The Organization:
The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) seeks to develop technologies and generate knowledge for making agriculture more competitive and profitable, as well as sustainable and resilient, to benefit smallholder agricultural producers and poor consumers in the world’s tropical regions. CIAT is a CGIAR Center which conducts research to improve key crops (cassava, common bean, rice, and tropical forages), to reverse soil and land degradation, and to foster better decisions about issues such as climate change and environmental management. Headquartered near Cali, Colombia, CIAT is a co-founder of GCP21 – The Global Cassava Partnership for the 21st Century, and is currently the recipient of a BMGF grant to support GCP21. The Global Cassava Partnership for the 21st Century (GCP21) was created in 2002, when 30 of the world’s leading cassava researchers gathered at The Rockefeller Foundation Centre in Bellagio, Italy, to create a partnership of institutions dedicated to leveraging the tools of modern biotechnology and plant breeding to transform cassava into a more productive and resilient crop.
Key Responsibilities:
• Organizing the IV GCP21 International Cassava Conference, Benin, June 11-15, 2018
• Secure funding for the next phase of GCP21
• Generating and submitting concept notes about GCP21 to seek financial support from a range of donors
• Writing full proposals to interested donors to support GCP21
• Updating the different components of the GCP21 website.
Requirements:
• PhD. level in applied/development/agricultural/environmental studies preferably with specialization on cassava value chains and systems
• Minimum 5 years of field-oriented economics research experience relevant to cassava
• Broad knowledge of the cassava agriculture sector and its interface with food and industrial processing
• Demonstrated capacity for communication in various ways; presentations, documents, digital
• Commitment to interdisciplinary R&D cassava development
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
Terms of employment
The position is a two-year consultancy contract with an initial base in Nairobi, Kenya. The contract will be for two (2) years, subject to a probation period of six (6) months, and could be extended as an International position depending on performance and availability of resources. The position shall be under the supervision of CIAT Agrobiodiversity Research Area Director
CIAT is an equal opportunity employer, and strives for staff diversity in gender and nationality.
HOW TO APPLY:
Applicants are invited to send a cover letter illustrating their suitability for the above position against the listed qualifications, competencies, skills together with a detailed curriculum vitae, including names and addresses of three referees knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience. All correspondence should be addressed to the CIAT Human Resources Office to Andrea Linares (z.a.linares@cgiar.org ) and should clearly indicate “GCP21 Director (Consultancy)”.