Researcher - WEFE Nexus Management

Reports to: Research Team Leader - Soil, Water, and Agronomy (SWA)

Location: Cairo, Egypt

Main purpose of the position

The ICARDA Soil, Water, and Agronomy (SWA) Team implements several joint research activities for building resilience and improving water productivity of rainfed and irrigated production systems. This is achieved by combining soil health management techniques, water-saving technologies, and agronomic practices into contextualized solutions for impact at scale. The Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus (WEFE Nexus) approach highlights the interdependence of water, energy and food security and ecosystems – water, soil, and land – that underpin that security. The selected candidate will support the SWA Team in developing and implementing smart solutions for boosting smart energy use on the farm level and for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. S/he will contribute to advancing climate smart innovations including renewable energy and bioenergy production that are small-scale, community focused, economical, and sustainable. The candidate will research on determining the trade-offs and synergies that maintain the integrity and sustainability of ecosystems.S/he will be expected to work jointly with multidisciplinary projects related to irrigation, agricultural water management, and agronomy. S/he will contribute to improvement of water, energy, food, and carbon footprint nexus. S/he will provide scientific support, ensure quality data collection and analyses, report and disseminate research results to target audiences, provide effective options for smallholder farmers, and negotiate with potential partners and donors.

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.

All CGIAR Centers are currently engaged into a reform process (“One CGIAR’”) that will help ICARDA and CGIAR achieve better impact through more strategically integrated research, unified governance, an integrated structure and new research modalities across participating Research Centers. This transformation is supported by CGIAR donors who have committed to increased funding as a result of these reforms.

Main responsibilities

• Design, conduct, and supervise innovative research for development of agricultural energy and climate smart approaches, tools, and technologies for smallholder farmers.
• Evaluate, improve, and contribute to implementing new approaches/tools in farmers’ fields that improve energy efficiency and alternative energy production and advance climate mitigation and adaptation.
• Support the co-design process for scaling water, energy, food, and carbon footprint nexus index for quantitative assessment of farm performance.
• Advance the farm machinery to increase energy efficiency, increase yields, prolong machinery life, reduce labor, reduce expenses, and increase revenue.
• Conduct needs analysis for target regions via field visits and assessing in developing and conducting surveys and focus group discussions.
• Use spatial and quantitative modelling approaches to quantify the effectiveness of on-farm scale solutions on the landscape scale.
• Initiate and support the collaboration with governmental, research, academic, and private partners in the irrigation sector in Egypt.
• Prepare technical/research reports, scientific publications, policy briefs, and extension materials.
• Contribute to capacity development of national partners through training, supervision, and technical backstopping.
• Contribute to resource mobilization activities.
• Represent ICARDA in regional and international fora.
• Perform other professional duties assigned by the SWA Team Leader.

Requirements

Education, qualifications, and experience

Essential qualifications and competencies

• Earned PhD in energy, agriculture, water management, irrigation management, environmental management, or a related discipline.
• At least 3 to 5 years of professional experience in the field of agricultural energy, climate smart innovations, agronomy, and irrigation at national and regional levels.
• Master’s degree holder will be considered if it’s accompanied by at least 7 years of professional work experience.
• Strong spatial and quantitative modelling skills and a broad understanding of the water, energy, food, and ecology interactions on the farm level.
• Familiarity with agricultural related mechanical and electrical energy systems and farm machinery.
• Knowledge of precision farming, and the development of digital agriculture tools and applications.
• Trained in crop modeling, GIS, remote sensing, and climate-smart agriculture.
• Ability to be a great team player with good communication and organizational skills.
• A good track record of relevant scientific publications, extension materials, and technical reports.
• Excellent verbal and written English, Arabic, and/or French language skills.
• Able and willing to travel extensively within Egypt and in the region.

Essential qualifications and competencies

• Previous work experience in an international and multi-cultural environment.
• Previous experience in working in CGIAR or other international agricultural research institutions.
• Strong innovativeness and experience in the developing world.
• A track record in donor relations, fund raising and project development.

Benefits

Terms of appointment, salary, and benefits

This is a full-time nationally recruited staff position 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 3 years, renewable subject to continued need for the position, availability of fund and satisfactory performance. The first year will be a probationary period.

ICARDA is committed to increasing women representation in its workforce and strongly encourages applications from women. Applications will be acknowledged, but only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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