Senior Scientist, Gender Equity and Social Inclusion

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, known by its Spanish acronym, CIMMYT®, is not-for-profit agricultural research for development organization with partners in over 100 countries. Please refer to our website for more information: www.cimmyt.org

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is seeking to recruit an innovative, self-motivated, and academically well-qualified candidate to conduct research-for-development activities to further the cause of inclusive technological change in smallholder agricultural farming systems. This position will be embedded in various CIMMYT projects in East and Southern Africa, and Sudan. Research under this position will help better understand how inclusive, demand-driven, sustainable, scalable, and efficient innovations can equitably be made available to rural poor and other marginalized sections of society to help improve farm incomes and sustain livelihoods. The GESI scientist is expected to work closely with other CGIAR scientists and private sector actors to design, plan, coordinate, implement, and supervise research activities. The resulting insights and learnings are to be translated and implemented effectively to augment social inclusivity in the design and dissemination of agricultural innovations to sustain agricultural-based livelihoods.

As a member of the Monitoring and Adoption pathways (M&A) research team in the Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) Program, the GESI scientist will be based in Lusaka, Zambia, or one of CIMMYT’s Africa locations. The person will be reporting to lead economist Monitoring and Adoption and to the principal investigator(s) of the project(s) involved.

Specific duties:

• Responsible for day-to-day management of the assigned project/s in line with CIMMYT’s project management standards and processes, including compliance with the project terms and conditions of contracts and internal administrative rules.
• As a member of interdisciplinary research teams and using rigorous approaches, conduct applied and empirical research to:
  • Understand and identify promising approaches for ensuring that different development project interventions (a) equitably benefit women and men; (b) foster the involvement of youth; and (c) improve the well-being of marginalized social groups (e.g., ethnic and racial minorities, indigenous communities, people living with disabilities, etc.).
  • Identify effective and feasible approaches for promoting equity and social inclusion in scaling up the dissemination and adoption of improved maize (e.g., drought tolerant and nutritious maize) and legume varieties.
  • Gain novel insights on the less understood micro, intrahousehold, and behavioral undercurrents in agricultural technology adoption decisions.
• Working with various stakeholders (e.g., farmer organizations and agricultural extension systems), translate into operational activities the generated scientific insights on how gender and other social identities shape people’s participation in and benefit from agricultural development.
• Enable CIMMYT to generate and utilize science-based knowledge of how gender and other social identities shape people’s participation in and benefit from agricultural development in Africa.
• Plan, design, and manage gender-responsive primary data collection through focus group discussions, key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, farm household and market surveys, and other innovative data collection tools.
• Compile national and subnational statistics and review the existing literature, including peer-reviewed publications, unpublished reports, and government policy documents to support a GESI agenda in research and project implementation.
• Contribute to the writing of project reports and publications, including scientific articles in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, policy briefs, and other outputs, to reach a range of audiences.
• Facilitate the establishment of equitable and inclusive innovation systems and agricultural advisories within the target project geographies.
• Actively contribute to CIMMYT’s global research agenda-setting, planning, and implementation as a GESI team member.
• Build institutional networks and contacts for the effective functioning of the existing projects and for developing future collaborations.
• Contribute to mobilizing resources in support of GESI research.

Required academic qualifications, skills and attitudes:

• PhD in development studies, anthropology, sociology, geography, political science, women’s studies, agricultural economics, and other relevant disciplines with a strong GESI focus.
• At least 10 years of postdoctoral research experience in a developing country context.
• Work experience in Africa or the global south with specific experience in Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, or northern Africa (e.g., Sudan) will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated research leadership with strong peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals with a focus on GESI.
• Field-oriented work experience in smallholder production systems in the developing countries.
• Skilled in quantitative and qualitative or mixed-methods analytical approaches in GESI research.
• Demonstrated ability to organize, manage, analyze, and prepare project reports and publications using primary and secondary data and developing analytical frameworks.
• Experience working in multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams in international research for development setting.
• Willingness to travel to rural villages of the intervention countries.
• Demonstrated ability to work within deadlines and deliver quality products.
• User Advanced level in the usage of MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.)
• The selected candidate must exhibit the following competencies: Critical thinking, Creative thinking, Teamwork, Communication, Analytical Skills, Problem Solving and Decision Making, Effective Communication, and Conflict Resolution and Negotiation.

The position is for an initial fixed-term for three (3) years, after which further employment is subject to performance and the continued availability of funds. CIMMYT’s internationally competitive salary and benefits include housing allowance, car, comprehensive health and life insurance, assistance for children’s education, paid vacation, annual home travel airfare, contribution to a retirement plan, and generous assistance with relocation shipment.

Candidates must apply online for IRS23112_Senior Scientist, Gender Equity and Social Inclusion. Screening and follow up of applications will begin on Friday, 3rd March, 2023. Applications must include a CV, with contact details (telephone and email address) of 3 work-related references along with the confirmation that we can contact them) and a cover letter. Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration. For further information on the selection process, please contact Yessica Castillo, at y.castillo@cgiar.org
Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
This position will remain open until filled.
CIMMYT is an equal opportunity employer. It fosters a multicultural work environment that values gender equality, teamwork, and respect for diversity. Women are encouraged to apply.