Coordinator of the CGIAR Systemwide Program on
Participatory Research and Gender Analysis

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Systemwide Program on Participatory Research and Gender Analysis for Technology Development and Institutional Innovation (PRGA Program) traces its origin to an international seminar and planning workshop in 1996 with stakeholders from more than 50 institutions. The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) was designated as the Convening Center and the proposal from the planning workshop was co-sponsored by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The Program began to implement its work plan in April 1997.

Throughout its existence, the PRGA Program has been guided by its programmatic goal "to improve the ability of the CGIAR System and other collaborating institutions to develop technology which alleviates poverty, improves food security, and protects the environment with greater equity" and its programmatic purpose "to assess and develop methodologies and organizational innovations for gender-sensitive participatory research, and operationalize their use in plant breeding, crop and natural-resource management."

The PRGA Program is now seeking applications for a Senior Research Fellow/Senior Scientist position to lead and coordinate the Program. The PRGA Program's hosting center, CIAT, offers internationally competitive salary packages, is an equal opportunity employer, and believes that the diversity of its staff contributes to excellence. CIAT is interested in increasing this diversity of its staff and particularly encourages applications from both women and developing country professionals.

Terms of reference

The person recruited will:

• Lead, coordinate, and implement PRGA Program's intellectual vision.
  - Provide overall Program vision and strategy.
  - Actively promote and engage in collaborative research within and outside the CGIAR system.
  - Identify strategic opportunities and constraints in external environment and design appropriate strategies to ensure that the Program is proactive.
• Provide guidance and oversight to ensure that a stream of science, academic, and popular publications result from the Program activities and collaborative efforts.
• Manage donor and external relations.
  - Establish and maintain relationship with a wide range of donors (current and
  new donors).
  - Initiate and engage in proposal development.
  - Prepare presentations for key events.
• Network with partners and senior management level.
  - Nurture relationship with host center, CGIAR centers, systemwide programs, challenge programs, science council, alliance board and international, CGIAR gender and diversity program, regional and national stakeholders.
• Interact with internal governing body (Program Advisory Committee).
• Provide Programwide oversight to budget planning and allocations.
• Supervise Program administrative staff and consultants.

Terms of employment

The position will be based in the PRGA Coordination Office at the CIAT headquarters in Cali, Colombia. There will be occasional travel to other countries. The initial period of contract will be one year but with the full expectation of contract renewal, given satisfactory performance and availability of donor funding.

Preferred requirements

The person recruited will have:

• A relevant postgraduate degree, preferably a Ph.D. in Agricultural/Biological Sciences or Social Sciences, Development Studies, or other related areas.
• Significant postgraduate work experience.
• Preferably at least 3 years of project management and leadership experience.
• Strong capabilities in the use of gender-sensitive participatory research approaches and of quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Good knowledge of gender mainstreaming, participatory plant breeding, and natural resource management research.
• Credibility in the field/discipline relevant to the position with a good reporting/publication record.
• Experience and skills in training and mentoring.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising and donor relations.
• Demonstrated ability to work in an interdisciplinary and multicultural team-oriented environment with colleagues, partner organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel.
• Fluency in English is essential, and knowledge of other languages is an advantage.

Inquiries and applications, including an application letter, a curriculum vitae, and the names and contact details of three professional referees (including telephone, fax number, and e-mail address), should be sent to Ms. Claudia García, Assistant Coordinator of the PRGA Program (c.x.garcia@cgiar.org).

Screening of applications for this position will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Closing date for applications: 31 May 2008 or until a suitable candidate is identified.

We invite you to learn more about the PRGA Program (www.prgaprogram.org) and CIAT (www.ciat.cgiar.org) by accessing the Web sites.

