Associate Research Fellow

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks a qualified candidate to serve as an Associate Research Fellow for a two-year, renewable appointment for its Production and Environment Technology Division.  The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya or Washington, DC and reports to the Director of the Environment and Production Technology Division.  This is a position for One CGIAR and may migrate into new One CGIAR operational structure.

The Associate Research Fellow will conduct research aligned with Work Package 1 of the One CGIAR ClimBeR Initiative research portfolio with a focus on agricultural risk management for climate adaptation, particularly on bundled insurance products. The goal of the portfolio is to accelerate the adoption and impacts of innovations that can help improve food system resilience, climate adaptation, incomes, nutrition, social inclusion and gender equity. The researcher will primarily help develop and execute an agricultural risk management strategy, prioritizing insurable climatic risks in ClimBeR focus countries. The development of credit and insurance products for climate variability builds on information from risk exposure and vulnerability analysis, needs and demand assessments as well as feasibility studies. Much of this work includes intensive field implementation and primary data collection.

Essential Duties

• Collaborate on research related to agricultural risk strategy, bundled insurance and other innovations to help improve climate resilience, climate  adaptation, incomes, nutrition and gender equity for rural households.
• Execute innovative, policy-relevant economics research using data on rural households in developing countries to work to reduce poverty and/or malnutrition and improve adaptation to climate change.
• Publish papers in top, peer-reviewed journals and One CGIAR outlets (books, policy briefs etc.)
• Support efforts to strengthen the capacity of partner organizations and networks to conduct scholarly research and communicate evidence-based policy recommendations

Required Qualifications  

• PhD in Economics, Development Economics, Agricultural Economics or closely related fields
• Excellent econometric/statistical skills
• Demonstrated knowledge of state-of-the-art techniques used in microeconomic and panel data analysis
• Demonstrated knowledge of, experience, and active interest in rural financial products such as credit and insurance in developing countries
• Demonstrated ability to use economic theory in innovative and policy relevant ways
• Demonstrated capacity to produce high-quality research for publication in top, peer- reviewed journals
• Strong team player, self-motivated and ability to work with people from different social and cultural backgrounds
• Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English
• Willingness to travel for projects and/or team meetings

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Field experience in collecting quantitative project and household data in developing countries
• Experience in and familiarity with ClimBeR focus countries

Physical Demand & Work environment

• Employee will sit in an upright position for a long period of time
• Employee will lift between 0-10 pounds.
• Employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform activities such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing computer terminal; extensive reading.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is an equal employment opportunity employer – F/M/Disability/Vet/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.

Apply Here