SAS-Scientific Officer

ICRISAT seeks a highly skilled and motivated candidate for the Assistant Research Associate position in our Southern Africa Office in Lilongwe, Malawi. This nationally recruited position is open to all with excellent academic records. This position will support on-going research activities in Malawi and other regional collaborative projects as needed. The incumbent will assist through the configuration, analysis, and application of research techniques according to the project assigned to the unit and by supervising the duties of support personnel. The incumbent will coordinate the multi-stakeholder participatory processes and methods and work with the communities to apply holistic assessment frameworks in the Sustainable Intensification of Mixed Farming Systems Initiative.

The main responsibilities of this position will be to: -

1.     Assist with developing and implementing capacity needs assessment for systems thinking for multi-stakeholders in target areas.

2.     Assist with developing context-specific research protocols for mixed farming systems and related assessment frameworks.

3.     Assist with the development and application of participatory methods and reporting research findings.

4.     Lead annual monitoring using the validated evaluation frameworks.

5.     Analyse monitoring data and assist with building modelling components for farm and landscape scales with defined scenarios for specific systems.

6.     Prepare data for analysis and conduct descriptive analysis. Run more complex analyses with the supervisor.

7.     Assist project team in publication of research results though peer-reviewed publications, bulletins, technical material etc.

8.     Assist project and CIMMYT management in any other matters as and when required.

Required academic qualifications, skills, and attitudes:

·         At least a BSc in Natural Science with a strong focus on resource use management in agri-food systems. An MSc would be an added advantage.

·         Familiarity with agricultural and agri-food challenges in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

·         At least 5 years' experience in project implementation (experience in supervising on-farm trials would be an added advantage)

·         Experience with the development and application of participatory tools and methods.

·         Previous work experience at a national or international research organization would also be an added advantage.

·         Experience in statistical methods, various statistical software (including R statistics), working knowledge of crop and farm simulation methods, and GIS would also be an added advantage.

·         Experience in collating, curation, and analysing on-farm data.

·         Good knowledge of the Malawian landscape and farming systems.

·         Experience in reporting to project teams and funders.

·         Good written and verbal communication skills in English and local language for farmers, extension and outreach professionals, and private partners.

·         Ability to work with different nationalities as a member of a diverse work team.

·         The selected candidate must demonstrate the following competencies: Interpersonal Skills, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving & Decision making, and the ability to work in a multicultural environment.

How to apply:

Applicants should apply on or before 24 July 2023, 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