Entomologist

CIAT is one of 15 not-for-profit centers funded mainly by various countries that make up the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), private foundations, international, and regional organizations. CIAT conducts socially and environmentally progressive research aimed at reducing hunger and poverty, and preserving natural resources in developing countries. The Center offers internationally competitive salary packages, is an equal opportunity employer, and strives for staff diversity in gender and nationality. Women and candidates from Latin America, Africa, and Asia are particularly encouraged to apply.

CIAT is seeking applications for a Postdoctoral Research Entomologist in the area of insect plant interactions and integrated pest management strategies. The position offers an outstanding career opportunity for a young researcher interested in international agricultural and tropical entomology research. The researcher will be part of a multidisciplinary team working on the major pest problems of common bean, Brachiaria grass, and cassava, resistance to major pests and insecticide resistance management, and would be supported by well trained national staff.

Responsibilities

The candidate will be expected to direct undergraduate and graduate students research projects; cooperate in resistance breeding projects.

Requirements

• Recent PhD in entomology.
• General knowledge of plant breeding.
• Strong background in relevant molecular techniques is preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Working knowledge of the Spanish language is desirable but not essential.

Terms of employment

The position will be based in CIAT headquarters (Palmira, Colombia).

The contract would initially be for a two-year period, renewable depending on performance.

Screening of CVs for this position will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Enquiries and applications, including an application letter, a curriculum vitae, and the names and contact details of three professional references (including telephone, fax numbers, and e-mail address) should be sent to Olga Lucía Cruz (o.l.cruz@cgiar.org).

All received applications will be acknowledged, but only short listed applicants will be contacted further.

Closing date for applications: 30 May 2008.

We invite you to learn more about CIAT by accessing the Web site: www.ciat.cgiar.org

Virologist

CIAT is one of 15 not-for-profit centers funded mainly by various countries that make up the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), private foundations, international, and regional organizations. CIAT conducts socially and environmentally progressive research aimed at reducing hunger and poverty, and preserving natural resources in developing countries. The Center offers internationally competitive salary packages, is an equal opportunity employer, and strives for staff diversity in gender and nationality. Women and candidates from Latin America, Africa, and Asia are particularly encouraged to apply.

The CIAT Virology Research Unit is seeking applications for a qualified young Post-doctoral Scientist in Plant Virology. The researcher will be part of a multidisciplinary team working on the major virus problems of common bean, cassava, and rice. The CIAT Virology Research Unit has complete virus detection and characterization facilities, including two electron microscopes, trained national staff, and well equipped molecular and immunology laboratories.

Responsibilities

The candidate will be expected to direct undergraduate and graduate students research projects; monitor dynamic viral populations, especially of white fly transmitted Gemini viruses; support breeders at headquarters and in a regional project in Africa in potyvirus resistance screening.

Requirements

• PhD in plant virology.
• Adequate training in general and molecular plant virology.
• Basic knowledge in breeding for disease resistance.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Working knowledge of the Spanish language is desirable but not essential.

Terms of employment

The position will be based in CIAT headquarters (Palmira, Colombia).

The contract would initially be for a two-year period, renewable depending on performance.

Screening of CVs for this position will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Enquiries and applications, including an application letter, a curriculum vitae, and the names and contact details of three professional references (including telephone, fax numbers, and e-mail address) should be sent to Olga Lucía Cruz (o.l.cruz@cgiar.org)

Closing date for applications: 30 May 2008.

We invite you to learn more about CIAT by accessing the Web site: www.ciat.cgiar.org

Coordinator for CGIAR's Amazon Initiative Ecoregional Program

The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) is one of 15 not-for-profit centers funded mainly by various countries, private foundations, international, and regional organizations that make up the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

CIAT, on behalf of the Amazon Initiative Consortium (AI) for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, is looking for a Coordinator for a Collaborative Research Program in the Amazon.

The AI is committed to the reduction of poverty and social vulnerability, food security, and the sustainability of ecosystems in the region. The thematic and conceptual agenda of the Consortium is focused on sustainable land use systems for the prevention, reduction, and reversal of environmental degradation and livelihood improvement of vulnerable Amazonian populations.

