Vacancies at International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

About the Health Program

This program focuses on the health and welfare of farmed livestock, people, and their shared environment through better control of animal and agriculture-associated health constraints, and increase supply of safe, healthy, animal source foods for better nutrition for people.  It includes two areas. The first one is animal health management that includes animal health technologies (vaccine and diagnostics development) and livestock population (herd and farm health management) to ensure healthy animals. The second area addresses the health challenges at the interface of animals, people and the environment including zoonoses, AMR, food safety across livestock and wildlife systems using a One Health approach.

Responsibilities

Science and Program Leadership

• Provide scientific and strategic leadership of the program and develop the program strategy in line with ILRI’s Strategy and CGIAR Research Programs strategies. 
• Lead complex research and provide outstanding technical expertise as well as innovative and creative science
• Stay up to date on scientific and technological advances, supervise research and analysis across a range of disciplines, topics, and fields to inform the development of new schemes/products and initiatives to be designed and managed within his/her program
• Lead the collaboration and partnership efforts of the program and support teams to network and obtain positive results in partnerships with national, regional, and international institutions in research, extension, development, and public, private, and civil society
• Ably represent ILRI in various local and international forums, meetings, and visits, which require liaison, collaborations, and negotiations with current and potential partners, which include institutions, funders, government agencies, science advocacy groups, local and global meetings, other CGIAR centers, etc.
• Lead and oversee resource mobilization efforts to support research and capacity development in line with the program and ILRI strategies. Lead development of proposals to raise resources to support new research addressing the program’s target outcomes.  Coordinate budget preparation and its execution
• Lead and facilitate the wide publication, dissemination, and communication of research findings

Team Leadership

• Lead a group of (senior) scientists, as well as post-docs and graduate students, support staff, and administrators, and create a culture of collaboration and transparent communication
• Responsible for the implementation of all programmatic and platform activities, ensuring that performance schedules are observed and outputs are completed and delivered according to expectations and within budget.
• Provide regular reports to the Institutional Leadership Team (ILT) and ILRI board in line with the business’s Critical Success Factors to facilitate analysis and reporting of programmatic performance against plans and budgets, as well as strategic objectives
• Lead and manage the Program team, maximizing effectiveness and efficiency by ensuring the implementation of work plans and program strategy, ensuring adequate staffing levels. Ensure adequate staff training, development, performance management, and routine supervision to maximize efficient productivity
• Provide technical expertise to the team, motivate and coach the team towards delivery of set goals and objectives
• Foster a performance culture to encourage learning, innovation, and continuous improvement; ensure appropriate training and capacity-building activities for program staff members to support high quality programs implementation
• Perform any other related duties as may be required.

Requirements

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in biomedical sciences, health sciences, public health, epidemiology, or related fields of science and innovation expertise
• Minimum of 12 years’ experience post PhD; working in public or private sector research management at senior level
• A significant track record in research, grant writing and reviewing and fundraising
• Sound experience in research capacity strengthening
• Knowledge and thorough understanding of science, innovation and program design and planning
• Proven experience in successfully developing, leading, and supervising complex initiatives and high performing teams
• Proven ability to develop and manage program / platform budgets and timelines
• Proven experience in building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, networking, partnership building and relationship management at a senior level

Desirable:

• A good understanding of current international, national and pan-African issues in research priorities and pan-African agenda and how they can be addressed through best metrics of accountable management
• Sound knowledge of research processes in a similar environment - nationally and internationally

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About the Livestock Genetics, Nutrition and Feed Resources Program

This program exists to improve production efficiencies and enhance resilience in the face of climate change, through characterization, conservation and improvement of livestock and feed genetic resources.  It does this by Developing and deploying animal phenotyping and digital recording, and feed resource monitoring and assessment, systems; developing and deploying advanced technologies for development and delivery of farmer-preferred, climate adapted genotypes and characterization and conservation of livestock and feed crop genetic resources. Additionally, the program focuses on making better use and improvement of existing feed resources

