Researcher – Agricultural Water Management

RESEARCHER / SENIOR RESEARCHER - AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
Accra, Ghana

The person and the position:

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is looking for a person with a PhD in agricultural engineering (with specialization in soil and water management), water resources management, irrigation sciences, natural resource management or a related field. The person must also have at least five years’ experience carrying out research projects that aim to improve agricultural water management (AWM), water resources management, OR agriculture

and livelihoods. The position holder will report to the Theme Leader - Productive Water Use and be based at the West Africa Office of IWMI in Accra, Ghana.

You will:

develop, lead and conduct research on topics related to agricultural water management (matching water management interventions to
biophysical and social landscape conditions, and sustainable intensification of production in mixed farming and irrigation systems);
develop a coordinated approach for the utilization of surface water and groundwater resources for irrigation in a sustainable manner;
bring innovative approaches to research on water management technologies that can be used in rain-fed agriculture, with a view to raising agricultural water productivity, improving the resilience of agricultural ecosystems and contributing to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers;
assist in the socio-technical diagnosis of irrigated agricultural production systems, and the identification and, as relevant, design of appropriate AWM interventions — technical, policy, financial and/or knowledge;
communicate successful interventions with the wider research and development community;
lead capacity building of partners on irrigated agriculture;
manage research projects, ensuring that work is planned and exe cuted consistently according to an agreed work plan and that progress is reported periodically to relevant stakeholders;
publish research results in international scientific literature and other relevant media to ensure dissemination of informatio n to targeted audiences; and
liaise with key partners (including other CGIAR centers) and stakeholders, as required, in executing the research and uptake o f the research results.

You must possess:

a PhD in agricultural engineering (with specialization in soil and water management), water resources management, irrigation sciences, natural resource management or a related field;
a comprehensive understanding of the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, and on-farm irrigation methods;
experience of working in multi-disciplinary research-for-development teams on topics related to AWM, with the aim of enhancing food security, alleviating poverty and improving the health of ecosystems;
the willingness to take direction and, in particular, to collaborate with policy and business solution specialists in the development of business models to support identified AWM interventions;
an ability to work with irrigation organizations to build capacity in irrigation management;
a desire to better understand the water issues confronting the poor;
excellent communication skills with a variety of people from household communities, extension workers, private businesses to government representatives and academics;
the ability to independently design and conduct field research;
the willingness to live, work and travel in developing countrie s in Africa and Asia;
at least 5 years’ experience in the field of AWM in multi-functional agricultural systems;
good knowledge of AWM at a range of scales, including knowledge of technologies and practices, principles of water productivity, and interaction of irrigation with other users and the environment; and a good record of publications in refereed international journals.

It would be useful if you had:

a background in policy and/or business, and experience working with social enterprises;
the ability to apply geographic information system (GIS) and re mote sensing tools, methods and datasets for mapping watershed development and climate-related impacts on agricultural water productivity;
experience in West Africa, and knowledge of trends and status o f agricultural productivity and water management in the region as well as constraints to, and opportunities for, agricultural development; and
the ability to communicate and work in languages other than English (e.g., French and/or African languages).

This is an internationally recruited position with a competitive tax-free* salary and benefits package, which includes a housing allowance, transport, education, shipping assistance, annual home leave, retirement and health insurance package. IWMI’s policy is to appoint staff initially on three-year contracts which are subject to renewal, depending on performance and the Institute’s needs.

Tax-free salary and benefits are paid in US dollars. The employee is responsible for any taxes assessed by their country of citizenship or permanent residence.

Please submit your application online at: www.iwmi.org/jobs

Closing date: March 10, 2014

Complete Application Form + attach your résumé + attach your letter which addresses IWMI’s requirements shown above with names and email addresses of 3 professional referees, to be contacted if you are short-listed

Your application will be acknowledged automatically within 24 hours. If not, please email us at work-at-iwmi@cgiar.org

The International Water Management Institute (www.iwmi.org) is an international, non-profit research organization dedicated to improving the management of land and water resources for food, livelihoods and the environment. IWMI is a member of CGIAR, an international consortium of agricultural research centers.

IWMI is an equal opportunity employer and is keen to further diversify its staff in terms of both gender and nationality.