Why project manager positions in the geo-sector are so difficult to fill

Project management in the geo-sector is a management role with double requirements: deep expertise in GIS, surveying, geoinformatics or environmental planning — combined with project management expertise, budget responsibility and team leadership. It is precisely this combination that is extremely rare on the job market.

The most common reasons why geo-project manager positions remain vacant for a long time:

• Dual profile: expertise plus leadership. Employers are not simply looking for a project manager, but a specialist who can manage the content of GIS projects, survey campaigns, photogrammetry orders or geodata infrastructure projects. Pure project managers without a geological background fail because of the technical depth — pure specialists without management experience due to organizational complexity.
• Not found on generalist portals. “Project Manager GIS”, “Project Manager Geoinformatics” or “Project Manager Photogrammetry” don't fit into a meaningful category on any major portal. The jobs end up under “Project Management” next to construction, IT and marketing project managers — where geo-specialists are not looking.
• Experience cannot be abbreviated. Project management in the geo-sector typically requires several years of professional experience in the respective specialist discipline before the step into project responsibility is possible. This makes the candidate pool even smaller.
• competition between the public and private sectors. Municipalities and authorities are looking for project managers for GDI development, xPlanning implementation or digitization projects. Engineering firms and GIS companies are looking for the same profiles for customer projects — often with higher salaries and more flexible framework conditions.
• Salary gap in leadership roles. Project managers in the geo-sector expect salaries that are higher than those of specialists without management responsibility. Many public employers are unable to compete with TVÖD/TV-L groupings — and communicate the existing allowances and benefits too rarely.
• Project complexity is underestimated. GIS projects, GDI migrations, or photogrammetry campaigns are technically complex, involve many stakeholders and require interdisciplinary coordination. Job advertisements that only write “project management” without mentioning the technical context and project size miss the target group.

From GIS project management to photogrammetry campaigns: Typical project manager profiles in the geo-sector

Project management in the geo-sector covers a broad spectrum — from the technical management of individual survey or GIS projects to the strategic management of digitization projects in public administration.

The following overview shows typical project manager profiles as represented on GoGeoGo:

Project manager GIS & geodata management

Job title: GeoIT Project Manager, GIS & Geodata Management/Geoinformatics, Project Manager Geographic Information Systems/GIS

Skills: ArcGIS, QGIS, geodata infrastructure, requirements management, stakeholder coordination, budget responsibility

Geoinformatics & Software Project Management

Job title: Geoinformatics Project Manager, Software Developer/Project Manager ArcGIS

Skills: Software projects, agile methods, GIS development, customer management, technical specification

Photogrammetry & Geomatics Project Manager

Job title: Photogrammetry Project Manager, Geomatics Project Manager

Skills: Photogrammetric evaluation, flight planning, point cloud processing, 3D modelling, quality control

Environmental & Landscape Planning Project Management

Job title: Landscape Planning Project Manager, Renewable Energy Junior Environmental Planner, Mobility Plan Project Manager

Skills: Environmental impact assessment, landscape management support plan, BNatSchG, approval process

Energy & Infrastructure Project Management

Job title: Project manager for installing e-charging stations, project manager for electric mobility, project manager for mobility planning (bike)

Skills: Infrastructure planning, charging infrastructure, transport planning, funding management, municipal coordination

Project manager for surveying & water management

Job title: Geodesy/Surveying Engineers as Project Manager, Hydraulic Engineering Department Manager

Skills: Engineering surveying, campaign planning, hydraulic engineering, team leadership, quality assurance

Whether you are a project manager for GIS projects looking for a project manager for geoinformatics, for Survey campaigns or for environmental planning — the technical requirements are fundamentally different, even though the project management craft is similar.

Project managers who combine geospatial expertise with agile methods, cloud infrastructure or interdisciplinary stakeholder coordination are particularly in demand. In cities such as cologne, bonn, munich and hamburg Demand is high — but engineering firms and authorities in rural areas also need experienced project managers.

More about this topic: Roles in geoinformatics and the Employer Recruiting Guide.

Typical employers for project management in the geo-sector

Project managers are needed across the entire spectrum of the geo-sector — from GIS service providers and photogrammetry companies to engineering offices to municipal administrations and water management associations.

