Associate Scientist – Bio-Economic and Value Chain Modelling

ICRISAT invites applications for the position of Associate Scientist – Bio-Economic and Value Chain Modelling with Markets, Institutions, Nutrition & Diversity under Innovation Systems for the Drylands Program. This position is based in Hyderabad, India and reports to Principal Scientist – Agriculture Economist.

ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. ICRISAT and its partners help empower those living in the semi-arid tropics, especially smallholder farmers, to overcome poverty, hunger, malnutrition and a degraded environment through more efficient and profitable agriculture.

ICRISAT is headquartered in Patancheru near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and five country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT, established in 1972, is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. For more details, see www.icrisat.org.

The position will undertake research to model alternative context-specific HH level adaptation strategies using bio-economic whole-farm modelling and inclusive value chains in dryland ecologies. Research on system dynamics embraces a whole chain perspective. It includes the analysis of trade-offs at household-level, economies of scale, optimal degrees of horizontal and vertical integration, institutional factors and development outcomes (food and nutrition, income, environment). In cooperation with our multidisciplinary team, the position will also model food environments to identify, evaluate and prioritize nutrition-oriented value chain interventions. In view of the importance of crop-livestock systems in semiarid regions, the candidate will analyze the links between feed, productivity, and market competitiveness.  

Responsibilities

• Implementing research projects on markets, value chains and household level bio-economic modelling in support of co-designing resilient farming systems
• Develop and implement survey instruments, organize training programs and supervise data collection, organize, clean, process, and analyse household data sets and other quantitative data
• Analyzing and modelling trade-offs and comparative advantages of alternative enterprises and value chains in crop-livestock systems
• Support resource mobilization and the development of winning research proposals, contribute to report-writing and the publication of scientific articles in peer reviewed international journals
• Support activities related to communications and knowledge mobilization (media engagement, stakeholder consultations, writing blogs, preparation of research and policy briefs)
• Travel, as needed, to field sites or internationally 

The person:

Essentials

• PhD or doctoral degree in agricultural economics, or relevant discipline, ideally with 1-3 years of relevant experience post Ph.D.
• Proven post-graduate research experience in analyzing and modelling value chains and household level bio-economic modelling for smallholder farming systems
• Relevant experience in collecting and evaluating large amounts of data, in addition to analytical and descriptive statistics
• Proven publishing experience in the relevant field, outstanding writing skills in English
• Knowledge of econometrics and software like STATA and R, relevant modelling software
• Proficiency in Oriya (written and spoken) to conduct and supervise fieldwork
• Ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams (including community researchers)
• Field level experience in Odisha

General:

This is a Locally Recruited Staff (LRS) position for two years renewable based on the performance of the incumbent and the institute’s continuing need for the position.

How to apply:

Applicants should apply on or before 29 May 2020, with the latest Curriculum Vitae, and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable about your professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Please CLICK HERE to submit your application.

ICRISAT is an equal opportunity employer