Job Vacancy // Postdoctoral Fellow - Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystems

Please find the original job posting here.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center is seeking an innovative, dynamic & multi skilled candidate to join its office in Anand, India, as a Post-Doctoral Fellow.

The Post-Doctoral Fellow – Water, Energy, Food, and Ecosystems will be part of the CGIAR Research Initiative on NEXUS Gains: Realizing Multiple Benefits Across Water, Energy, Food, and Ecosystems. The researcher will play a key role in the NEXUS Gains activities in the Ganges basin, particularly in Work Package 3 (energizing food and water systems) and 4 (WEFE nexus governance).

The successful candidate will be familiar with the policy and action landscape regarding water-energy-food-ecosystems in South Asia, have advanced knowledge of business models and governance issues associated with solar-powered irrigation, and possess relevant experience in field-based research. Working with the NEXUS Gains team and partners, the researcher will be part of a multinational and multidisciplinary team contributing to realizing gains across water, energy, food, and ecosystems.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist the conceptualization, development, and deployment of alternative business models for the rapid, effective, equitable, and sustainable implementation of renewable energy applications in agriculture, especially in the Ganga basin.
• Contribute to the co-development and implementation of rigorous field data collection – both quantitative and qualitative – and monitoring protocols in field experiments and action research pilots, aimed at testing alternative business models for solar applications in agriculture.
• Provide inputs for the development of a 'groundwater governance toolbox' for the Ganga basin by conducting a comprehensive review of groundwater governance experiences, experiments, and tools in India and South Asia.
• Contribute to stakeholder engagement and institutional analyses to comprehend interests, roles, influence, and efforts in shaping policies at various scales.
• Conceptualize, plan, and organize policy dialogues and stakeholder consultations in the Ganga basin in collaboration with relevant national, regional, and international partners.
• Maintain a high level of research output for publication in outlets including peer-reviewed journals within the broader scientific community, focusing on topics closely relevant to the work.
• Identify emerging research trends and niches, and develop multi-year, multi-partner proposals for innovative research.
• Lead and contribute to proposal writing and fundraising opportunities for bilateral and multilateral funding sources.
• Provide information on relevant projects, research results, and breakthroughs for communication to donors, research users, partners, networks, and policy platforms.
• Assist the IWMI Anand Office Lead and IWMI India Country Representative in managing the IWMI and OneCGIAR national, regional, and international project portfolio.

Requirements

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Essential

• A PhD or equivalent in management, development economics, water management, environmental sciences, natural resources management, or a closely related field with at least 2 years of relevant post-doctoral experience, preferably in South Asia.
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge and research experience relevant to the Water, Energy, Food, and Ecosystems domain.
• A strong track record of scientific publishing in peer-reviewed and high-impact policy journals, with a demonstrated development impact of past research.

Desirable

• Experience in implementing successful action research projects with a strong policy component would be highly advantageous.
• Experience of engaging with regional and international partners and stakeholders.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to explain complex development challenges and interdisciplinary work to a policy audience.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, managers, and other stakeholders in a multicultural setting, with awareness and respect for diversity.

Benefits

What we are offering:

This is an internationally recruited position with a competitive salary, comprehensive international health insurance, life insurance accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, and long-term disability coverage. Internationally recruited staff who are employed at a duty station outside of their home base/country of nationality will also receive relocation assistance, a housing allowance, home-leave plane tickets for self and eligible dependents and education assistance for eligible dependents. The duration of the contract will initially be for a period of two years.

HOW TO APPLY: Apply for the position by following the application instructions at www.iwmi.org/jobs. We will be accepting applications through 24:00 (IST) on August 21, 2023 (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis). Your application must include a CV, cover letter, and three (3) references, which may be contacted if you are shortlisted. Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

IWMI believes that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary working environment. We are consciously creating an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and our commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.

Related Resources

• Project // Nexus Gains: Realizing Multiple Benefits Across Water, Energy, Food, and Ecosystems
• Nexus Blog // Exploring the water, energy, food, and ecosystems nexus in the Ganges Basin