ICRISAT seeks applications for an Associate Scientist-Agricultural Economist to strengthen the ability of The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) to provide evidence-based solutions for making vegetables more available, affordable, and accessible in lower-income countries. The incumbent will be based at the Center?s regional office for South Asia in Hyderabad, India. This is a nationally recruited position and is open for Indian nationals only. The personnel will contribute to projects mostly in South Asia. She/he will report to the Flagship Program Leader for Enabling Impact and will work closely with the research team at WroldVeg regional headquarters in Hyderabad, India.

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 million 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 a 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 mandate crops of chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut, sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet in the arid and semi-arid tropics. The Institute focuses its work on the drylands and in 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

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead efforts to integrate monitoring and evaluation in the design of projects/programs. This includes the use of mobile project monitoring tools to track project implementation and the adoption of innovations.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative studies to evaluate the impact of policies and interventions in the vegetable sector with a particular focus on nutrition outcomes.
• Conduct scoping studies and systematic reviews of vegetable interventions from seed to policy interventions.
• Lead capacity strengthening efforts aimed at raising the profile of vegetables on policy agendas.
• Lead efforts to integrate monitoring and evaluation in the design of projects/programs.
• Publish research results in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.
• Provide guidance to colleagues and partners on issues of impact evaluation, vegetable value chains and nutritional impact of vegetable interventions.
• Perform any other duties as required by the needs of the Center and the Supervisor.

 Requirement:

The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of the following skills, knowledge, experience, and personal characteristics:

• A recent PhD degree in Agricultural Economics, Development Economics, Development Studies, Agricultural Sciences or a related discipline with a strong focus on applied research.
• At least 2 years of postdoctoral experience.
• Experience conducting and analyzing farm household surveys.
• Skills in qualitative research methods will be an advantage.
• Strong communication skills in spoken and written English. Proficiency in one or more Indian languages will be an advantage.
• Able to work with multidisciplinary teams in a multicultural and multinational environment.
• Willingness to travel extensively.

The Reward: This is a Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) position with competitive pay and benefits. The initial appointment is for Thirty-Six months renewable, depending on the incumbent’s performance and funding availability.

 The candidate we hire will embody WorldVeg?s Five Core Values:

1. Dedication to Innovation and Knowledge Sharing:

Supports the conduct of world-class science, respects ethical standards, and is committed to sharing results in a transparent manner.

2. Commitment to Impact:

Aspires to achieve positive, tangible, and lasting impact contributing to Sustainable Development Goals.

3. Commitment to Partnerships:

Believes in the value of partnerships to advance research for development.

4. Respect for People:

Respect the diversity of gender, culture, ethnic origin, religion, age, beliefs, and views.

5. Respect for the Environment:

Strives to minimize its environmental impact and to introduce greener technology and practices.

General:

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

How to apply:

Applicants should apply on or before 24 January 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