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.

About The Position

The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT is seeking a highly qualified and experienced professional for the position of Senior Scientist to join the Food Environment and Consumer Behavior (FECB) team in the Americas Hub. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in conducting research, developing strategies, and providing technical expertise to address challenges and promote sustainable and inclusive food systems. They will work closely with a multidisciplinary team to generate evidence-based solutions that enhance food environments and market systems. The ideal candidate should demonstrate experience in the analysis of agri-food market systems, business models, markets, and overall food systems. The position will report to the FECB Research director and the Performance, Innovation and Strategic Analysis for Impact (PISA4I) Thematic Leader. Supervision and mentoring of junior researchers and project staff are integral to this position.

Main responsibilities

• Lead research initiatives, design and implement studies to understand and improve the food environment that serves the poor in urban, peri-urban and rural communities. This will include work on i) Food environment assessments; ii) Identification of key business “types” with the potential to deliver healthier, more nutritious, and more sustainable diets; iii) Co-design, testing and rigorous evaluation of innovations to enhance business performance; and iv) Dissemination of positive innovations and tracking of uptake using market system monitoring tools.
• Lead and design comprehensive studies focused on addressing challenges in market access, social inequalities, and other barriers or incentives that impact the effective and sustainable functioning of the markets.
• Provide strategic guidance on food environment policy frameworks with a focus on governance models for traditional food environments that help improve the agency of vendor networks/associations vis a vi public policy design and implementation.
• Develop and strengthen networks and relationships with different stakeholders (government agencies, NGOs, international institutions, and research institutions) to identify opportunities to understand and improve the food environment and related market systems.
• Conduct comprehensive research on food environments and market systems, and produce high-quality reports and ISI publications;
• Design and implement research methodologies, data collection tools, and sampling techniques to gather relevant data and generate insights into food environments and market systems;
• Serve as technical expertise focal point in the Americas, providing guidance, mentorship, and support to project teams on food environments and market systems;
• Ensure program management quality standards are met in terms of publications, outcomes, fundraising, and reporting.
• Lead fundraising activities including proposal writing and engagement with donors and partners.

Requirements

Required qualifications and experience

• Ph.D. degree in a relevant field such as Political Science, Economics, Community Development, Business, Consumer Science, Sociology, Nutrition, Public Health, or a similar field with a strong record in food systems analysis and interest in cross-disciplinary research.
• A minimum of 15 years of experience in conducting research and implementing projects related to food environments, market systems, business models, and policy formulation.
• Strong analytical and research skills, with expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Experience in successful large-scale proposal development, design and implementation of research studies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex concepts effectively to diverse audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and networking skills, with the ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior staff members.
• Proven track records of engaging with and supporting international, national, or local stakeholders.
• Professional working proficiency in Spanish and English.
• Substantive experience working in Latin American countries on the topics listed above.

Terms of employment

This is a full-time international position based in Cali, Colombia. The contract will be for a fixed term of two (2) years, subject to a probation period of six months, with possibilities of renewal based on performance and availability of funds.

This position is graded at BG11 level in a scale of BG01 to BG14 (BG14 being the highest level according to the Alliance job classification framework policy). We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits including but not limited to insurance, retirement plan, staff training and development, paid time off and flexible working arrangements.

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. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applications

Applicants are invited to visit https://alliancebioversityciat.org/careers to get full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST include reference number 103220 – Senior Scientist – Food Environment and Consumer Behavior (FECB) as the position applied for. Cover letter and CV should be saved as one document using the candidate’s last name, first name for ease of sorting. The Alliance collects and process personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

Applications closing date: 24 January 2024

Please note that email applications will not be considered.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.