Junior Assistant Researcher

Ref.: 12-65 JAR/NRS/HQ

The International Potato Center (CIP) is seeking a proactive and responsible Junior Research Assistant with excellent organizational skills to adapt and apply statistical methodologies to generate reliable information and contribute to the service unit’s objectives.

The Center: CIP is a not-for-profit international agricultural research-for-development organization with a focus on potato, sweetpotato, and Andean roots and tubers. Its vision is of roots and tubers improving the lives of the poor. CIP is dedicated to achieving food security, improved well-being, and gender equity for poor people in root and tuber farming and food systems of the developing world. CIP works with partners to contribute high quality science, technology, and capacity strengthening for sustainable science-based solutions. CIP is headquartered in Lima, Peru, with staff and activities in over 30 locations across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. CIP is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. CGIAR is a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Its science is carried out by the 15 research centers who are members of the CGIAR Consortium in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations.

The Position: This position will be based in Lima, Perú and reports directly to the Leader of Production Systems and the Environment Sub-Program. The position’s mission is to adapt and apply statistical physics methods for the reconstruction, correction, generation and downscaling of climate signals to parallel programming and the co-administration of a High Performance Computer to generate reliable information and contribute to achieve the sub-Program projects objectives.

Duties and Accountabilities:

• Develop and adapt different types of Statistical Physics-based agro-climatology tools, in order to identify and generate agro-climatology data.
• Develop and utilize parallel programming software using - either alone or in conjunction - neural network, wavelet transform, and multifractals in C++, IDL, Python or MatLab, in order to identify and characterize statistical interrelation among variables of agro-climatology data obtained.
• Gather and store into data banks the agro-climatology data generated by the different data acquisition techniques employed, to provide knowledge and maintain databases updated.
• Contribute to the preparation of scientific papers to support sup-program preparation of scientific papers to be submitted and published in peer review journals.
• Contribute to seminars and other meetings both at HQ and elsewhere to support sup-program research activities.

Selection Criteria:

• Bachelor degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or related field.

• Hands-on experience in programming using C/C++ and other computer languages (Matlab, Fortran, IDL, Python or Visual Basic)
• Experience on parallel programming
• Strong command of mathematics and numerical methods
• Experience in using Linux (knowledge of cluster administration is desirable)

• Work experience of at least one year in similar positions.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in Spanish and intermediate knowledge of English.
• Demonstrated time management skills
• Ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines and work in multicultural environment.

Conditions: This position is local and thus limited to Peruvian nationals and permanent residents.. CIP prides itself on its collegial and supportive working environment, which allows space for personal and professional growth.

Applications: Applicants should apply by email, sending a letter of interest, a full C.V., and the names and contact information of three references knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to: cip-recruitment@cgiar.org. The reference name of the position should be clearly marked in the subject line of the email message. Screening of applications will begin in August 10, 2012 and will continue until the post is filled.

All applications will be acknowledged, only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Learn more about CIP by accessing our web site at http://www.cipotato.org