Research Associate (Climate Services)

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE ON CLIMATE SERVICES (CS)

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 Applying seasonal climate forecasting and innovative insurance solutions to climate risk management in the agriculture sector in SE Asia, also known as the DeRISK Southeast Asia Project, led by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), co-implemented by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and the Alliance, with funding support from the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), (https://deriskseasia.org [1]) aims to develop climate risk management systems, best practices, and insurance products that will shield smallholder farmers and businesses across the agricultural value chain in key Southeast Asia countries from physical and financial disaster associated with climate change. It will assist the governments in developing national and regional adaptation and risk management strategies. The project is working with local partners to co-develop agroclimatic information (weather and seasonal climate forecasts and associated agro-advisories) for pilot districts in Ninh Thuan and Tien Giang provinces.

The Research Associate will provide support and work closely with the Country Coordinator for Vietnam and DeRISK Southeast Asia Project Manager in piloting climate services and coordinate other activities including research implemented in Vietnam. The Research Associate will work with the multi-disciplinary team and participate in the activities of the Climate Action Lever.

Key Responsibilities

The main role of the Research Associate (Climate Services) is to support project implementation, participate in research activities, contribute to partnership building and policy development, specifically by performing the following tasks:

• Facilitate participatory workshops with an application of agronomic and crop knowledge: Organize and facilitate meetings and/or workshops (face-to-face or virtual) with local stakeholders to discuss agroclimatic information and develop it into bulletins for dissemination to end-users or farmers;
• Organize and implement capacity building activities: Contribute to developing needs-based training designs and modules and carry out tailored training for local stakeholders (i.e., local governments), support the training and management of field enumerators, and supervise data collection (e.g. household surveys, key informant interviews, focus groups);
• Support on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) activities: Regularly follow-up, monitor, and document the progress of field activities in the pilot sites to ensure achievement of target outputs and outcomes. Ensure immediate reporting to supervisor for urgent matters to facilitate timely troubleshooting, as necessary;
• Reporting and writing to develop targeted knowledge products: Support in synthesizing and writing field reports based on the CS piloting including data collection for Climate-Smart for Agriculture (CSA) practices observed and documented from the pilot sites. This will be integrated and developed into a training manual or standard operating procedures (SOP) for local agro-advisory development and delivery;
• Collaborate with stakeholders and scope for scaling opportunities in CS. Maintain effective relationships with local partners in the provinces and help identify opportunities to scale CS beyond pilot sites through exploration of relevant action plans, programs, and policies of potential partners including the private sector and other development organizations;
• Cooperate with other teams within Climate Action Lever: Explore opportunities to work with researchers and scientists within Climate Action and/or other research areas within the Alliance. This may include support in developing research designs and instruments, conduct surveys or interviews, data management including analysis, and supervise a team of enumerators in the field, if required; and
• Undertake relevant support tasks (e.g. administrative, logistics) as assigned by the supervisors.

Required qualification and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in natural sciences such as crop science, agriculture, sustainable natural resources management, environmental science, or another relevant field. Master’s degree is an advantage.
• At least four (4) years of relevant experience in the field of agricultural development or natural resources management. At least (3) years of experience working in the field or for local development project at the community-level with emphasis on coordinating and working with various stakeholders from different administrative levels and local governments (e.g. village, commune, district, province).
• Demonstrated experience in organizing and facilitating participatory workshops and conducting key informant interviews and focus group discussions.
• Experience in project M&E is an advantage (e.g. baseline and end line surveys, qualitative evaluation).
• Experience working in an international, not-for-profit organization or government institution is a plus.
• Excellent communication skills, oral and written communication in English and Vietnamese.

Skills and competence

• Well organized and able to meet tight deadlines
• Good command of the English language
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work well in multi-cultural teams
• Excellent facilitation skills and decision-making
• Good understanding of time management and able to work under pressure
• Ability to work independently and with minimum supervision

Terms of employment

This is a full-time position and available for Vietnamese nationals based in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Contracts are issued and renewed annually, based on performance and availability of resources.

This position is subjected to an initial two-month probation period. The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT is an equal opportunity employer and strives for staff diversity.

Applications

To be considered for this position, please send an email to [email protected] [2] (Ms. Angelica Barlis, Project Manager) and [email protected] [3] (Ms. Kieu Le Huyen, HR Assistant) with the subject line “Application - Research Associate on Climate Services – Candidate’s full name”. In your email, please include:

1. A cover letter illustrating your motivation to apply and suitability for the above position against the listed qualifications and work responsibilities.
2. A detailed curriculum vitae, including the names and email addresses of three professional referees who have worked either as your professional or academic supervisors and are knowledgeable about your skills and professional abilities.

This position is urgent and will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found. Only qualified applicants with relevant skills and experience will be contacted. We recommend applying as soon as possible and no later than July 16, 2021.

We invite you to learn more about us at:
https://alliancebioversityciat.org/ [4] ; https://annualreport2019.alliancebioversityciat.org/ [5]