About IRRI

Job Purpose

Climate Change impacts rice production through exacerbated and more frequent climate extremes. At the same time rice fields are a large emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG). Technologies that reduce the carbon footprint of rice and make rice-based systems more resilient to climate extremes exist but uptake of such technologies is slow. Working with various national and international partners in different projects, IRRI develops strategies to increase the level of adoption of climate-smart technologies in rice production. This task needs a concerted approach of an inter-disciplinary team of experts.

Under the general direction of a Senior Scientist, the Scientist will independently lead bilateral projects and regional initiative work packages related to climate change adaptation and mitigation, including direct management of project personnel, partnerships, and budgets. The Scientist will lead the development and management of the organization’s monitoring, reporting, and verification ecosystem for GHGs in rice. This includes engagement and strategizing with government and private sector partners, as well as bridging individual tools into an interoperable modular MRV system. S/he will build and manage a team with expert knowledge on greenhouse gas estimation, development and maintenance of GHG calculation tools, mapping climate risks and suitability of mitigation practices, optimization modeling for adaptation and mitigation, and more. The incumbent will also provide capacity building and policy advocacy as well as write funding proposals, research reports and scientific articles. The successful candidate will further develop and communicate scientific results to a range of stakeholders including policy makers and assist in monitoring and evaluation of project deliverables.

This position will be based in Hanoi, Vietnam and is open for international applications.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Lead multi-disciplinary projects with a focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation contributing to IRRI’s and OneCGIAR’s climate change research agenda with a focus in Southeast Asia while also contributing to climate work in South Asia
• Develop monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas mitigation in rice production systems
• Integrate other IRRI digital tools relevant to MRV into an interoperable ecosystem (calculators, APIs, websites, apps, remote sensing, data bases, etc)
• Advocate for increased government policies and funding resources to incorporate mitigation strategies into national policies
• Lead research on climate risk mapping, suitability mapping, geo-spatial analysis for GHG emissions and mitigation
• Coordinate and manage project activities across CGIAR centers, and major rice-producing countries
• Design and manage research and develop evidence-based recommendations to improve performance of agricultural practices and policies, including approaches to enhancing sustainability, reducing emissions, improving environmental performance and strengthening resilience
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with national research and extension partners, both in public and private sectors, as well as donor representatives across the work region and engage partners in advanced research institutes to actively pursue research and funding opportunities
• Manage the performance and deliverables of personnel within IRRI and across associated OneCGIAR centers working within climate change projects led by the incumbent
• Collaborate with other scientists at IRRI as well as across the OneCGIAR to establish strong inter-disciplinary research networks for outcome-oriented delivery of results
• Contribute to proposal development by introducing ideas and methodologies on MRV, mitigation and adaptation research, geospatial analysis.
• Communicate research results and new ideas in a broad array of outlets, including peer-reviewed journals, mass media, policy fora as well as national and international scientific conferences
• Lead the development of innovative digital tools for monitoring, reporting, and verification of GHG emissions
• Ensure the timely completion of deliverables on all related projects

Qualifications

• PhD in Environmental sciences with at least 5 years experience, preferred disciplines include geospatial sciences, environment and natural resources, agriculture science, information science, or other disciplines which provides suitable advanced knowledge

Skills Required

Mandatory

• Demonstrated ability to perform in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment as well as in a team
• Ability to build and manage a team of experts
• Experience in geospatial research, quantitative research in agriculture, GHG research particularly in rice systems, climate change mitigation and adaptation
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills as well as strong interpersonal and
• communication skills
• Ability and willingness to explore and learn new work disciplines
• Excellent verbal and written English language skills
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision

Preferred

• Experience leading multi-disciplinary projects
• Experience working in developing countries in Southeast Asia
• Sound knowledge around climate change challenges in Asian agriculture
• Vietnamese language skills

IRRI offers a highly extensive employee benefits package inclusive of globally-covered medical insurance, retirement plan, life and accident insurance and other allowances.

Join our team and be part of our story!

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
This position will remain open until filled.