Research Officer I| International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

Agricultural Research Research Officer I| International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

Deadline: 13 February 2023

International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a Research Officer I to analyze the social and institutional drivers of adoption of technologies and services in the dry lands.  The research associate will be contributing to the larger agenda within the Livestock Climate and System Resilience (LCSR) initiative, within the OneCGIAR and supporting work on digital financial and information services in the dry lands.

I. Key Responsibilities

  • Research for Development
    • Support the design and implementation of need-based and feasibility studies to understand process challenges in the implementation of new technologies and financial services such as livestock insurance
    • Conduct innovation systems analysis to understand the social and institutional dimensions influencing the access and demand for citizen science driven technologies, financial and complementary services and the conditions for success in scaling in new project areas
    • Support the conceptualization, designing strategies and institutional models for accelerating adoption and scale of new knowledge and technologies
    • Supporting identification of emerging areas influencing technology and service uptake such as conflict, migration among others in fragile ecosystems
    • Support evaluation studies to assess the implications of institutional and process innovations on gender equity, decision making and adoption of services within the different elements of the drought risk financing solutions
  • Partnerships and Stakeholder engagement
    • Support and contribute towards strengthening existing partnerships and identifying new and innovative partnerships towards sharing and implementation of research findings at the policy level and with different stakeholders
    • Contribute to the engagement with institutional stakeholders, including high level government representatives, to inform about climate risk financing.
  • Capacity Development and Knowledge Management
    • Support and contribute to developing MEL frameworks and instruments for range of projects under drylands resilience and information systems
    • Provide support for the design and implementation of need based innovative extension and education methods for the uptake and delivery of services in the project sites
    • Contribute to project team-building efforts, and supervise students and interns
    • Lead on publishing research briefs and reports, while supporting resource mobilization efforts for the agenda
    • Represent the initiative and the institutions in internal, external, and international fora as the opportunity arises

II. Requirements

  • Masters in Sociology, Science and Technology Studies, Institutional economics, or Anthropology
  • Strong background in qualitative research with the ability to use the methods, tools and software innovatively based on the context, along with the ability to align the analysis with quantitative methods
  • Three years’ experience in participatory research working with the rural communities
  • A demonstrated academic and/or professional experience on innovation systems, climate risk financing and on instruments to build the resilience of smallholder farmers and livestock keepers
  • Willingness to travel frequently to rural and remote areas of project sites in different countries
  • Record of publications and experience with resource mobilization and contributing to project proposals
  • Good knowledge of agropastoral and pastoral production systems In African drylands
  • Ability to work in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams with minimal supervision, and experience working across disciplines and different cultural backgrounds
  • Have a basic knowledge of French in order to work with West Africa counterparts
  • Position Location: Nairobi, Kenya

III. Terms of Appointment

  • This position is at job level HG13 and it is only open to Kenyan nationals.
  • The position is a 3-year contract, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding.
  • ILRI offers a competitive salary and benefits package which includes pension, medical and other insurances.

IV. How To Apply?

  • Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, what they can bring to the job and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to the Director, People and Organizational Development  HERE
  • The position title and reference number REF: SLS/ 816/2023 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.
  • ILRI thank all applicants for their interest in working for ILRI. Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
  • ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training).
  • ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.

V. About ILRI

International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works to improve food security and nutrition, and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 11 CGIAR research centres dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, ILRI has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. 

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