Responsibilities

Science and Program Leadership

• Provide scientific and strategic leadership of the program and develop the program strategy in line with ILRI’s Strategy and CGIAR Research Programs strategies. 
• Lead complex research and provide outstanding technical expertise as well as innovative and creative science
• Stay up to date on scientific and technological advances, supervise research and analysis across a range of disciplines, topics, and fields to inform the development of new schemes/products and initiatives to be designed and managed within his/her program
• Lead the collaboration and partnership efforts of the program and support teams to network and obtain positive results in partnerships with national, regional, and international institutions in research, extension, development, and public, private, and civil society
• Ably represent ILRI in various local and international forums, meetings, and visits, which require liaison, collaborations, and negotiations with current and potential partners, which include institutions, funders, government agencies, science advocacy groups, local and global meetings, other CGIAR centers, etc.
• Lead and oversee resource mobilization efforts to support research and capacity development in line with the program and ILRI strategies. Lead development of proposals to raise resources to support new research addressing the program’s target outcomes.  Coordinate budget preparation and its execution
• Lead and facilitate the wide publication, dissemination, and communication of research findings

Team Leadership

• Lead a group of (senior) scientists, as well as post-docs and graduate students, support staff, and administrators, and create a culture of collaboration and transparent communication
• Responsible for the implementation of all programmatic and platform activities, ensuring that performance schedules are observed and outputs are completed and delivered according to expectations and within budget.
• Provide regular reports to the Institutional Leadership Team (ILT) and ILRI board in line with the business’s Critical Success Factors to facilitate analysis and reporting of programmatic performance against plans and budgets, as well as strategic objectives
• Lead and manage the Program team, maximizing effectiveness and efficiency by ensuring the implementation of work plans and program strategy, ensuring adequate staffing levels. Ensure adequate staff training, development, performance management, and routine supervision to maximize efficient productivity
• Provide technical expertise to the team, motivate and coach the team towards delivery of set goals and objectives
• Foster a performance culture to encourage learning, innovation, and continuous improvement; ensure appropriate training and capacity-building activities for program staff members to support high quality programs implementation
• Perform any other related duties as may be required.

Requirements

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Livestock Genetics, Animal Nutrition, Animal Science, Animal Breeding, Veterinary Science, or related fields of science and innovation expertise
• Minimum of 12 years’ experience post PhD; working in public or private sector research management at senior level
• A significant track record in research, grant writing and reviewing and fundraising
• Sound experience in research capacity strengthening
• Knowledge and thorough understanding of science, innovation and program design and planning
• Proven experience in successfully developing, leading, and supervising complex initiatives and high performing teams
• Proven ability to develop and manage program / platform budgets and timelines
• Proven experience in building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, networking, partnership building and relationship management at a  senior level

Desirable:

• A good understanding of current international, national and pan-African issues in research priorities and pan-African agenda and how they can be addressed through best metrics of accountable management
• Sound knowledge of research processes in a similar environment - nationally and internationally

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About the People, Policies and Institutions program

This program exists to improve and strengthen policy and institutional environments and support investment in livestock value chains for sustainable, resilient and equitable livestock systems. The program created a Policy, Investment and Advocacy Hub to provide evidence and options to support policy making and investment at sub-national, national, regional and global levels. It focuses on market system approaches for delivery of innovations, safe and affordable animal source foods and develops tested bundles of technological and institutional innovations towards scale. Another area of focus is gender, equity, diversity and inclusion in livestock systems.

Responsibilities

Science and Program Leadership

• Provide scientific and strategic leadership of the program and develop the program strategy in line with ILRI’s Strategy and CGIAR Research Programs strategies. 
• Lead complex research and provide outstanding technical expertise as well as innovative and creative science
• Stay up to date on scientific and technological advances, supervise research and analysis across a range of disciplines, topics, and fields to inform the development of new schemes/products and initiatives to be designed and managed within his/her program
• Lead the collaboration and partnership efforts of the program and support teams to network and obtain positive results in partnerships with national, regional, and international institutions in research, extension, development, and public, private, and civil society
• Ably represent ILRI in various local and international forums, meetings, and visits, which require liaison, collaborations, and negotiations with current and potential partners, which include institutions, funders, government agencies, science advocacy groups, local and global meetings, other CGIAR centers, etc.
• Lead and oversee resource mobilization efforts to support research and capacity development in line with the program and ILRI strategies. Lead development of proposals to raise resources to support new research addressing the program’s target outcomes.  Coordinate budget preparation and its execution
• Lead and facilitate the wide publication, dissemination, and communication of research findings

