Latin America Regional Program Leader

Deadline: 15 September, 2012. The International Center for Tropical Agriculture – CIAT, is one of the 15 not-for-profit Centers funded by various countries, private foundations, international and regional organizations that make up the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The CGIAR Research Program 7 (CRP7), Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), is a strategic ten-year partnership emerging from new collaboration between the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP) aimed at overcoming the additional threats posed by a changing climate to achieving food security, enhancing livelihoods and improving environmental management in the developing world. CCAFS brings together strategic research in agricultural science, development research, climate science, and Earth System science, to identify and address the most important interactions, synergies and tradeoffs between climate change, agriculture and food security. CCAFS is structured around four closely inter-linked global research themes: Adaptation to Progressive Climate Change; Adaptation through Managing Climate Risk; Pro-poor Climate Change Mitigation; and Integration for Decision Making.

As a collective effort coordinated by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), CCAFS will become a hub that facilitates action of all the CGIAR centers, other CGIAR Research Programs and a wide range of partners while involving farmers, policy makers, donors and other stakeholders, to integrate their knowledge and needs into the tools and approaches that are developed.

CCAFS has initially focused its work on three regions: South Asia, East and West Africa. These regions were chosen to represent areas that are becoming both drier and wetter and because they will generate results that can be applied and adapted in other regions worldwide as the program evolves.

In 2012 CCAFS is expanding to two new regions: South East Asia and Latin America. We are seeking applications from a qualified candidate who will play a crucial role in partnership development and management in Latin America. He/she will mainly be responsible for ensuring coherence amongst CCAFS themes from field to regional level, and will play a key role in achieving outcomes and impacts at national and regional levels. He/she will also be responsible for facilitating the appropriate linkages to other CCAFS activities in the regions. He/she will also assist the Director in fundraising and be part of the CCAFS Management Team.

Role and responsibilities:

- Develop and implement an engagement, partnership and communications plan for the region

- Select bench mark sites

- Ensure coordination of ongoing activities related to effect of climate change on agriculture in the region

- Ensure close link and synchronization with CIAT’s regional coordinator for Latin America to facilitate input of other CRP activities in the region

- Liaise between researchers and the multitude of relevant stakeholders, from farm to regional level.

- Foster outcomes and impact from research

- Facilitating a process towards the scenario development

- Contribute actively to the management operations of CCAFS in close and cross-cutting

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

- At least 5 years relevant experience, preferably with a PhD

- Experience from management positions and working in management structures –

- Good experience in dealing with multiple stakeholders within the region, from district to regional level

- Evidence of the ability to foster outcomes and impacts from research and engagement

- Experience in developing and implementing engagement, partnership and communications plans

- Experience in fostering teamwork and collaborative cross-disciplinary approaches

- Experience, and credible scientific outputs, in any of the topics that CCAFS will deal with in its science program (thus the position is open to candidates from multiple disciplines)

- Evidence of fund-raising at regional level

- Fluency in English is required; proficiency in one of regional languages is desirable. Spanish is essential for the position in Latin America

- Collaboration with the Theme Leaders and the other Regional Program Leaders

Terms of employment

The position is globally recruited and will be based at CIAT Headquarters in Palmira, Colombia. The contract will be for an initial 2 year period, subject to a probation period of six (6) months, renewable depending on performance and funding. CIAT offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits; we believe that the diversity of staff contributes to excellence.

Applications

Applicants are invited to send a CV and cover letter illustrating their suitability for the above position against the listed qualifications, competencies, skills together with a detailed curriculum vitae, including names and addresses of three referees knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience. All correspondence should be addressed to the CIAT Human Resources Office to Catalina Montoya c.m.ruiz@cgiar.org . Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Closing date for applications: September 15, 2012 or until a suitable candidate is identified.