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Principal/Senior Researcher: Water Quality and Safe Reuse - Accra, Ghana or Colombo, Sri Lanka


The Person and the Job:
 
If you have obtained a PhD in environmental sciences or a related discipline and wish to contribute to a safer environment where water and soil pollution do not affect the livelihoods of rural and urban dwellers in the developing countries of Asia and Africa, the Principal/Senior Researcher: Water Quality and Safe Reuse position with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) could be just the right assignment for you. In particular, we are looking for an experienced and solution-oriented candidate able to coordinate research work in the intersections of agriculture, environment and sanitation, with skills and interests across technical and social options for risk assessment and mitigation which fit the reality of low-income countries and can contribute to tangible policy outcomes.
 
As Principal/Senior Researcher you will be responsible for developing and implementing research projects and strategies in developing countries on assessing and mitigating challenges related to agriculture as a user of low-quality water and/or as a water polluter.
 
The position holder will be based either at IWMI’s West Africa Office in Accra, Ghana, IWMI’s headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, or potentially in another regional office of the Institute in India, and will report to the Leader of IWMI’s research theme on Water Quality, Health and Environment.
 

You will:
 
  • creatively lead, and provide strategic direction on, IWMI’s research on water quality, agriculture, ecosystems and human health, and synthesize interdisciplinary research in these areas in low-income countries and emerging economies;
 
  • assess different scenarios of environmental and human health impacts of poor water quality use in urban and rural Asia, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and sub-Saharan Africa across scales, preferably based on quantitative risk assessment and geographic information systems (GIS);
  • provide institutional, policy and economic solutions for water quality challenges as they derive from agricultural and non-agricultural land use;
 
  • assess risks and risk mitigation options for safeguarding human and environmental health in the developing country context, i.e., also without conventional wastewater treatment;
 
  • assess options for using ecosystem services (e.g., wetlands) for water quality amelioration;
 
  • assess options for resource recovery from waste streams (nutrients, water, biogas), from a technical, institutional and/or (preferably) business perspective;
 
  • develop policy recommendations for assessing and mitigating negative externalities of low water quality in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Health Organization (WHO);
 
  • write project proposals commensurate with IWMI’s strategic objectives;
 
  • supervise staff, and design and supervise field data collection and analysis;
 
  • prepare research reports, journal articles, conference papers and other scientific manuscripts for the dissemination of research results;
 
  • integrate research findings into effective policy recommendations and disseminate information through relevant guidelines and policy briefs, etc.; and
 
  • liaise between IWMI research activities, projects and themes, and, in particular, with the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems, national and international partners, authorities, governments and donors.
 
You must possess:
 
  • a PhD in environmental sciences, natural resource management, water policy or a related field;
 
  • a minimum of 15 years of experience in research on water quality and environmental issues related to agricultural water and soil management, not only from the analytical perspective;
 
  • experience of leading research teams with multiple partners and multiple disciplines from advanced research institutes and developing countries;
 
  • considerable experience of working in developing country contexts (Asia and/or Africa), including data-scarce environments;
 
  • proven ability to develop fundable research proposals;
 
  • a solid publication record;
 
  • capacity for conceptual thinking and research leadership;
 
  • understanding of ecological principles, the concept of ecosystem services, and links to water and agriculture;
 
  • understanding of the importance of institutional governance, economics and social issues as they impact water resources development and their actual use;
 
  • excellent communication skills in English, both written and oral; and
 
  • ability to work as a member of a team, and work with researchers of other CGIAR Centers, cultures and professional backgrounds.
 
It would be useful if you have:

 
  • experience of working and living in developing countries;
 
  • knowledge of WHO 2006 guidelines on safe wastewater irrigation;
 
  • ability to work harmoniously in interdisciplinary and multicultural teams;
 
  • effective project and people management skills to oversee a range of activities and motivate people to successfully complete them;
 
  • ability to analyze, synthesize and write persuasively;
 
  • high degree of innovation, originality and creativity; and
 
  • sound qualitative and quantitative skills.
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 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.
Deadline:  13 November 2012
To apply for the post                                   :  http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/About_IWMI/Vacancies/

For information about IWMI visit                 
      :  http://www.iwmi.org

Complete 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-liste
Your application will be acknowledged automatically within 24 hours. If not, please email us at work-at-iwmi@cgiar.org