Research Associate-Economist
Reports to: Climate, Peace, and Security Policy Scientist MENA Regional Climate Security Hub
Location: Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT-Cairo, Egypt
Main purpose of position
This position requires the delivery of quantitative research activities and econometric analysis related to the theme of climate change, peace, and conflict performed by the Alliance’s FOCUS Climate Security Team, physically based at the CGIAR MENA Regional Climate Security Hub in Cairo, Egypt. The experienced candidate will contribute new scientific impulses and innovative research methods and approaches to the enthusiastic, diverse, and international FOCUS Climate Security Team, a team of 50+ climate, peace, and security researchers working in 16+ countries. The position requires systems thinking and the ability to link quantitative with qualitative research approaches in researching the complexity of compound risk in a global climate crisis.
The employer of record will be ICARDA and employment policies, compensation and benefits of ICARDA will apply to this position.
About ICARDA
The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR. ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development and capacity development that take into account gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organization, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org.
About Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) is a global organization that builds on the complementary mandates and long collaboration of the two entities to respond to today’s global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and malnutrition.
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. To do so, 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. With partners, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations in large-scale programs to create food systems and landscapes that 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, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services. For more information: https://alliancebioversityciat.org/.
Main responsibilities
The economist will work with the research teams of the FOCUS Climate Security Team and MENA Regional Climate Security Hub on the following tasks:
· Generating, compiling, and analysing data and performing advanced economic, econometric, and spatial-econometric analyses to quantify the indirect impact of climate on conflict, through mediation analysis techniques and impact evaluation methods.
· Implement econometric analysis to estimate climate change resilience in displacement, migration, fragility, and conflict settings.
· Support ongoing economic and econometric analyses workstreams within the CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security research initiatives.
· Support the global rollout of the Climate Security research.
· Support, write, and disseminate high-quality research and communicate research findings through research papers, journal articles, reports, policy briefs, and other outlets.
· Contribute to the production of a regional strategic plan for research and policy impact.
· Contribute to research proposals and the design of research methodologies.
· Contribute to the planning and implementing of regional, country-level, and field research.
· Contributing to the development of scientific databases, and input to organizational information systems.
· Contributing to the integration of science and policy through the MENA Climate Security Hub’s policy advocacy in the region.
· Delivering training sessions, presentations, and facilitating workshop, conference, and seminar sessions.
· Contributing to the establishment and development of a growing partner network for CGIAR’s MENA Regional Climate Security Hub through building and maintaining partnerships with key entities and players across the region
Requirements
Education, qualifications, and experience
· Master’s degree in economics or a related field (this can be compensated by a Bachelor’s Degree with at least 5 years of additional experience on the job and relevant certificates of relevant additional training).
· At least 7 years of work experience in the field of econometric analysis, preferably in research setting or with an international organization working in the field of environment and / or development
· Proficiency in using STATA, R, and/or Python.
· Proficiency in handling high-resolution climate data and large socio-economic datasets (DHS, LSMS) for econometric analysis.
· Outstanding research skills and grasp of theories and concepts related to climate change, peace, and security.
· A profound grasp of quantitative methods and tools related to impact evaluation and spatial econometrics.
· Outstanding organizational skills, as well as the ability to work independently and to proactively lead tasks and processes.
· Experience with data collection and analysis, and experience with linking quantitative and qualitative research methods.
· Excellent presentation, communication, and academic writing skills.
· Excellent teamwork capacities and interest in working as part of an international and dynamic team.
· Fluency in Arabic and English, written and spoken.
· Appropriate level of IT literacy and grasp of key programs related to economic analysis and modelling.
Benefits
Terms of appointment, salary, and benefits
This is a nationally recruited position open to Egyptian nationals for which ICARDA offers an attractive compensation package including a competitive salary, medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, five months’ maternity leave, 15 days’ paternity leave. The successful candidate will be offered an initial contract of 1 year, renewable subject to continued need for the position and satisfactory performance. The first six months will be probationary period.
ICARDA is committed to increasing women representation in its workforce and strongly encourages applications from women.
Applications will be acknowledged, but we apologize in advance as due to the large number of applications only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.