Senior Scientist, Forest Ecology and Forest Management Forests and Environment Programme Nairobi, Kenya

Senior Scientist, Forest Ecology and Forest Management

 

 

Forests and Environment Programme

 

Nairobi, Kenya (Vacancy Ref. 1205)

 

 

The Center for International Forestry Research advances human wellbeing, environmentalconservation and equity by conducting research to inform policies and practices that affect forests in developing countries. We are one of 15 centres within the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Our headquarters are in Bogor, Indonesia, and we have offices in Asia, Africa and South America.

 

CIFOR is looking for a Senior Scientist, Forest Ecology and Forest Management

 

The Senior Scientist will work primarily on the ecological basis of tropical forest management for theproduction of multiple goods and services at various spatial scales and will also generate new knowledge aimed at promoting conservation through sustainable use of forest resources and forest biodiversity. The position involves research, research coordination and fundraising.

 

Specific research plans will be defined at the beginning of the contract. Research activities will include:

 

a.     Strengthen the scientific basis of biodiversity conservation in tropical production forests

 

b.     Develop science-based approaches and technologies to promote multiple forest use in natural forests that include timber, non-timber forest products and wildlife use and its conservation.

 

c.     Assess the effectiveness of certification schemes in promoting environmental conservation and long term sustainability in production forests

 

d.     Biophysical dimension of forest ecosystem services in relation to management options including carbon sequestration.

 

e.     Silviculture of natural forests at the industrial and small holder scale.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

 

The Senior Scientist is expected to:

 

• Work with research partners and practitioners and interact with policy makers to enhance the impact of the research and provide scientific leadership within CIFOR.

 

• Team up with CIFOR researchers and partners to implement collaborative research activities and with researchers from collaborating CGIAR centres in the context of the Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry.

 

• Produce high quality publications and dissemination materials such as policy briefs, substantive reports, and peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals.

 

• Develop and maintain donor relations; report to donors and make sure that donor requirements are met; attend donor meetings, contribute to developing research proposals, coordinate with other CIFOR scientists in the region to leverage funding,

 

• Represent CIFOR at international meetings, engaging with a variety of partners and stakeholders, developing and maintaining functional partnerships

 

• Provide scientific mentoring to junior staff engaged in CIFOR projects, support capacity building initiatives and staff development, and encourage continuous improvement and learning.

 

Details of duties, assignments and objectives will be further discussed and laid out in the staff’s annual performance contract.

Requirements

 

Education, Experience and Technical Skills

• PhD in forestry, and/or forest ecology.

• At least 10 years of relevant experience in collaborative research.

 

• Demonstrated capacity to undertake high quality research and a strong publications record in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

 

• Track record in resource mobilisation/fundraising and in proposal development/writing.

 

• Fluency in English is required. Fluency in other languages used in countries where CIFOR works is an asset (e.g., French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Indonesian).

 

• Knowledge and experience of East Africa region is an advantage.

 

Personal attributes and competencies

 

• Management and organisational skills, experience in project management

 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, experienced in working with multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary research teams, experience in developing countries.

 

• Excellent facilitation and teambuilding capacity.

 

• Values the sharing of information and continuous improvement in a cooperative atmosphere of constructive evaluation and learning, and is committed to staff’s development.

 

Terms and Conditions:

 

• This is an internationally recruited position. CIFOR offers a competitive remuneration commensurate with skills and experience.

 

• The appointment will be for 3 years, including a standard one-year probationary period, with the possibility of extension contingent upon performance, continued relevance of this position and available resources.

 

Application process

• The application deadline is 31 January 2013.

 

• We will acknowledge all applications, but we will contact only short-listed candidates.

 

Please send your letter of interest and CV, including contact information for three referees to:

 

Human Resources Department, CIFOR
 cifor-hr-jobs@cgiar.org

 

 

 

 

Please indicate the position and its reference number in the email subject line.

 

To learn more about CIFOR, please visit our website at  http://www.cifor.org

 

CIFOR is an equal opportunity employer. Staff diversity contributes to excellence.