consultant

The deep sea remains one of the least understood parts of our planet. IUCN is looking for a Technical Lead Consultant to help work on a feasibility study on applying the Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) framework to Deep Sea ecosystems.

About the Opportunity

Generously funded by Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy, this project will deliver critically important insights into the status of Deep Sea ecosystems.

As Technical Lead, the Consultant will work in close partnership with the IUCN Ocean Team and the Red List of Ecosystems unit to produce the technical backbone of the study, including:

• Proposing draft Level 4 ecosystem units and identifying the best available distribution maps for Deep Sea ecosystem functional groups.
• Developing indicators, threat assessments, and collapse definitions grounded in the best available science.
• Conducting pilot RLE assessments at three data-rich sites, one for each ecosystem functional group.
• Leading a Deep-Sea Ecosystem Task Force through a structured series of meetings, discussions, and consultations to refine and validate the work.

The Details

• Position runs September to December 2026.
• Up to 15,000 CHF (fifteen thousand hundred Swiss Francs) for consultancy services (travel and workshop participation covered separately, if required).

Who We’re Looking For

We’re seeking a candidate with strong technical expertise in marine or deep-sea ecology, experience with ecosystem risk assessment frameworks (RLE experience a strong plus), and the facilitation skills to coordinate a multi-expert Task Force process.

How to Get Involved

If you’re passionate about ocean conservation and have the technical background to help pioneer this first-of-its-kind assessment, we want to hear from you.

Click here to learn more about the full terms of reference and submission process.