POST DOCTORAL FELLOW/RESEARCH FELLOW

“CLIMATE CHANGE & AGRICULTURAL RISK MANAGEMENT–” – ASIA

The Organization

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) 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.

With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people in a climate crisis.

The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future.

About the position

The Post Doctoral Fellow/Research Fellow for “Climate Change & Agricultural Risk Management–” – Asia will play a significant role in leading and participating in projects and programs across the Philippines and Asia with a focus on the execution of data-and model-based climate impact and adaptation assessments and the development of climate information services (CIS) and decision support tools tailored to the agricultural sector. As a part of the Asia team for Climate Action – one of the six levers within the Alliance, the position involves collaboration with a global team of professionals from diverse backgrounds in climate risk assessment, crop and climate modelling, agronomy, digital agriculture, user centred design, and bundled (financial) services.

More specifically, the candidate will provide technical support to the Climate Action Lever under a number of new multi-year CGIAR research initiatives being launched across the region (including Asian Mega-Deltas and Climate Resilience), along with other ongoing and proposed bilateral projects on climate risk management and advisory services.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Contributes to the design, planning, and implementation of projects on agricultural climate risks, climate impacts and adaptation, and digital climate and agricultural services (DCAS) in the Philippines and Asia.
• Use analytical skills to conduct and/or oversee data- and model-based climate impact and adaptation assessments in the areas of interest to the Alliance and its partners.
• Supports the design of new projects and tools around data science approaches and performs data analysis for climate risk assessment and investment planning through the operationalization of innovative methodologies that take into consideration local stakeholder needs.
• Stay up to date with the most recent literature on climate impacts, adaptation, and climate risk assessments, as well as promising developments in DCAS. Contribute to the automation of analysis routines.
• Take a pro-active role in Climate Action projects and activities in the Philippines interacting with the Department of Agriculture and other relevant partners in the country on behalf of the Alliance to increase its portfolio and scale innovations. 
• Contribute to the development of concept notes and research proposals as part of the Climate Action team in Asia.
• Contribute to reporting and lead scientific paper writing.
• Coordinate activities and exchange knowledge with the global climate action team
• Supervise junior staff and/or consultants in relevant initiatives and projects.

Requirements

• PhD or MS degree in a relevant field such as climate science, agrometeorology, agricultural science, environmental science, geography, or related disciplines.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in implementing research projects and roles requiring independent work on quantitative assessments of climate risks, impacts, adaptation, and advisory.
• At least 1 to 2 years’ experience with project management activities related to work on climate risks, impacts, adaptation, and advisory.
• Experience, training, and knowledge in agrometeorology, climate science, and/or climate services for agriculture.
• Experience in the design and application of CIS needs assessment and CIS design and implementation.
• Extensive experience in handling and processing geospatial data.
• Experience in working with partners from academia, NGOs, CGIAR centres, and meteorological services.
• Knowledge and experience in climate prediction and/or the use of climate predictions to inform decision-making.

• Proficiency in programming languages such as R, Python, JavaScript is preferred, alongside a strong background in crop-climate modelling.
• Strong expertise in GIS, remote sensing, and spatial modelling to support scalable climate risk and vulnerability assessments is preferred.
• Ability to gather, organize, and analyze various data sets to support the effective implementation of services, investments, and actions.
• Ability to design scalable and innovative methodologies to provide scientific evidence of vulnerability, climate risks, and climate impacts at different spatial scales.
• Good written and oral communication skills, demonstrated through producing technical reports, scientific articles, and presentations.
• Experience in the Philippines, focusing on climate change and agriculture, and the ability to communicate effectively with national and local partners will be advantageous.

Terms of employment

This is an internationally recruited position based in Los Banos, Philippines (both Filipino nationals and international candidates can apply).  The initial contract will be for up to two (2) years, subject to a probation period of six (6) months and is renewable depending on performance and availability of resources. This position is at BG08 level – Post Doctoral/Research Fellow, in a scale of 14 levels, with level 14 being the highest.

The Alliance Bioversity-CIAT offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salaries and excellent benefits. We are an equal opportunity employer, and strive for gender, diversity, and inclusion in our staff, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic.

Applications

Applicants are invited to https://alliancebioversityciat.org/careers to get full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST include reference number RFP103174-PostDoctoral/Fellow/Research Fellow 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.

Applications closing date: 5^th November 2023

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