Reports to: CGIAR Chief Scientist

Location: This position will be based in a duty station to be determined in a location with significant CGIAR operations relevant to the Program. Montpellier, shown above, is a default system setting and not the confirmed duty station.

Grade: SO8 / CG13 (Equivalent to UN D1)

Date Published: 24 March 2025

Closing Date for Applications: 15 April 2025 at 16:00 CEST.

About CGIAR

CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future. CGIAR science is dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services. Its research is conducted closely with hundreds of partners, including national and regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, development organizations, and the private sector.

About the position

CGIAR has an ambitious mission to deliver science and innovations that advance the transformation of food, land and water systems in a climate crisis to reduce poverty and inequity, enhance food and nutrition security, and improve natural resources and ecosystem services. CGIAR’s Integrated Partnership operates as a federated group of Centers and the CGIAR System Organization, united by common values and principles, and committed to achieving synergies that enhance their individual and collective contributions to CGIAR’s mission.

CGIAR’s 2025—30 science and innovation Portfolio encompasses eight Science Programs, a Scaling for Impact Program, and three Accelerators. The Portfolio is designed to harness CGIAR’s collective capabilities to address the most pressing global challenges. It aims to foster deeper and broader programmatic integration across Centers and disciplines, enabling science and innovation at a greater scale with enhanced reach and impact.

The Food Frontiers and Security Science Program aims to generate innovative research-based solutions that directly contribute to improving food, land, and water systems and nutrition in fragile and conflict-affected areas, cities, and island nations, enabling them to achieve a sustainable and resilient food future. Through innovative research and practical interventions, the program aims to build resilience, sustainability, and equitable food systems in these frontier areas, addressing their unique vulnerabilities and opportunities.

The Director, Food Frontiers and Security Science Program provides scientific leadership, adaptive management, and strategic alignment of the Program and its components as a coherent, joint undertaking that spans multiple CGIAR Centers, partners, and sources of funding.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Consolidates the adoption of evidence-based, innovative approaches to address vulnerabilities in fragile, urban, and island food systems by fostering strategic partnerships with researchers, policymakers, private sector actors, and community organizations.
• Advances systemic changes to enhance food security and resilience, aligning research outputs with practical, scalable solutions that address barriers such as climate shocks, governance challenges, and socio-economic inequities.
• Provides scientific and strategic Leadership of the Program, ensuring continuous review and adaptive management of the Program’s vision, theory of change, and structure to maximize impact, relevance, and efficiency.
• Oversees Program execution, aligning activities with CGIAR’s overarching vision, mission, and 2030 outcomes, including developing and managing work plans and budgets for Program, and fostering alignment of relevant of other bilaterally funded projects and programs with the Program’s high-level outcomes and theory of change.
• Leads the Program’s Leadership team, comprising Area of Work Leads and Co-Leads, and Center Delegates defining a vision for the program and shared accountability.
• Actively participates in CGIAR’s Global Science Team, driving coordinated science and innovation leadership across the Portfolio to achieve collective impact.
• Guides and directs engagement with global enabling and engagement functions, a Program -level Independent Advisory Group, and CGIAR’s partnership-wide independent advisory and assurance bodies (i.e. Independent Science for Development Council, the Independent Advisory and Evaluation Service, the Standing Panel on Impact Assessment, and Internal Audit) combining scientific and political acumen.
• Acts as a spokesperson, engaging with partners, funders and – when required – CGIAR’s partnership-wide governing bodies on matters related to the Program, including the CGIAR System Council and CGIAR Integrated Partnership Board.
• Directs the delivery, quality of science, and prioritization of activities and outputs, and assumes overall accountability for the use of such funds for their intended purpose under the Program.
• Establishes performance and results management of the Program, including the development of technical and financial reporting and the implementation of regular pause and reflect processes.
• Assigns and provides functional oversight of Area of Work Leads and Co-Leads and Program Management Unit staff in Centers.
• Generates rigorous, scalable, and actionable outputs to bridge research and practical applications, enhancing resilience and food security in vulnerable systems through innovative, evidence-based approaches.
• Expands monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks to drive improvement, align outcomes with CGIAR’s impact pathways, and scale solutions for fragile, urban, and island food systems.

Requirements

Education and Experience

• Advanced degree (PhD or equivalent) in Public Policy, Environmental Science, Development Studies, Political Science, Economics, Agricultural Economics, or a related field, specializing in resilience, food security, or sustainable development in fragile or frontier systems.
• Postdoctoral experience or additional certifications in climate adaptation, conflict-affected food systems, security studies, international relations, or urban and island food security are highly desirable.
• Demonstrated expertise in research on enhancing resilience, equity, and sustainability in food systems within fragile, urban, and island contexts.
• Proven track record of leading interdisciplinary programs addressing vulnerabilities such as climate risks, governance challenges, and socio-economic disparities.
• Familiarity with innovative tools, including scenario modeling, risk assessments, impact evaluations, and participatory approaches to co-create solutions for vulnerable food systems.
• Extensive experience in resource mobilization, building strategic partnerships, and overseeing financial and operational management of complex, multi-stakeholder programs to ensure alignment with strategic priorities and maximizing impact.

Key Competences

• Strategically aligning Program goals with CGIAR’s mission to enhance resilience, food security, and sustainability in fragile, urban, and island food systems.
• Developing and scaling solutions to address critical challenges such as climate risks, food insecurity, and governance gaps, prioritizing equity and sustainability.
• Systems thinking to address interconnected vulnerabilities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to design scalable and impactful interventions.
• Effective communication with diverse stakeholders, including research partners, donors, policymakers, and private sector stakeholders, to articulate a compelling vision and drive engagement.
• Fostering collaboration and consensus, navigating diverse perspectives and influencing decision-making across multidisciplinary teams and multi-stakeholder networks to achieve shared objectives.
• Exceptional leadership skills with a proven ability to inspire and integrate multidisciplinary teams and manage talent, while promoting knowledge sharing, staff development and diversity.
• Adherence to the highest ethical standards, fostering trust and treating all people with respect.

Languages

Fluency in English essential to communicate in writing and speaking. Knowledge of a second language desirable.

Benefits

The selected staff member will be offered terms and conditions commensurate with the grade of the position, qualifications and experience.

Submitting Your Application

If you face challenges in submitting your application, please email recruitment@cgiar.org with the position title in the subject line.

Please note that shortlisted candidates will be contacted by our partner, SRI Executive.