The Role
Lead applied research on sustainable value chains and the bio-economy, design stakeholder engagement and matchmaking, produce policy and practitioner outputs, publish peer-reviewed work, translate evidence for policy and investment, supervise junior researchers, design capacity development, build donor and partner relations, and lead large research proposals and fundraising to scale private-sector engagement and sustainable sourcing.
Summary Generated by Built In
- Design and implement stakeholder engagement strategies linking research institutions, private companies, and government;
- Develop and operationalize matchmaking between Northern and Southern businesses in the bio-economy;
- Produce high-quality outputs for targeted audiences, including policy briefs, guidance notes, platform content, and practitioner-oriented tools on sustainable value chains and bio-economy;
- Provide leadership on design of methods and frameworks related to sustainable value chains, responsible sourcing and investment, bio-economy, and private sector engagement;
- Lead and co-author at least 3 peer-reviewed publications, as well as technical reports, and knowledge products linked to the project research agendas;
- Translate scientific evidence into actionable insights for policy, private-sector practice, and investment decision-making;
- Identify policy and regulatory mechanisms that support producer countries attract and enhance the social and environmental performance of investments in the agricultural, forestry and associated bio-economy;
- Supervise and mentor junior researchers, enhancing their capacity to conduct high-quality research independently;
- Contribute to the design of various types of capacity development initiatives (e.g., trainings, workshops, round-tables, peer learning) within the bio-economy that enhance the capacity of the private sector that enhances corporate social and environmental performance;
- Enhance the internal visibility and uptake of improved methods and approaches on value chain development and integrated landscape management;
- Disseminate research findings through high profile international conferences and policy fora;
- Represent CIFOR-ICRAF in national, and international workshops, dialogues, and industry-facing events related to sustainable value chains and investment;
- Coordinate and/or contribute to the policy-science dialogue in producer countries in Asia and Africa on sustainable value chain development and the bio-economy through organization of round tables, workshops, and policy dialogues;
- Coordinate and/or contribute to communications activities targeted at policy makers (including workshops, website and policy briefs) of relevant projects;
- Translate research findings into practical policy tools and frameworks and disseminate them through strategic networks and platforms;
- Support identification of strategic opportunities, themes, and donors to guide SVCI fund-raising activities and related CIFOR-ICRAF strategies, especially within the research-for-development space;
- Lead the development of at least 2 research proposals per year (>1m USD) aligned with CIFOR-ICRAF’s sustainable value chains, bio-economy, and private-sector engagement strategies;
- Build relations with donor agencies, foundations, and investors to explore and unlock innovative new funding opportunities that support development of a more programmatic approach and the development of co-investment platforms;
- Cultivate and maintain partnerships with research institutions, government agencies, private companies, investors, and development partners across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe that support the team and institutional strategy;
- Contribute to the development and implementation of an institutional bio-economy strategy;
- Foster improved coordination between themes and regions, identifying actionable avenues for knowledge sharing, joint project implementation, and synergies.
Requirements
- A PhD in development studies, environmental policy, natural resource management, or a related field.
- At least 10 years of experience in applied research on sustainable value chains.
- Demonstrated experience working with research institutions, policymakers, and/or private companies on value-chain development or innovation partnerships.
- Experience working on sustainable sourcing and standard development as well as multi-stakeholder roundtables and partnership facilitation involving government, private companies, and research institutions at the global level.
- Experience in project management, including large and multi-country budgets, and facilitating and managing partnerships.
- Experience designing and implementing engagement strategies to accelerate development and research impact.
- Experience supervising or mentoring staff and consultants across different regions.
- Strong communication skills, and excellent written and spoken English; additional languages are an asset.
Skills Required
- PhD in development studies, environmental policy, natural resource management, or a related field
- At least 10 years of experience in applied research on sustainable value chains
- Demonstrated experience working with research institutions, policymakers, and/or private companies on value-chain development or innovation partnerships
- Experience working on sustainable sourcing and standard development and facilitating multi-stakeholder roundtables and partnerships at the global level
- Experience in project management, including large and multi-country budgets, and facilitating and managing partnerships
- Experience designing and implementing engagement strategies to accelerate development and research impact
- Experience supervising or mentoring staff and consultants across different regions
- Strong communication skills and excellent written and spoken English
- Additional languages
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The Company
What We Do
CIFOR-ICRAF is a collaborative research organization and a global leader in using trees, forests, and agroforestry to tackle global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, and inequality, by enhancing landscape resilience.
