Research Associate for IFPRI – International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. Established in 1975, IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 50 countries. It is a research center of CGIAR, a worldwide partnership engaged in agricultural research for development.

CIAT, on behalf of IFPRI, is seeking a Research Associate. This is a primarily research position, requiring a good understanding of agriculture and rural development, experience with quantitative methods including data collection, management of large datasets, and econometric analysis. The position will provide analytical support to the IFPRI Rwanda Strategy Support Program, which is an initiative aligned with the Government of Rwanda’s vision for accelerating agricultural transformation and rural development throughout the country. The Research Analyst will contribute mainly to research relating to prioritizing agricultural transformation, increasing agricultural productivity, improving nutrition, strengthening food systems and the rural nonfarm economy, and fostering broad-based economic growth and development in Rwanda. There will also be opportunities for the Research Analyst to contribute to capacity strengthening and knowledge sharing activities across research, government, civil society, and other stakeholder communities.

Main duties and responsibilities include:

• Contribute to quantitative analyses with the application of statistical and econometric tools using datasets from various household, market, value chain, and community surveys; from various macroeconomic datasets; and from other data sources that are relevant to the Program.
• Contribute to qualitative analysis, including situational diagnostics, policy landscaping, policy change processes, and case studies of specific policies, programs, and projects.
• Assist in the collection and preparation of data used in economy-wide models for policy analysis in Rwanda.
• Conduct literature reviews and syntheses on topics relevant to the Program.
• Prepare presentations and presentation materials.
• Participate in the design of data collection instruments, protocols, and applications for ethical review boards; train and supervise enumerators or support survey firms in the implementation of data collection efforts.
• Assist in preparing datasets, including data cleaning and preparation, data documentation, anonymization and deidentification for public use, and other materials, as needed.
• Contribute to the preparation of research reports, policy notes, academic journal articles, and other documents as required by the Program.
• Liaise with partners in the Government of Rwanda and collaborators in other research networks, policy think tanks, universities, civil society organizations, and donor agencies as required by the Program.
• Contribute to the Program’s responses to requests for rapid analytics by government, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Other duties as assigned.

The candidate shall have the following competencies, skills, and experience:

• • Bachelor’s in Economics, Agricultural Economics, Development Economics, or a related field.  A Masters degree will be an added advantage.
  • 2-4 years of work experience in research, economics, or public policy.
  • Working knowledge of Stata (preferred) or SPSS.
  • Familiarity with NISR and MINAGRI datasets such as the EICV, SAS, and eSoko.
  • Demonstrated capacity to analyze and utilize policy-relevant information from a broad range of sources on economic growth and development, agricultural production and productivity, household incomes and welfare, and nutrition.
  • Familiarity with theoretical and technical issues related to social and economic development, agriculture and rural development, growth and poverty, food security, and/or nutrition, both in broad terms and specific to Rwanda.
  • Excellent oral and written English communication skills.
  • Must be able to work independently with minimal supervision, but also participate as a team member in conducting the duties described above.

• Possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills, good judgment, and a high level of respect for confidentiality.
• Excellent presentation skills in seminars and workshops.
• Strong ability to coordinate, prioritize, and organize a rapidly changing workload; is flexible and able to work under pressure.
• Highly effective planning, organizational, and multi‐tasking skills with a positive attitude and strong administrative service orientation.
• Ability to work in a multi‐cultural environment.
• Commitment to IFPRI’s mission and core values.

Terms of employment:

The position is nationally recruited, will be based at IFPRI Offices in Kigali, Rwanda. The contract will be for one (1) year period, subject to a probation period of three (3) months, renewable depending on performance and availability of resources.

How to apply:

Applicants are invited to visit https://ciat.cgiar.org/jobs/ to get full details of the position and to submit their applications, clearly indicating position applied for as: RFP:101827-Research Associate. An application letter and Curriculum Vitae should be attached and saved as one document using the candidate’s last name-first name for ease of sorting. The CV should include at least three references, including the supervisor of the last occupied work position.

Applications closing date: 8^th January 2021

 Please note that email applications will not be considered.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.