Senior Scientist-Scaling Science

ICRISAT seeks applications from highly motivated and qualified professionals for the Global position of Senior Scientist – Scaling Science to support Landscapes, Soil Fertility & Water Management under the Global Research Program Resilient Farm & Food Systems. The Position will be based in – Nairobi, Kenya, in East and Southern Africa.  The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in synthesizing and implementing scalable solutions that lead to significant impacts in the agricultural sector.

ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. Covering 6.5 million square kilometers of land in 55 countries, the semi- arid or dryland tropics has over 2 billion people and 644 millions of these are the poorest of the poor. ICRISAT and its partners help empower these disadvantaged populations to overcome poverty, hunger and a degraded environment through better agricultural production systems.

ICRISAT is headquartered at Patancheru near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and eight country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT envisions prosperous, food-secure and resilient dryland tropics. Its mission is to reduce poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation in the dryland tropics. ICRISAT conducts research on its mandated crops of chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut, sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet in the arid and semi-arid tropics. The Institute focuses its work on drylands and on protecting the environment. Tropical dryland areas are usually seen as resource-poor and perennially beset by shocks such as drought, thereby trapping dryland communities in poverty and hunger and making them dependent on external aid. Please visit – www.icrisat.org

Overview:

ICRISAT is seeking to employ a highly skilled expert with a robust theoretical background and extensive practical experience in scaling agricultural technologies and innovations across Africa. A deep understanding of African agricultural systems, technologies, and initiatives with a focus on drylands that can transform production systems and value chains is essential. The key impact areas include climate adaptation and mitigation, environmental health and biodiversity, gender equality and social inclusion, nutrition and food security, and poverty reduction.

Responsibilities:

• Leadership and Technical Guidance: Provide strategic leadership and technical guidance in designing, planning, and executing effective scaling programs tailored to the African context.

• Contribution to Scaling Science and Practice: Engage actively in advancing the science and practice of scaling efforts at ICRISAT, CGIAR and collaboratively with regional partners.

• Demand Assessment: Assess and identify the specific demand for impactful technologies and strategies from country and regional partners.

• Donor Engagement: Lead efforts in donor communication and the development of compelling proposals to secure funding.

• Technology Evaluation: Identify scalable technologies and evaluate their readiness for implementation, targeting specific impact goals.

• Synergistic Innovations: Recognize and cultivate collective technologies, innovations, and policies that work synergistically to achieve scalable impacts.

• Partnership Development: Foster partnerships and lead the co-design of innovative scaling strategies with stakeholders.

• Collaborative Strategy Design: Work closely with partners and broader stakeholder groups to co-create strategies, frameworks, and processes for effective scaling.

• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL): Co-design monitoring and evaluation frameworks, including impact assessment criteria, data collection, verification methods, and feedback mechanisms.

• Leadership and Progress Monitoring: Facilitate leadership in overseeing progress, managing stakeholder expectations, and ensuring timely project deliverables.

• Scientific Contributions: Contribute to the writing of peer-reviewed papers, technical notes, and comprehensive project reports.

• Communication: Maintain effective communication with broader partnerships and ICRISAT teams to ensure alignment and collaboration.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Natural Resource Management/agricultural extension/agricultural economics/ social sciences, or a related field with a minimum of atleast 5 years of relevant experience.

• Research Competencies: Demonstrated expertise in research design, execution, data collection and analysis, data visualization, and scientific writing, particularly in areas of scaling and impact assessment.

• Multistakeholder Engagement: Proven experience in facilitating multistakeholder processes, developing shared visions and consensus, and executing complex activities that drive impact.

• Knowledge of Science for Development: Strong understanding of the multidisciplinary and contextual aspects of science for development, recognizing the interplay between technologies, policies, and local contexts.

• Research Leadership: Demonstrated track record in research leadership and management in areas related to monitoring, evaluation, and impact assessment.

• Publication Record: Documented history of peer-reviewed scientific publications.

• Communication Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English, including proficiency in scientific communication and report writing.

• Organizational Skills: Strong capacity to prioritize tasks, manage workload, show initiative, and operate effectively under pressure.

• Interpersonal Skills: Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively within a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and multicultural team.

General:

This is a contractual position for a period of 36 months.

How to apply:

Applicants should apply on or before 18 November 2024 with their latest Resume, and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged; however, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

ICRISAT is an equal opportunity employer