GIS service providers & geoinformatics companies:

• con terra GmbH — as one of the leading GIS service providers in Germany, a typical employer for GeoIT project managers. In such companies, project managers manage GIS deployments, GDI development and software projects for customers from the public and private sectors.
• Energielenker projects GmbH — stands for consulting companies that assist municipalities in digitization and energy transition. Project managers in this environment combine GIS and geodata management with municipal strategy consulting.
• Philippe Lebert GmbH — represents specialized geomatics engineering firms in which project managers are responsible for geoinformatics projects and work cadastral assignments.

Photogrammetry & geomatics:

• BSF Swissphoto AG — a typical representative of specialized photogrammetry and geomatics companies. Here, project managers are responsible for flight campaigns, photogrammetry projects and geomatics assignments — often with an international connection.

Public administration & municipalities:

• Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis — is an example of district administrations that use geodesy and surveying engineers in project management functions for infrastructure and traffic planning projects.
• City of Oldenburg — represents municipalities with ambitious mobility and infrastructure projects that need project managers and project managers for electric mobility, cycling and sustainable urban development.
• Munich District Office — shows that district offices also appoint project managers for mobility planning and infrastructure projects that combine geocompetence with project management.

Water Management & Environmental Planning:

• Ruhrverband — as one of the major water management associations, a typical employer for GIS project managers. Water management associations need project managers who manage GIS introductions and geodata management projects in the context of water protection and infrastructure.
• BERNARD Group — stands for engineering firms with a broad spectrum of planning (hydraulic engineering, landscape planning, geology) that employ project managers with a geospatial and environmental planning background.

A complete overview can be found in Business Directory.

Why niche platforms for project manager recruiting work better in the geo-sector

Project manager jobs in the geo-sector have a double problem on generalist portals: The title sounds generic, the subject content is highly specialized.

“Project manager” is a mass category. On large portals, your job for “Project Management GIS” competes with thousands of project manager positions in construction, IT, marketing and consulting. GIS professionals who are looking for the next career step into project management won't find your ad in this mass.

Niche job boards show the technical context. On GoGeoGo, GIS project manager stands alongside GIS analyst positions, geoinformatician positions and surveyor jobs — in the right professional environment. Professionals who want to develop into leadership see their position as the logical next step in their career.

Career development as a search intent. Many GIS specialists and surveyors on GoGeoGo are not only looking for specialist positions, but also specifically for the step into project management. Your ad reaches exactly these career-oriented candidates.

Perfect fit for guide rollers. Professionals with a geo-background apply to GoGeoGo. For project manager positions, this means that candidates have both the technical basis and an understanding of geo-projects — leadership skills are easier to build up than specialist background.

Why employers rely on GoGeoGo for geo-project managers

GoGeoGo is the specialized job board for geospatial, environmental and planning occupations in the DACH region. For employers who are looking for project managers with geo-expertise, this means in concrete terms:

Qualified candidates instead of wastage. Anyone who visits GoGeoGo is specifically looking for geo-jobs — including management and project management positions. Your job ad reaches GIS specialists, surveyors and geoinformatics specialists who are looking for the next career step. In addition, we reach out to job seekers via our geo-newsletter.

Niche SEO that works. GoGeoGo ranks for specialist keywords such as “Project Manager GIS”, “Project Manager Geoinformatics” or “Project Manager Surveying”. Our 13 subject categories ensure that your ad appears in the right context.

industry network. GoGeoGo is known in the geo-community — through specialist conferences such as FOSSGIS, the LinkedIn network and cooperation with multi-posting agencies such as KÖNIGSTEINER, Personalwerk or Rheinsatz.

SEO-optimized job ads. Each ad is marked with schema.org/JobPosting and appears in Google for Jobs.

Permanent ads via the employer profile. With the employer profile They are visible 365 days — particularly valuable for engineering firms and GIS service providers who regularly staff project managers.

Fair prices, no hidden costs. Vacancies starting at 149€ (Classic, 30 days). No subscription trap, no success fees. Overview of all prices →

GIS service providers, engineering offices, municipalities and water industry associations are already represented on GoGeoGo. Visit our Business Directory for a complete overview.