Postdoctoral Fellow, Agricultural Economist (Ref No: DDG-R4D/PDF/AE/01/17)
Background: The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for the internationally recruited position of Postdoctoral Fellow, Agricultural Economist.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) seeks a postdoctoral fellow (agricultural economist) to undertake socio-economic evaluation and impact assessment of investments on perennial cropping systems within the framework of CRP CCAFS. As a member of the IITA Social Sciences and Agribusiness program and under the guidance of a senior agricultural economist, the successful candidate will design and undertake coffee/cocoa farming systems survey, assess the effects of climate change on coffee/cocoa farming systems and undertake adoption and impact evaluation of improved coffee/cocoa production system technologies on food security and poverty. The successful candidate will reports to the IITA Leader of the CRP CCAFS and the senior economist.
Position Responsibilities:
- Characterize the coffee/cocoa farming system and assess its vulnerability as well as its adaptation capabilities to climate change.
- Design and conduct a comprehensive community, household, and plot level survey to generate high-quality data for rigorous assessment of the economic profitability, social acceptability environmental sustainability of improved coffee/cocoa production systems.
- Assemble secondary data on variables and related parameters for a range of technology options which are needed for measuring and attributing impacts on productivity and incomes of farmers in the coffee/cocoa production systems.
- Assess the extent, determinants, and pathways of adoption of technologies in the improved coffee/cocoa production system.
- Develop and apply innovative quantitative methods for assessing various climate change adaptation and mitigation options and quantifying the impacts of coffee/cocoa production system technologies on food security and poverty reduction in a manner that goes beyond establishing causality and estimating average effects.
- Publish research findings in international peer reviewed journals.
- Prepare technical reports and establish adoption and impact database.
- Translate research findings into recommendations for policy action for greater technology adoption and impacts.
- Contribute to capacity strengthening of national partners; and Participate actively in annual review and planning meetings.
Educational Qualifications
The candidate should have a PhD in agricultural economics, economics, or development economics from a highly recognized university.
Core Competencies:
- Good understanding of perennial cropping systems such as coffee/cocoa production system
- Demonstrated experience with impact evaluation of agricultural innovations on food and nutrition security, environment and poverty reduction.
- Knowledge of data collection tools and analytical methods for socio-economic studies at large.
- Knowledge of econometric modeling methods and software (e.g. Stata) in quantitative evaluation of systems and technologies.
- Demonstrated experience with large-scale socioeconomic and impact surveys.
- A high degree of personal organization and ability to multi-task and work under pressure.
- Demonstrated ability to write and publish journal articles.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; and
- Ability to work independently in a multidisciplinary and multi-cultural environment.
Duty station: Kampala, Uganda
General information: The contract will be for an initial period of two years. IITA offers internationally competitive remuneration package paid in U.S. Dollars.
Applications: Applications must include covering letter which should address how the candidate’s background/experience relates to the specific duties of the position applied for, curriculum vitae, names and addresses of three professional referees (which must include either the Head of the applicant’s current or previous organization or applicant’s direct Supervisor/Superior at his/her present or former place of work). The application should be addressed to the Head, Human Resources Service.
Closing Date: The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.
IITA is an equal opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from women candidates.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
More Information
- Job City Kampala
