Agricultural Economist – Adoption Pathways and Impact Evaluation CIMMYT El Batán, Texcoco, Mexico

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) seeks a highly qualified agricultural economist to join our international team of scientists working on improving the livelihoods of farmers and the poor in the developing world. This position will involve undertaking socioeconomics and policy research on strategies for sustainable agricultural intensification (SAI) in mixed farming systems in Eastern and Southern Africa in collaboration with national and international partners. More specifically, the research will focus on identifying economically viable SAI investments and policy and institutional strategies for achieving sustainable productivity growth, increasing resilience and adaptation to climate shocks, and applying cutting-edge methods for understanding adoption pathways and impacts of integrated innovations on farm households and the rural poor. The position will be based at the CIMMYT regional office in Eastern and Southern Africa (preferably in Kenya or Ethiopia).

The job will require that you:
•Work with a team of scientists to understand constraints and opportunities for sustainable intensification and productivity growth of maize-legume-livestock systems.
•Conduct household surveys and collect gender-disaggregated data in target countries in the region.
•Identify adoption pathways for SAI interventions and the key socioeconomic, policy and institutional drivers of adoption.
•Analyze the impact of proposed technology and policy interventions on household welfare, production risks, vulnerability and resilience of livelihoods both at micro-and macro-level for different household groups. 
•Identify policy options and decisions tools for targeting technologies and enhancing their scaling up and diffusion.
•Develop a network of policy and research partners to disseminate and implement research findings.
•Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and contribute to enhancing research impacts.
•Develop policy briefs and other communication materials to encourage evidence based policy change.
•Contribute to capacity strengthening of national partners in analysis of policies and targeting technologies for impact.
•Participate in other center-wide and program strategy development and priority setting.

We are seeking candidates with the following qualifications:
•PhD in Agricultural Economics or related discipline.
•Relevant postdoctoral experience of at least 3 years (associate scientist) or 5 years (scientist). 
•Practical experiences in field surveys design and collecting data and willingness to travel extensively in the target region
•Familiarity with large datasets and demonstrated skills in analysis of panel data using relevant software (e.g. STATA).
•Demonstrated experience in conducting technology adoption and systematic evaluation of program interventions.
•Knowledge of advanced econometric and qualitative tools for analysis of adoption pathways and gender-technology gaps.
•Experience with impact evaluation methods using econometric and other economic modeling approaches (e.g. bio-economic models and CGE models and relevant software such as GAMS).
•Track record of publications in internationally recognized journals, preferably in agricultural and development economics.
•Experience in combining applied quantitative adoption and impacts methods with qualitative approaches to study complex farming systems.
•An effective and energetic team player with the ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multi-cultural environment.
•Excellent oral communication and writing skills in English to express complex concepts in simple terms.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, known by its Spanish acronym, CIMMYT® (www.cimmyt.org), is a not-for-profit research and training organization with partners in over 100 countries. The center works to sustainably increase the productivity of maize and wheat systems and thus ensure global food security and reduce poverty. The center's outputs and services include improved maize and wheat varieties and cropping systems, the conservation of maize and wheat genetic resources, and capacity building. CIMMYT belongs to and is funded by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) and also receives support from national governments, foundations, development banks, and other public and private agencies.

CIMMYT has had enormous impact in the developing world. It is the center of excellence for work on two of the three most important food crops in the developing world. Its most famous employee, Dr. Norman Borlaug, is credited by many with saving more lives than any other individual in the history of the world. Borlaug’s work dramatically increased yields of wheat in the Indo-Gangetic plains in the 1960s and 1970s, staving off starvation for hundreds of millions. For this work, Borlaug received the Nobel Prize in 1970. Scores of other CIMMYT efforts have saved or enriched millions of lives, from releasing disease-resistant varieties and varieties resistant to drought and heat and soil deficiencies, to dispersing techniques to reduce farmer costs and post-harvest losses. In developing countries, wheat varieties developed by CIMMYT and its partners cover 75% of the area planted to modern wheat varieties.

The position is for an initial term of three years, renewable based on performance and strategic needs. CIMMYT offers an attractive remuneration package paid in US dollars, with a range of benefits including housing allowance, life and health insurance, education allowance (to Grade 12), home leave, retirement fund, and relocation shipping assistance.
CIMMYT is an equal-opportunity employer and strives for staff diversity in gender and nationality.

Apply at irsrecruitment@cgiar.org with a cover letter detailing your competencies and experience for the position, and a detailed CV/resume, please insert Position Reference Number 12255 on the subject of your e-mail.