We are excited to invite you to join the IOCCP Scientific Steering Group!!!
We are looking for four new members to join us for terms beginning on 1 October 2026, to act as leaders responsible for Data and Information Access Services (Position #1), Coordination of Regional Ocean Biogeochemical Observations in South East Asia (Position #2), Coordination of Oxygen Essential Ocean Variable (Position #3), Coordination of activities related to Instruments and Sensors and Technical Training Workshops (Position #4).
Application Deadline: 15 June 2026!
To make inquiries and/or to submit your application for one of the positions, please contact the IOCCP Project Office (
The International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project (IOCCP), a program of the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, is looking for four experts to join its Scientific Steering Group (SSG) for term beginning on 1 October 2026. New SSG members will replace colleagues rotating off from the Panel at the end of 2026, and will be expected to develop and expand a comprehensive and effective set of coordination activities within specific IOCCP Themes, as linked to each Position description below. Moreover, we seek to expand our SSG composition to: (i) better address the needs for coordination in regions currently underrepresented at the IOCCP SSG, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, and (ii) promote outstanding early-career ocean professionals willing to support IOCCP’s mission.
The IOCCP SSG is responsible for development and implementation of activities mandated by the IOCCP Terms of Reference. Acting as focal points for Thematic communities, the SSG members are expected to promote the development of a global network of ocean carbon and biogeochemistry observations, coordinate the development of globally acceptable strategies, and provide technical coordination developing operating methodologies, practices and standards, homogenizing efforts of the research community and scientific advisory groups. In our activities we define biogeochemistry as including the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) for Biogeochemistry. These EOVs enable the understanding and quantification of several phenomena prioritised by the integrated Global Ocean Observing System. The role of the SSG is also to ensure delivery of communication services for the marine biogeochemistry community as well as advocacy and links to a multidisciplinary sustained global ocean observing system.
SSG members serve for a period of three years, with the potential of renewing for an additional 3-year term. Among other things, SSG members are asked to:
- Gather, share, and act upon the international community needs regarding the IOCCP Theme they are responsible for.
- Work with the IOCCP Office and members of the community to develop, coordinate, and implement specific activities.
- Represent IOCCP, particularly in their area of expertise, at international meetings and workshops, and report back to the SSG and the Project Office on relevant actionable outcomes of these meetings.
- Encourage national and international funding agencies to support existing and newly developed activities.
- Encourage coordination of efforts and collaboration with organisations and projects involved in marine biogeochemistry observations.
IOCCP SSG meets once a year in-person, and three times a year remotely. The expected time commitment for IOCCP activities is on average 1-3 days per month, which might occasionally accumulate around specific activities. More information about the current SSG is available at: IOCCP Scientific Steering Group.
IOCCP SSG meets once a year in-person, and three times a year remotely. The expected time commitment for IOCCP activities is on average 1-3 days per month, which might occasionally accumulate around specific activities. More information about the current SSG is available at: IOCCP Scientific Steering Group.
In this call we seek to fill four IOCCP SSG positions described below. The responsibilities of newly appointed SSG members will include the following IOCCP activities:
Position #1: Coordination of Data and Information Access Services
In particular, we seek individuals with experience/expertise and interests in:
- Supporting the development of modern, interoperable data management infrastructure, including for marine biogeochemistry, aligned with recommendations and goals defined in the UN Ocean Decade Data and Information Strategy and GOOS Observations Coordination Group Cross-Network Data Implementation Strategy.
- Facilitating increased readiness levels of in situ biogeochemical data streams (ship-based, autonomous, and fixed-point platforms) to sustained operational and near real-time (NRT) data flows,
- Promoting harmonization and standardization of metadata, data exchange, and quality control workflows to ensure biogeochemical EOVs are interoperable and FAIR,
- Supporting the development, automation, and sustainability of established (e.g., SOCAT, GLODAP) and emerging (e.g., GO2DAT, SPOTS, CARIMED) data synthesis products,
- Where still necessary, implementing protocols ensuring appropriate IP rights assignment regarding data submitted to regional and global data assembly centers.
