Job Summary

The Position: The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (The Alliance; https://alliancebioversityciat.org/) seeks to recruit a Research Officer II who will provide support to the Multifunctional Landscapes Lever of the Alliance in Ethiopia for the day-to-day follow-up of project implementation on the ground, liaising with partners and researchers at federal, regional and local level, and analysis, interpretation, and presentation of scientific evidences. She/he will be a member of the Alliance which is based at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) campus in Addis Ababa.

General: The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) delivers research-based solutions that address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. The Alliance focuses on the nexus of agriculture, nutrition and environment. We work with local, national, and multinational partners across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and with the public and private sectors and civil society. With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people. The Alliance is organized into six key levers: 1)Food environment and consumer behavior – reshaping the food environment and consumer behavior toward healthy and sustainable diets; 2) Multifunctional landscapes – fostering innovation for environmental health and productive landscapes to improve livelihoods; 3) Climate action – mainstreaming climate action in the food system to reduce risks; 4) Biodiversity for food and agriculture – making agricultural and tree diversity available and safeguarding it for the diverse needs of food system actors; 5) Digital inclusion – promoting inclusion in the digital agriculture revolution for equitable benefits; and 6) Crops for nutrition and health – putting nutrition and health at the heart of crop improvement to address the triple burden of malnutrition. The job will provide support to the Multifunctional landscapes lever in Ethiopia though the day-to-day follow-up of project implementation on the ground, leasing with partners and researchers at federal, regional and local level, and analysis, interpretation, and presentation of scientific evidences.

Main Responsibilities:

The Research Officer II will provide research assistance and coordination support to the Multifunctional Landscapes research team in Ethiopia. She/he will also execute related activities with relevant Alliance staff and its partners. She/he will specifically provide the following specific functions:

• Leads implementation of projects related to climate smart agriculture, integrated soil fertility management (ISFM), sustainable intensification, sustainable land and water management;
• Follows-up and monitors project implementation on the ground and report progress periodically;
• Conducts literature review, writes research reports, and policy briefs; editing and/transcribing reports, manuscripts, proposals and other documents in the above project areas;
• Conducts field data collection, including setting up of measuring instruments, secondary data collection, literature synthesis, interviews and other research activities;
• Establishes relevant partnerships (government, non-government, private sector, civil society) in project areas and maintain existing ones fostering good and productive relationship;
• Coordinates and partners with governmental and non-governmental organization and organize; stakeholder meeting and workshops;
• Facilitates collaboration among partners and researchers to pilot joint data collection and analysis, and monitoring and evaluating of natural resource management interventions;
• Identifies partnerships, policies and institutional requirements for testing approaches, technologies and investment propositions;
• Facilitates project outreach activities and dialogue platforms with national and regional stakeholders and research partners, including the private sector;
• Analyses data, including using modelling and GIS tools, and drafting scientific publications, policy briefs and technical reports in relation to the various projects the Research Officer is supporting.

Job Requirement

Education:

• Masters’ degree in Sustainable Agriculture, Agronomy, Soil and Water Conservation, Agricultural Economics, Physical Geography or a related field with professional certification

Experience:

• A minimum of five years of relevant work experience

Skill:

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional and multicultural environment
• Excellent communication and networking skills and the ability to explain complex issues clearly
• Fluent written and verbal communication skills in English and Amharic. Fluency in other Ethiopian languages is a plus
• Practical experience in project implementation in different parts of Ethiopia
• Practical experience in data collection related to climate, soil, hydrology, and agronomy
• Conducting field data collection, including setting up of measuring instruments, secondary data collection, literature synthesis, interviews and other forms of research activities
• Ability to analyze biophysical and socio-economic data using advanced analysis tools
• Knowledge and ability to learn and use models (e.g. CROPWAT, Aqua crop models for crop water demand estimation and irrigation scheduling determination) and water productivity databases
• Skills in hydrological models including calibration and validation techniques
• Programing skills in R and Python can have preferable advantages

Duty Station:   Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Position level:  HG 14

Minimum Base salary:

• Birr 31,978 per month (Negotiable depending on salary history of the candidate)

Terms of appointment: Initial appointment is for two years renewable appointment based on performance and funding availability. CIAT offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits in line with ILRI salary applicable for its Nationally Recruited Staff. CIAT is an international and equal opportunity organization and believes that diversity of its staff contributes to excellence. The ILRI campus is set in a secure, attractive campus with dining and sports facilities.

How to Apply

 Applicants should provide a cover letter and curriculum vitae; names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to be included in the curriculum vitae. The position and reference number: C/RO/09/21 should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter. All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment portal on or before 8 March 2021.

To find more about CIAT, visit our Website

Suitably qualified women are particularly encouraged to apply.

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