The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a Rangeland Systems Scientist to continue to position ILRI as a key partner and research provider in the area of pastoralism in African and Asian rangeland systems through creating pathways and innovations to strengthen the climate resilience of pastoralists to adapt and thrive in a changing climate.

ILRI works to improve food security and nutrition, and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 11 CGIAR research centres dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, ILRI has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. www.ilri.org


The position
This position is a strategic investment, supported by a recent philanthropic grant made by the Ballmer group to ILRI to support its livestock and climate agenda. It is envisaged that the selected person will complement the existing pastoral team with their expertise on rangelands dynamics. This person will use his or her broad systems knowledge of rangeland science to support the agenda of: early warning and anticipatory action (i.e. linked to the Jamel Observatory); innovation in de-risking approaches (linked to the IBLI and climate risk teams); applying spatial and temporal analysis and prediction for vegetation and livestock dynamics (linked to the remote sensing and modelling teams); using the carbon financing or payment for ecosystems services approaches to support rangeland development. ILRI’s comparative advantage is this area is bringing the link to users and partners in the pastoral regions, with ILRI a natural interface between ‘high end science’ and local relevance.


Key Responsibilities
Support the pastoralism agenda at ILRI by:
• Using his or her knowledge of methodologies such as predictive modelling of biomass, grazing impact, animal herd dynamics, or decision support models, for understanding rangeland dynamics to co-create, with pastoralists, management response options for more sustainable rangeland management.
• Develop methods to improve the local relevance of detection and prediction of rangeland resources (biomass, cover, species diversity etc.) and develop the science which links grazing management, transhumance patterns, market dimensions and other drivers to long-term changes in rangeland condition.
• Apply his/her knowledge of systems dynamics in supporting other work on topics such as:
• Early warning (of drought) and anticipatory action.
• Development of derisking products such as livestock insurance (e.g. IBLI), climate advisories (e.g. iSAT, KAZNET) and supporting design and execution of business models for market development.
• Support the development and adoption of the climate-smart livestock agenda (e.g. animal health, husbandry, nutrition, grazing management etc.) resulting in improved rangeland health (including soil carbon), more employment and more equitable benefits from rangeland resources.
• Act as ILRI’s interface with other global teams and experts in this domain to bring local context and practical applications to impact the rangelands.
• Spearhead innovative research projects that advance the understanding of rangeland dynamics using predictive modelling, with the goal of strengthening the climate resilience of pastoralists.
• Create and refine decision support tools that aid in management and/or policy formulation for sustainable rangeland and pastoral community development.
• Lead the preparation of high-quality scientific reports, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations that communicate research findings to a diverse audience, including scientific communities, policymakers, and local stakeholders.
• Contribute to building the institutional capacity of ILRI in rangeland ecology and climate resilience research.

Requirements
• PhD in rangeland science, agriculture, natural resource management or environmental economics
• A significant record of achievement in science, evidenced by high quality publications, leadership of projects and teams, success in fund raising.
• Demonstrated experience of research for development applied to the drylands and pastoral systems in Africa and/or Asia.
• 5+ years professional experience post PhD in related topics.
• Experience working in the African or Asian drylands
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to apply these in research and practical contexts.
• Proficiency in French is desirable.
• Post location: The position will be based in Dakar, Senegal/other ILRI locations in Africa

Terms of Appointment
This is position is at job level HG 18 and it is open to both national and international applicants. The position is a two (2) year contract, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding. ILRI offers a competitive salary and benefits package which includes; medical and other insurances.
Applications: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, what they can bring to the role and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to the Director, People and Organizational Development through our recruitment portal by clicking on the « Apply Now » tab above on or before 11 August 2024. The position title and reference number: SLS/ 1480/2024 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the online application.


We thank all applicants for their interest in working for ILRI. Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts

To find out more about ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org
ILRI is an equal opportunity employer.