The UK GEO-CEOS Office and the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sports (the UK Policy Lead) are seeking suitably qualified candidates to represent the UK on the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Programme Board. The deadline to apply is November 20, 2026.
This role will involve working with the UK Principal to GEO (Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport – DMCS) and the UK Earth Observation community to gather and represent the views, position, and national interests of the UK in the GEO Programme Board. The UK GEO-CEOS Office is the joint co-ordinating office supporting UK Policy Leads for GEO (DCMS) and the Committee for Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS; UK Space Agency)
The Programme Board oversees the establishment of the multi-year GEO Work Programmes and works to align proposed activities with GEO priorities and committed resources. The Programme Board reports to the GEO Executive Committee and Plenary.
The purpose of this document is to provide information on this opportunity, to articulate the expertise that is being sought to fulfil it, and to seek expressions of interest from the EO community for UK candidates for the GEO Programme Board.
What the role entails
The role offers the opportunity to contribute to a multilateral process and gain insights into UK policy positioning in the Earth observation space.
The role as UK representative to the GEO Programme Board will involve working collaboratively with DCMS, the UK GEO-CEOS Office and the wider UK GEO community to support the development and articulation of the UK’s strategic approach to GEO:
- Actively participating in up to two in-person meetings per year in Geneva and participating in virtual meetings as needed to drive forward UK national interests in the work of GEO through the decisions of the Programme Board and its sub-groups.
- Regular, timely updates to and consultation with DCMS, the UK GEO-CEOS Office and wider UK GEO community (identified projects or networks).
- Contributions to the UK preparations for GEO ExCom and Plenary meetings; this may require responding at short notice.
- Engaging with UK GEO community to maintain robust link between EO community needs and GEO Work Programme
- Contributions to outreach activities with potential interested groups in the UK and attendance at relevant UK national meetings, as required.
The estimated time commitment is approximately 18–30 days per year, which may be shared between the UK lead and alternate representatives (up to 3 people).
Please note that no formal remuneration is provided for this role. The selected candidate will be able to claim for actual travel and subsistence costs from the UK GEO-CEOS Office, in compliance with the Terms and Conditions by which the Office is bound, noting the UK GEO-CEOS Office is operated by the National Centre for Earth Observation through the University of Leicester.
Requirements
We welcome applications from individuals who combine strategic insight with practical knowledge of Earth observations, with previous experience representing the UK in multilateral fora or working with international bodies being welcome, but not a requirement.
The selected candidate will need to:
- Be actively involved in Earth Observation
- Have or be able to develop a broad sight of UK interests in this area and act in the UK interest beyond their own organisation.
- Be comfortable liaising with international organisations at a high level, dealing with technical subject matter as well as broader programme oversight and evaluation.
- Represent agreed UK policy lines and be comfortable working with individuals from different organisations and/or backgrounds to jointly represent UK interests.
- Proactively promote and create opportunities for the whole UK EO community through engagement with the Programme Board.
- Demonstrate strong communication and strategic thinking
How to apply
The UK Joint GEO-CEOS Office, on behalf of DCMS, welcomes expressions of interest from the EO community for potential UK candidates who can draw upon their expertise to effectively represent the UK on the GEO Programme Board and drive forward its activities. We would also welcome suggestions of individuals to approach and/or formal nominations (following the structure below).
An expression of interest should consist of:
- Name
- Current position and organisation
- CV
- A personal statement (maximum 200 words), articulating motivation to serve on the Programme Board alongside any particularly relevant expertise and experience.
- Declaration of any conflict of interest (note that in some circumstances it may be necessary to seek approval from GEO Secretariat prior to appointment).
Please forward all expressions of interest to the UK GEO-CEOS office at geo_ceos@NCEO.ac.uk before close of play on Friday, November 20, 2026.
If successful, a statement will be requested from successful applicants’ employer/organisation that they can commit the required time to the role.
Further information
Further information on GEO can be found on the website.
GEO Programme Board Terms of Reference can be found in the GEO Rules of Procedures, Section 6.
Programme Board members’ terms will begin immediately after the GEO Plenary (Q2 2027, exact dates TBD).
For any further information contact:
Svetlana Zolotikova, UK Joint GEO-CEOS Office Manager
Email: svetlana.zolotikova@nceo.ac.uk