103536-Post doctoral Fellow – Adaptation Tracking, Nairobi, Kenya FULL TIME | ALLIANCE BIOVERSITY & CIAT | KENYA Posted On 13/03/2024
Job Description
THE ORGANIZATION
The Alliance of Bioversity International & 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.
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 Postdoctoral Fellow will play a crucial role in developing and implementing the Alliance’s agenda on adaptation tracking. Collaborating closely with the Climate Action Lever’s multidisciplinary teams, One CGIAR Initiatives, and beyond, the candidate will be instrumental in integrating scientific findings around adaptation tracking into actionable insights, thereby enhancing our partners’ impact in mitigating climate risks and reporting on their actions.
Responsibilities include conducting cutting-edge research, developing innovative tracking tools, engaging with stakeholders to ensure the relevance and applicability of research outcomes, helping to coordinate and report on projects and contributing to the dissemination of knowledge through publications, presentations, and training. Adaptation tracking is an emerging topic in Climate Action and, in short, this Postdoctoral position will help to consolidate our expertise and push forward our agenda.
Key duties & responsibilities
The role of the Postdoctoral Fellow in Adaptation Tracking is centered on integrating research into actionable strategies for climate adaptation.
- Desk research to assess existing frameworks, pinpoint effective indicators, and determine the costs associated with tracking adaptation, aiming to refine the tools and methods used in policymaking and program development.
- Support in designing and conducting field surveys, particularly within African contexts, to test the applicability of these frameworks and ensure they are grounded in real-world effectiveness.
- Analyzing qualitative and quantitative tools to measure the effectiveness of adaptation efforts, thereby supporting the creation of robust, evidence-based policies and investments in adaptation.
- Establishing and maintaining high-quality, standardized methodologies that ensure consistency and reliability of research analysis and results documentation.
- Synthesizing data and narratives collected from various sources to generate a coherent body of evidence that will inform and shape adaptation strategies.
- Lead workshops to build capacity among colleagues and partners, sharing insights on adaptation tracking to enhance collective understanding and skills.
- Writing scientific papers and communicating findings to a broad range of stakeholders, ensuring that research translates into practical and impactful climate action.
- Influencing global climate policy through international negotiations, with a significant focus on translating these discussions into concrete fieldwork and adaptation measures within the African continent.
- Fostering strategic relationships with a diverse array of internal and external stakeholders.
- Regular interaction with colleagues across different teams, ensuring that the adaptation tracking efforts are aligned with the broader lever and organizational goals. This includes collaborating with fellow scientists, providing guidance to project teams, and reporting findings and recommendations to leadership team within the lever.
- Active engagement with a network of national and international partners. This includes articulating research outcomes and strategic insights to UNFCCC negotiators and stakeholders to inform international climate policy.
- Working closely with on-the-ground program implementers, such as NGOs, to translate research into actionable projects and interventions. The role also entails the exchange of ideas and data with other scientists, contributing to a cohesive global research effort.
- Interact with donors, communicating the progress, outcomes, and impact of ongoing projects, and discussing future research directions and funding opportunities. This will require the development of reports, the presentation of evidence-based justifications for continued or additional funding, and the maintenance of transparent and productive relationships with funding bodies.
- Translating complex scientific concepts into accessible language for stakeholders, including beneficiaries who are directly impacted by climate adaptation projects.
- Support in delivering of tangible outcomes that drive progress in climate adaptation across multiple levels. This includes the development of tracking models that reflect the real-time progress of adaptation efforts and the identification of gaps in current strategies. The role necessitates the production of high-quality, peer-reviewed research publications that contribute to the global knowledge base on climate adaptation and inform policy decisions.
- Establishment of frameworks for data collection and analysis that supports the evaluation of adaptation effectiveness in diverse ecological and social contexts.
- Foster strong collaborative relationships with stakeholders across sectors to facilitate the exchange of information and the integration of scientific insights into practical adaptation initiatives.
- The synthesis of this work should culminate in actionable recommendations for enhancing resilience and adaptive capacity at the local, regional, and global scales.
- Engage in capacity-building activities, possibly including the mentoring of junior researchers and the development of educational materials or workshops aimed at improving understanding and practices around adaptation tracking.
Requirements
Required qualifications and experience.
- PhD in Climate Change Adaptation, Governance, or Agricultural Economics.
- Proven experience (5 years+) with climate change adaptation and agriculture/ rural development topics
- Familiarity with recent developments in the field of climate adaptation and resilience measurement and evaluation
- Familiarity and experience with international frameworks and policies related to climate change and adaptation, such as the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.
- Experience working in an international context and interacting with stakeholders across various countries.
- Experience in international, multicultural settings and in interaction with researchers, policymakers, donors, and civil society across a wide range of contexts.
- Knowledge of evidence syntheses methodologies and tools,
- Experience with conducting surveys and fieldwork in the Global South.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Demonstrated abilities to summarize, write and explain complex content in a simple manner.
Terms of employment
This is an internationally recruited position based in Nairobi, Kenya. The initial contract will be for 2 years subject to a probation period of six months and is renewable depending on performance and availability of resources.
This position is graded at BG08 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 RFP103536-Postdoctoral Fellow 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: Wednesday, 27th March 2024
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
We invite you to learn more about us at:
http://alliancebioversityciat.org
