(N-24-49) Senior Research Associate and/or Research Associate

The International Potato Center (CIP) is searching an outstanding and experienced candidate as Senior Research Associate and/or Research Associate to contribute to different interdisciplinary research projects (ID) carried out by our hosted organization, the Wyss Academy for Nature.

Based on the experience, skills, and performance during the interview, any of the two position types can be offered.

The Wyss Academy for Nature (WA) at the University of Bern’s vision is to achieve a just and sustainable world in which nature conservation and human wellbeing reinforce each other. We are a place of innovation, where research, business, policymakers, practitioners and communities co-design solutions for sustainable futures. We aim to research, develop, and implement innovative solutions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, land use change and rising inequality by connecting technical, social, economic, institutional and policy innovations at the interface of nature and people. The WA comprises four regional hubs, one each in Europe (Switzerland), South America (Peru), East Africa (Kenya), and Southeast Asia (Laos).

About the role:

• This nationally recruited position will be based in Puerto Maldonado, Peru.
  
• In general, the selected candidate will contribute to different interdisciplinary research projects (ID) implemented by the Wyss Academy for Nature staff and partners.
  
• The selected candidate will act as the focal point of the Artisanal Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) ID project, which aims to study the challenges and opportunities for enabling the transition towards a responsible model of artisanal mining in the Peruvian Amazon. The study aims to generate knowledge that accelerates the adoption of better practices among different actors in the gold value chain.
  

Key responsibilities:

•        Contribute to the implementation of the ID research projects in close coordination with the MDD scientist, Wyss Academy professors and ID project leads.
  
•        Supervise and support, when needed, research activities, including quantitative data collection and analysis, literature research and synthesis, secondary data collection, household interviews and surveys.
  
•        Support the design and implementation of Randomized Control Trials and the subsequent data analysis using various statistical methods.
  
•        Contribute to the establishment and coordination of partnerships and participate in the engagement processes with local stakeholders (e.g. multistakeholder workshops, learning events).
  
•        Generate internal documents with preliminary results for discussion with the Hub and research teams.
  
•        Actively participate in the generation of scientific/academic and outreach products (i.e., scientific articles, executive summaries, policy briefs).
  
•        Comply with applicable health and safety CIP policies and procedures.
  

Requirements

What are we looking for?

•        Degree in economics/finance/political science/environmental economics/agricultural economics, ideally with a specialization or clear interest in development economics (MSc is highly desired).
  
•        At least 6 years of working experience in applied research for development or conservation or at an international or governmental organization. (Required)
  
•        Good statistical and/or econometric skills. (Required)
  
•        Required experience in randomized control trials (designing an important plus).
  
•        Programming skills in at least one of the following: R, Python or Stata. (Desired)
  
•        Desired knowledge in economic valuation approaches for ecosystem services and biodiversity.
  
•        Desired knowledge of cost-benefit analysis.
  
•        Desired prior experience and knowledge in/of tropical landscapes.
  
•        Good communication skills.
  
•        Good English level.
  

Benefits

What are we offering?

• Great career opportunity in an international organization.
  
• Cooperate with and learn from leading researchers at the University of Bern
  
• Contribute to and be part of state-of-the-art research projects
  
• Chance to visit summer schools, conferences and visit the University of Bern
  
• Generous compensation package
  
• One-year term contract with the possibility of renewal.
  
• Work in an equal and diverse workplace.