Position #2: Coordination of Regional Ocean Biogeochemical Observations in South East Asia
In particular, we seek individuals with experience/expertise and interests in:
- Representing the perspectives of Southeast Asia and identifying emerging needs in the region.
- Fostering inclusive, cross-disciplinary collaboration to reduce barriers across nations, institutions, or research groups in the region while advocating for implementation of globally accepted solutions;
- Establishing mechanisms for sustained engagement, by leading collaborative funding proposals aimed at enhancing regional capacity to collect and share ocean biogeochemical data;
- Facilitating further development and use of globally approved methods, standards and best practices;
- Serving as conduit for information sharing between the region and the international groups coordinating ocean biogeochemical observations.
What could a person in charge of the regional coordination do?
- Translate regional priorities into coordination efforts and long-term observing plans.
- Strengthen sustainability of regional observing activities beyond individual projects.
- Advocate for inclusivity, capacity development, and long-term regional ownership.
What would such a role need?
- Understanding of marine biogeochemistry and ocean observing systems
- Knowledge of the Southeast Asian scientific and institutional landscape
- Experience working across multiple countries and building multinational collaborations
- Ability to work diplomatically across diverse cultural, governance, and capacity contexts
- Commitment to long-term regional capacity strengthening
Position #3: Coordination of Oxygen Theme
In particular, we seek individuals with experience/expertise and interests in:
- Leading international efforts to align national and regional oxygen observing capacities, ensuring high-quality data that is truly inter-comparable across the globe.
- Scaling global oxygen monitoring by driving sensor integration across the full spectrum of GOOS networks—leveraging both established, mature platforms and pioneering low-cost technologies.
- Standardizing and integrating observations across the coastal-to-open-ocean divide, while spearheading the development and implementation of universal best practices.
- Championing the growth of the Global Ocean Oxygen Database and Atlas (GO2DAT) to deliver high-impact data synthesis product that directly fuels global climate and ocean modeling.
- Architecting global pathways for training and mentoring, ensuring that expertise in oxygen data collection and analysis is accessible to researchers and practitioners in every region.
- Maintaining active collaboration with the IOC UNESCO Working Group GO2NE and the UN Decade programme GOOD to unify global oxygen strategies and amplify the collective reach of international initiatives.
Position #4: Coordination of activities related to Instruments and Sensors and Technical Training Workshops
In particular, we seek individuals with experience/expertise and interests in:
- Leading the planning and delivery of the "Instrumenting our ocean" technical training series, ensuring the next generation of researchers masters the full sensor lifecycle—from deployment to data management.
- Helping to keep the community updated on the latest instruments, sensors, and autonomous platforms through pro-active maintenance of our hardware directory and resource lists.
- Encouraging and enabling the use of standardized protocols and community-vetted best practices for sensor calibration, deployment, and data quality assurance.
- Facilitating connections between technical experts and early-career scientists to foster a supportive, long-lasting network of sensor users worldwide.
- Supporting the integration of autonomous measurements with traditional ship-based sampling to help improve ocean data coverage for the global community.
How to submit an application
For all positions we seek individuals who would expand IOCCP’s capabilities to address issues related to better integration between open ocean and coastal observations of marine biogeochemistry resulting in high quality, interoperable data useful for applications ranging from climate science, through operational services, to ocean health. We seek individuals who are familiar with the ongoing community initiatives and needs. Ideally candidates would have research experience on an international level and a working overview of the global landscape within the selected Theme. We encourage applications from individuals with strong leadership skills and past experience in providing strategic guidance, e.g., through international working groups or steering committees participation.
To make inquiries and/or to submit your applications, please email the IOCCP Project Office (
- CV including (at a minimum)
- Full name, nationality, contact information, including email and institutional website link if available,
- Affiliation and held positions in the past 5 years with description of specific tasks and responsibilities as relevant for the position,
- Membership in national and international networks, programs, expert working groups, etc. as relevant for the position
- Indication of involvement in activities relevant for wider IOCCP mission (if any) as described in IOCCP Terms of Reference and on Theme’s pages
- Up to 10 most relevant publications
- Brief description of how you see yourself contributing to IOCCP Terms of Reference and what is your proposed vision for activities related to the advertised position.