Irrigation Engineer - Kathmandu, Nepal

The Person and the Job: If you have obtained a PhD in Soil and Water Engineering, Irrigation Engineering, Agricultural Engineering or a closely related field and wish to contribute to improving agricultural productivity of water in Asia and Africa, the position of Irrigation Engineer with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) could be just the right assignment for you.   You will be responsible for carrying out research for development in irrigation areas or areas which have the potential for irrigation expansion in Asia and Africa; constraints to improving agricultural water productivity at farm, sub regional and regional scales are to be addressed; and practical solutions formulated within a multi-disciplinary research environment.   The position holder will be based at the Kathmandu office of IWMI in Nepal, and will report to the Leader of IWMI’s research theme on Productive Water Use.   You will:   •        assist in the technical/socio-technical diagnosis of irrigated agriculture production systems, and the design of appropriate irrigation and agronomic interventions;   •       develop a coordinated approach for the utilization of surface water and groundwater resources for irrigation in a sustainable manner;   •       contribute to minimizing irrigation-induced waterlogging and associated salinization at farm and regional scales;   •       provide advice on modernization, and operation and maintenance needs of canal irrigation systems;   •       undertake research into the climate-related impacts on agricultural water productivity;   •       lead capacity building of partners on irrigated agriculture;   •       lead and synthesize research on irrigated agriculture in the selected project sites;   •       communicate successful interventions with the wider research and development community;   •       contribute to the Strategic Research Portfolio (SRP) on Irrigation in Asia and Africa when required; and   •       prepare research reports and journal articles for publication in addition to conference/seminar papers.   You must possess:   •       a PhD in Soil and Water Engineering, Irrigation Engineering, Agricultural Engineering or a closely related field;   •       comprehensive understanding of soil-plant-atmospheric continuum, on-farm irrigation methods and canal management;   •       experience in managing salinity and waterlogging at farm and regional scales;   •       ability to independently design and conduct field research;   •       strong analytical skills and a learning attitude;   •       demonstrated ability to publish in peer-reviewed journals;   •       willingness to take direction and the ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams;   •       an ability to work with irrigation organizations to build capacity in irrigation management;   •        excellent communication skills with a variety of people from household communities, extension workers, private businesses to government representatives and academics; and   •       willingness to live, work and travel in developing countries in Asia and Africa.   It would be useful if you have:   •       a desire to better understand the water issues confronting the poor; and   •        experience in applying GIS and remote sensing tools, methods and datasets for mapping watershed development and climate-related impacts on agricultural water productivity.   This is an internationally recruited position with a competitive salary and benefits package, which includes a housing allowance, transport, education, shipping assistance, annual home leave, retirement and health insurance package. IWMI’s policy is to appoint staff initially on three-year contracts, which are subject to renewal depending on performance and the Institute’s needs.   The International Water Management Institute (www.iwmi.org) is an international, non-profit research organization dedicated to improving the management of land and water resources for food, livelihoods and the environment. IWMI is a member of CGIAR, an international consortium of agricultural research centers. IWMI is an equal opportunity employer and is keen to further diversify its staff in terms of both gender and nationality. Please submit your application on-line at: www.iwmi.org/About_IWMI/Vacancies/ Closing date: 30th November 2012Complete Application Form + attach your résumé + attach your letter which addresses IWMI’s requirements shown above with names and email addresses of 3 professional referees, to be contacted if you are short-listed Your application will be acknowledged automatically within 24 hours. If not, please email us at work-at-iwmi@cgiar.org