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Postdoctoral Fellow (Agricultural Economics and Policy)

Postdoctoral Fellow (Agricultural Economics and Policy) (Ref: DDG-R4D/PD/AEP/03/12)

Background: The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for the position of Postdoctoral Fellow (Agricultural Economics and Policy).

IITA is an international non-profit research-for-development (R4D) organization created in 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Our R4D is anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We develop agricultural solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty by reducing producer and consumer risks, enhancing crop quality and productivity, and generating wealth from agriculture. We have more than 100 internationally recruited scientists from about 35 countries and 900 nationally recruited staff based in various stations across Africa. Please visit http://www.iita.org/ for more information on IITA.

IITA seeks a qualified Postdoctoral Fellow in Agricultural Economics & Policy to work on ex ante evaluation of promising technologies, investments, and policy reforms aimed at guiding research priority setting and strategic planning processes at IITA. The work is part of a larger CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets to Strengthen Assets & Incomes for the Rural Poor (CRP2) led by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Under the direct supervision of a senior agricultural economist, the successful candidate will lead efforts aimed at enhancing the strategic foresight and ex ante research evaluation capabilities of IITA. The successful candidate will also work with researchers developing an enhanced version of IFPRI’s International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT) that projects the future production, consumption, and trade of key agricultural commodities and assesses the effects of climate change, water availability, and other drivers of global change. The research will focus on Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as the most vulnerable region to global changes in the coming decades.

Position/Responsibilities

  1. Develop methods and establish detailed databases for strategic foresight and scenario analyses under major socioeconomic (e.g. population growth, income growth, urbanization, etc.) and environmental (e.g. climate change, land degradation, etc.) drivers of change;
  2. Undertake a comprehensive assessment of past trends and future outlooks for cassava, cowpeas, maize, soybean, yams, and bananas under major socioeconomic and environmental drivers of change;
  3. Analyze the economic and poverty reduction impacts of alternative R&D investments and policy reforms under major socioeconomic and environmental drivers of change;
  4. Collaborate with other biophysical scientists at IITA for building scenarios and estimating the values of key model parameters under alternative R&D investment and policy reform scenarios in the face of climate change and variability;
  5. Publish research findings and contribute to dissemination of research results and development outcomes to stakeholders;
  6. Contribute to capacity strengthening of national partners; and
  7. Participate actively in annual review and planning meetings, resource mobilization, and contribute to strategic research planning.

Educational Qualifications

PhD in agricultural economics, economics, or development economics from a highly recognized university.

Core Competencies:

  • Strong knowledge and experience with partial and general-equilibrium models;
  • Knowledge of mathematical modeling methods and software (e.g. GAMS) and complementary econometric techniques and software (e.g. STATA);
  • Knowledge of GIS and geospatial analysis;
  • Demonstrated ability to write and publish journal articles;
  • Excellent spoken and written English; Knowledge of French can be an advantage; and
  • Ability to work independently in a multidisciplinary and multi-cultural environment.

Duty station: IITA Ibadan, Nigeria, but will involve extensive travel within, and outside Africa.

General information: Initial appointment is for two years. IITA offers a competitive remuneration package paid in US dollars.

Applications: Applications including covering letter, curriculum vitae, names and addresses of three referees should be addressed to the Human Resources Manager. Please complete our online application form using this link: http://www.iita.org/irs-online-application

Closing Date: The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

IITA is an equal opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from women candidates.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.