Why geo-related climate positions are so difficult to fill

Climate protection and climate adaptation are among the most politically driven topics in Germany — almost every municipality is currently hiring climate protection managers, developing climate adaptation concepts or integrating climate goals into its urban planning. At the same time, there is a growing demand in research for specialists who process climate data using remote sensing, GIS and data science. But it is precisely these interface profiles that are extremely scarce.

The most common reasons why climate jobs are difficult to fill:

• A career field that is just emerging. “Climate Protection Manager” and “Climate Adaptation Manager” are job titles that barely existed just a few years ago. There is no separate course for this — the specialists come from geography, environmental sciences, urban planning, energy technology or geoinformatics and specialize on the job.
• Thousands of municipalities are searching at the same time. The National Climate Initiative (NKI) promotes climate protection manager positions in municipalities nationwide. The result: Hundreds of municipalities are simultaneously posting very similar jobs — and are competing for the same limited pool of candidates.
• Between climate science and administration. Municipal climate protection managers need an understanding of climate science, funding management, citizen participation and political processes. Climate data scientists in research need remote sensing, machine learning and geodata analysis. These profiles barely overlap — but both search under “climate.”
• Misclassified on generalist portals. “Climate Protection Manager” ends up on major portals under “Environment,” “Public Service,” or even “Energy Consulting.” Climate data scientists end up under “IT” or “research.” In both cases, the target group is missed.
• Time limit as a hurdle. Many municipal climate protection manager positions are tied to funding periods and are therefore limited in time. This scares off qualified candidates who are looking for planning security — although extensions and time limits are common.
• GIS expertise is increasingly required. Climate adaptation concepts are based on spatial analyses: heat maps, heavy rain simulations, vulnerability analyses, sealing mapping. Employers are increasingly expecting GIS skills — but many climate protection managers do not have them.

From climate protection management to climate data science: typical job profiles in the climate sector

The geo-related climate sector covers a wide spectrum — from municipal climate protection coordination to climate adaptation planning and scientific climate remote sensing. The profiles differ fundamentally, even though they all trade under “climate.”

The following overview shows typical job profiles as they are represented on GoGeoGo:

Municipal climate protection management

Job title: Climate Protection Manager, Climate Protection Manager

Skills: Municipal climate protection concepts, greenhouse gas accounting, funding management (NKI), citizen participation, energy consulting, public relations

Climate Adaptation Management

Job title: Climate Adaptation Manager, Climate Adaptation Manager

Skills: Climate adaptation concepts, vulnerability analysis, heat action plans, heavy rain simulation, GIS-based risk analysis, funding

Climate Data Science & Remote Sensing

Job title: Data Scientist Climate/Environmental Remote Sensing, Remote Sensing Research Centers (Climate)

Skills: Satellite image analysis, time series analysis, machine learning, Python/R, climate modelling, Google Earth Engine, Sentinel/Landsat

Climate-related transport & regional planning

Job title: Traffic Planner (Climate Protection), Regional Planning Clerk, Water Management Engineer (Climate Adaptation)

Skills: Climate-friendly mobility concepts, flood protection, heat planning, public transport development, spatial planning

Whether you have a municipal Climate protection manager looking for a climate adaptation specialist with GIS expertise, a climate data scientist with remote sensing-Skills or a climate-related planner — the requirements are fundamentally different.

Climate specialists who combine spatial thinking with climate knowledge are particularly in demand: GIS-based vulnerability analyses, heat maps based on remote sensing data, data-based heavy rain simulations or the integration of climate data into municipal Spatial data infrastructures. Demand covers the entire DACH region — from major cities such as cologne, hamburg and munich up to every district that implements a climate protection concept.

More about this topic: The future of geo-jobs and Employer Recruiting Guide.

Typical employers in the area of climate protection and climate adaptation

Geo-related climate offices can be found in municipalities of all sizes, in districts and in research. The following selection shows examples of the types of employers represented on GoGeoGo.

Counties & municipal climate protection agencies:

• Stade district — is an example of districts that employ both climate protection managers and climate adaptation managers. The duplication shows the trend: Climate protection (emission reduction) and climate adaptation (dealing with climate consequences) are increasingly being organized as separate areas of responsibility with their own specialists.
• Pinneberg district — represents districts that combine climate adaptation with nature conservation and soil protection. Typical profiles here include climate adaptation managers in addition to environmental technicians for soil protection and nature conservation — the tasks are closely intertwined in municipal practice.
• Coesfeld district — an example of districts in which climate adaptation is organized as a cross-cutting task in addition to surveying, geoinformatics and water management. Shows how climate departments are embedded in larger specialist areas.
• City of Forchheim — stands for smaller cities that set up climate protection manager positions as part of the National Climate Initiative (NKI). Even municipalities with less than 50,000 inhabitants are increasingly creating independent climate protection agencies.

Counties related to climate change in regional planning:

• Hameln-Pyrmont district — typical of districts where climate aspects are integrated into transport planning and regional planning. Profiles here combine transport planning with climate goals — such as climate-friendly mobility concepts and public transport development.

Research & Climate Data Science:

• TU Wien — as one of Europe's leading technical universities, a typical employer for climate data scientists. Profiles here include research positions in climate remote sensing and environmental remote sensing — with a focus on satellite image analysis, machine learning and climate modelling in international, English-speaking teams.

A complete overview can be found in Business Directory.

Why niche platforms work better for climate recruiting

Geo-related climate posts fall through every grid on generalist portals — because they belong to completely different categories depending on their profile.

Municipal climate protection managers end up under “public service.” There, they compete with thousands of unspecialized administrative offices. Climate adaptation managers with GIS expertise are not found there.

Climate data scientists end up under “IT” or “research.” Climate remote sensing specialists who are looking for geodata analysis and satellite image processing do not find any suitable jobs under “IT development.”

GoGeoGo has its own climate protection category. Die Climate protection page is one of the 13 subject categories on GoGeoGo — in addition to Environment & conservation, Renewable energy, GIS and remote sensing. Climate specialists with a geological background can find jobs in their professional environment here.

Meaning as the strongest argument. GoGeoGo specifically attracts professionals who want to use geodata to improve the world — climate protection is at the top of the motivation list. Your climate position is close to other impact jobs and benefits from this orientation.

Perfect fit for interdisciplinary profiles. Experts from geography, environmental sciences, geoinformatics and spatial planning apply on GoGeoGo — exactly the profiles that are suitable for climate jobs.

Why employers rely on GoGeoGo in the climate sector

GoGeoGo is the specialized job board for geospatial, environmental and planning occupations in the DACH region. For employers looking for climate specialists, this means in concrete terms:

Qualified candidates instead of wastage. Anyone who visits GoGeoGo is specifically looking for geo-related environmental, climate or planning jobs. Your job ad reaches climate protection managers, environmental scientists and GIS specialists who value climate issues as a field of work. We also reach job seekers via our geo-newsletter.

Own climate protection category. GoGeoGo is one of the few job boards with a dedicated Climate protection category — in the context of GIS, environment, remote sensing and renewable energy.

industry network. GoGeoGo is known in the geological and environmental community — through specialist conferences, LinkedIn networks and collaborations 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 municipalities that advertise new jobs or release new jobs after funding periods have expired.

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

Municipalities, districts and research institutions are already represented on GoGeoGo. Visit our Business Directory for a complete overview.