The AI was formally created in 2004. Since then, more than 20 member institutions of the Amazonian countries seek to harmonize the actions carried out by the Consortium under the auspices of the Organization of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (OTCA).

The position

The Coordinator of the Amazon Initiative Ecoregional Program (AI-EP) will be responsible for planning and implementing collaborative research conducted with the participation of member institutions of the Consortium in the four thematic areas: (1) Sustainable smallholder production in deforested and degraded areas; (2) Enhanced benefits from forests for livelihoods and the environment; (3) Mitigation and adaptation to climate change; (4) Market value chain development for Amazon products.

The AI-EP faces the challenge of contributing to research for development within a framework of both short- and long-term environmental conservation goals, and to the provision of global environmental benefits and the welfare of local populations.

The processes that threaten rural livelihoods and natural resources in the Amazon operate in different geographical and political levels, thus the AI-EP will generate public goods in different scales from local to national, regional, and global levels.

The approach of the AI-EP benefits from the collaborative work of an inter-institutional and interdisciplinary team of researchers and practitioners that is already being implemented by the Amazon Initiative Consortium. The program relies not only on the efforts of national and international research institutes (founding institutions of the AI Consortium), but also on the integration of local expertise from universities and local research and development organizations.

The social and human capital that is being built by the coordinated effort of various actors and institutions in the AI process enables a strategy for collaborative research, to be quickly integrated by means of extrapolation and dissemination of innovations to reduce deforestation and environmental degradation.

The candidate will have responsibilities for research planning, building partnerships, project preparation, resource mobilization, implementation, reporting, and supervising activities.

More specifically s/he will be responsible for the following responsibilities:

• Provides scientific leadership for the Consortium in accordance with the priorities identified by the AI Steering Committee.
• Coordinates implementation and integration of collaborative research activities of the Program together with the leaders of the four thematic foci of the AI-EP.
• Develops innovative proposals and relevant projects and leads their collaborative and participatory development to achieve the successful implementation of the scientific agenda of AI.
• Leads the contacts with donors and potential partners to raise funds for scientific activities on behalf of the Consortium.
• Establishes links with technical representatives of the AI to ensure the implementation of programmed activities.
• Takes part of the Coordinating team of the AI along with the General Coordinator and the Coordinator for Communications and Institutional Management.

Requirements

• Doctoral degree in natural or social sciences.
• At least 10 years of relevant work experience in research and/or development.
• Verifiable experience in project management and proactive fundraising.
• Verifiable ability to work in interdisciplinary and multicultural teams.
• Updated knowledge and practical experience on issues of conservation and development in the Amazon.
• Strong skills in conceptualization, shared leadership, and communication.
• Fluent in English and Spanish, knowledge of Portuguese would be an advantage.
• Availability to travel within countries of the Amazon region.
• Total dedication to the project (100% of her/his time).
  

Terms of offer

Based in Belém (Brazil), at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), coordinating institution of the AI Consortium, s/he will be part of an inter-institutional and inter-disciplinary team.

A competitive international salary and benefits package. The contract is for an initial period of 2 years, subject to a 6-month probationary period and annual performance evaluations.

Qualified applicants are invited to send a cover letter, indicating background and experience, and salary expectations, and a short CV, including names, telephone numbers, and e-mails of two professional references, to the e-mail: f.cunha@cgiar.org.

Closing date for applications: 30 April 2008 or until the position is filled.

The Amazon Initiative Consortium and CIAT believe that the diversity of human resources promotes excellence and strongly encourages applications from both women and developing country professionals.

Additional information about the AI Consortium and CIAT can be found at: www.iamazonica.org.br and www.ciat.cgiar.org

Consorcio Iniciativa Amazônica
Embrapa Amazônia Oriental
Travessa Dr. Enéas Pinheiro s/n
66095-100 Belém, Pará, Brasil
Tel.: +55 (91) 32041108; Fax: +55 (91) 40092690