The Organization

The Alliance of Bioversity International delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.

The Alliance works with local, national and multinational partners across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, and with the public and private sectors. The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services.

Background and Objective of the Assignment

Support on a variety of projects related to farmer behavior, agribusiness finance, agriculture risk management and insurance within the Behavioral Optimization and Private Sector Support team of The Alliance Bioversity International – CIAT.

The consultant will be called upon to: –

• Lead engagement with Innovation Packages and Scaling Readiness (IPSR) and OneSF on behalf of the CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator and other projects.
• Engage in the day-to-day management of project activities.  
• Conduct technical development of data collection instruments, literature reviews, whitepapers, slide decks and other presentation materials.
• Conduct technical reviews of project outputs and development to provide creative solutions to engagements. 
• Manage projects toward timelines for deliverables and reports.  
• Present at relevant forums including conferences, networking events, or client meetings. 
• Attend relevant internal brainstorm sessions.  
• Perform any other duty as may be assigned by the project supervisor. 
• Travel up to one time per month.

Consultants are required to finance travel and request reimbursements at the conclusion of trips.

Outputs & Deliverables 

The Consultant will deliver on specific tasks requested by the team:

• Provide context and overall guidance on the purpose and expectations for the assignment. 
• Provide feedback and any necessary further direction. 
• Liaise regularly with the consultant as needed for the duration of the project.  

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social science Field or Business, with preference for economics or political economy.
• At least 4 years of previous work experience in agriculture, agriculture economics, natural resource economics, development economics or behavioral economics, with experience managing large scale research and consulting projects in developing countries. 
• Strong qualitative, quantitative, research, and data analytic skills.
• Experience in data analysis, including knowledge of and experience working with software such as R, Python, Matlab or Stata.
• Ability to quickly understand and adapt to new contextual situations.  
• Ability to manage high-level relationships with partner organizations.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills.
• Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and a team player.
• Interest and experience working in a fast-paced team within a large research institution.
• Fluency and excellent communication and writing skills with a mastery of English. 
• Experience with agriculture risk management frameworks or risk modeling for credit or insurance is preferred but not required.

Terms of employment: 

The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya. The initial contract will be for 6 months and is renewable depending on performance and availability of resources.

The consultant will operate from own office other than under exceptional circumstances and provide own work facilities, equipment, stationery, supplies, and all operational requirements to carry out the assignment and provide the services required.

The Consultant will deliver high-quality service within the agreed timelines and Liaise with the project manager(s) on a regular basis to report progress and report any issues and/or concerns that may affect the performance of the consultancy in the course of any assignment.

The Alliance Bioversity-CIAT is committed to fair, safe, and inclusive workplaces. We believe that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority. We encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability statuses, sexual orientations, marital status, and gender identities.

Applications

Applicants are invited to visit https://www.bioversityinternational.org/jobs/ to get full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST include reference number   Ref: Consultant as the position applied for. Application and CV should be saved as one document using the candidate’s last name, first name for ease of sorting.

Note: The Alliance does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). The Alliance also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

Applications closing date: 14^th March 2024

Please note that email applications will not be considered.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

We invite you to learn more about us at:

http://alliancebioversityciat.org