Data Ops Team Lead

Equitable Earth Data Ops Team Lead 2027: Lead a Global Data Team Remotely

Equitable Earth is inviting applications for the position of Data Ops Team Lead, offering an exciting opportunity for an experienced professional to contribute to global conservation, environmental restoration and climate action. The position is based within the organisation’s Data department and is advertised as fully remote, with Europe listed as the recruitment location.

The successful candidate will play an important leadership role in coordinating the organisation’s data operations and supporting the delivery of its environmental certification programmes. This is a full-time, permanent opportunity scheduled to commence in January 2027.

Equitable Earth is working towards an ambitious mission of protecting and restoring 1% of the natural world by 2030. The organisation has developed a technology-enabled certification standard designed to ensure that conservation and restoration projects generate lasting environmental and social benefits. Its work focuses on protecting biodiversity, strengthening local livelihoods and contributing to climate stability.

With a multicultural workforce representing more than ten nationalities, Equitable Earth operates through a collaborative, internationally distributed team.

About the Data Ops Team Lead Position

Reporting to the Director of Engineering, the Data Ops Team Lead will oversee the organisation’s Operations sub-team, which consists of one Forest Engineer and two Geodata Analysts.

The successful applicant will be responsible for coordinating daily activities, assigning responsibilities, monitoring performance and ensuring that operational tasks are completed efficiently and to the required quality standards.

The role will also involve serving as the primary contact person for the Certification and External Relations teams on certification-related matters. The team lead will coordinate requests, clarify requirements, establish delivery timelines and ensure effective communication between departments.

In addition, the position will contribute to translating carbon certification methodologies into practical operational processes, working closely with Data Engineering and Research and Development (R&D) teams.

Key Responsibilities

• 1. Team Leadership and Delivery Coordination

• The Data Ops Team Lead will manage the daily activities of the Operations sub-team by establishing priorities, distributing assignments and monitoring progress. The successful candidate will ensure that deliverables meet expected deadlines and quality requirements.

• The role will require close collaboration with Certification and External Relations teams, as well as participation in discussions with project developers, auditors and external partners when necessary.

• The team lead will also monitor workload, identify challenges affecting delivery and keep the Director of Engineering informed. Supporting professional development, encouraging accountability and maintaining a productive working environment will form important parts of the position.

• 2. Process and Workflow Management

• Another major responsibility will involve developing efficient systems for handling incoming requests. The successful candidate will establish clear procedures for receiving, assessing and prioritising requests while defining realistic turnaround times.

• They will continuously improve operational workflows, maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and develop documentation that promotes consistency and knowledge sharing.

• Identifying operational bottlenecks and implementing practical solutions will also be essential to improving the team’s overall performance.

• 3. Methodology Operationalisation

• The successful candidate will coordinate the implementation of Equitable Earth’s certification methodologies.

• This will involve tracking completed activities, ongoing implementation work and upcoming priorities. They will identify dependencies, address operational challenges and coordinate with Data Engineering and R&D teams to ensure that implementation activities remain on schedule.

• The team lead will also provide practical feedback during methodology development, particularly regarding feasibility, data requirements and implementation challenges.

• 4. Hands-on Operational Support

• Although the position involves leadership responsibilities, the successful candidate will also be expected to participate in practical operational activities when required.

• These may include reviewing outputs, checking data quality, verifying calculations and supporting colleagues during periods of increased workload.

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What the Successful Candidate Should Bring

Equitable Earth is seeking an experienced professional with a strong background in team coordination, project management and operational process improvement.

Applicants should possess a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, such as Data Science, Environmental Science, Engineering, Project Management or a related field.

A minimum of four years of professional experience is required, including demonstrated experience coordinating or managing a small technical team. The organisation is particularly interested in candidates who have already gained leadership or management experience.

Additional requirements and desirable qualifications include:

• Strong project management and organisational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Experience managing multiple projects and competing priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and improve operational processes.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-management skills.
• Fluency in English.
• Experience in the carbon or climate sector, particularly certification processes, is an advantage.
• Knowledge of geospatial data, remote sensing or data engineering is beneficial but not compulsory.
• Familiarity with Python, GIS tools, data pipelines and project management platforms such as Notion is an added advantage.

The ideal candidate should demonstrate initiative, adaptability, problem-solving abilities and a collaborative leadership approach. They should also be comfortable working independently in a fully remote environment.

Important application instruction: Applicants must include the square root of 81 at the bottom right-hand corner of their CV.

What to Expect During the First Six Months

Equitable Earth has outlined specific expectations for the successful candidate’s first six months.

During the first month, the new team lead will become familiar with the organisation’s certification processes, M001 and M002 methodologies, internal workflows and team structure.

By the third month, the individual is expected to take ownership of incoming requests and coordinate the Operations team’s delivery from beginning to completion. Clear systems for prioritisation, progress tracking and methodology implementation should also be established.

By the sixth month, the Operations team should be working through well-defined priorities, documented procedures and efficient workflows. The team lead should also have developed strong working relationships with other departments and become a trusted operational partner.

Employment Benefits and Working Arrangements

The position offers several benefits associated with working in an international and remote-first organisation.

Key employment details include:

• Position: Data Ops Team Lead
• Organisation: Equitable Earth
• Department: Data
• Location: Europe
• Work arrangement: Fully remote
• Employment type: Full-time, permanent
• Expected starting date: January 2027
• Experience required: At least four years
• Language: English
• Salary: Not specified at this time