Team Leadership

• Lead a group of (senior) scientists, as well as post-docs and graduate students, support staff, and administrators, and create a culture of collaboration and transparent communication
• Responsible for the implementation of all programmatic and platform activities, ensuring that performance schedules are observed and outputs are completed and delivered according to expectations and within budget.
• Provide regular reports to the Institutional Leadership Team (ILT) and ILRI board in line with the business’s Critical Success Factors to facilitate analysis and reporting of programmatic performance against plans and budgets, as well as strategic objectives
• Lead and manage the Program team, maximizing effectiveness and efficiency by ensuring the implementation of work plans and program strategy, ensuring adequate staffing levels. Ensure adequate staff training, development, performance management, and routine supervision to maximize efficient productivity
• Provide technical expertise to the team, motivate and coach the team towards delivery of set goals and objectives
• Foster a performance culture to encourage learning, innovation, and continuous improvement; ensure appropriate training and capacity-building activities for program staff members to support high quality programs implementation
• Perform any other related duties as may be required.

Requirements

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Agricultural Economics, Economics, Agribusiness or other Social Science with application to agriculture or rural development or related fields of science and innovation expertise
• Minimum of 12 years’ experience post PhD; working in public or private sector research management at senior level
• A significant track record in research, grant writing and reviewing and fundraising
• Sound experience in research capacity strengthening
• Knowledge and thorough understanding of science, innovation and program design and planning
• Proven experience in successfully developing, leading, and supervising complex initiatives and high performing teams
• Proven ability to develop and manage program / platform budgets and timelines
• Proven experience in building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, networking, partnership building and relationship management at a senior level

Desirable:

• A good understanding of current international, national and pan-African issues in research priorities and pan-African agenda and how they can be addressed through best metrics of accountable management
• Sound knowledge of research processes in a similar environment - nationally and internationally

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Key Responsibilities

• Conduct soil nutrient and GHG measurements for different land use systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to detect emission hotspots and develop mitigation options;
• Develop management interventions through laboratory and field experiements to reduce GHG emissions and nutrient losses (C, N, P) from livestock manure and improve its fertilizer quality;
• Conduct measurements of nutrient cycling processes in soils and manure to understand the underlying drivers and controls;
• Conduct household surveys to better understand current manure management and crop fertilizing practices as well as barriers and incentives for improvement;
• Operate and manage laboratory and field facilities, specifically manual and automatic soil GHG flux chambers, laser absorption spectrometers included in various setups (e.g., manure incubation chambers, soil flux chambers) to quantify GHG emissions from soil and manure;
• Perform quality control and statistical analysis of the collected data;
• Write scientific papers and prepare conference presentations; contribute to other communication products (research briefs, policy briefs, stakeholder meetings etc.);
• Co-supervise PhD and MSc students and guide research technicians;
• Develop innovative concepts and ideas for further research (including proposal writing) to address environmental aspects of agricultural productions systems that do not compromise food security.
• Perform any other related duties as may be assigned

Requirements

• PhD in biogeochemistry, agronomy, geo-ecology, environmental sciences, soil science, or related fields
• Good understanding of carbon and nitrogen cycling processes and their controls in natural and/or agroecosystems
• Considerable practical knowledge of techniques and experience with equipment used in the measurement of GHG emissions from terrestrial ecosystems
• Ability to effectively manage, visualize and analyze (statistics) large datasets using standard programming languages (i.e., R, python, Matlab, etc.)
• Excellent spoken and written English
• Proven track record of scientific writing as first and/or corresponding author
• Knowledge of agricultural production systems in developing and/or developed countries is an asset
• Knowledge of chemical analysis of environmental samples (soil, manure, water) is an asset
• Experience with NH3 measurements is an asset
• Experience in doing household surveys using the ODK platform is an asset