Country: Ethiopia
Closing date: 31 Oct 2015
The person and the job:
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is looking for a Senior Researcher/Researcher: Ecosystem-based Water Management who will based at the Institute’s East Africa and Nile Basin Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Candidates with relevant experience in the interaction between land management (agriculture) and water resources management, and a PhD in hydrology, environmental water management, water resources management and modelling or a related discipline will be considered for the position.
The position holder will develop a research portfolio on mapping and basin water management, and on valuing water-related ecosystem services at landscape and basin levels. Although being based at IWMI’s office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the person will also be expected to contribute to similar research activities in the Institute’s other offices in Africa, particularly West Africa. The person will report to the Theme Leader for the Institute’s research theme on Ecosystem Services.
You will:
- conduct research to build an understanding across a range of issues related to ecosystem services, hydrology, water resources modeling, environmental flows, basin water allocation, and natural and built water infrastructure;
- analyze basin and sub-basin water resources management interventions in the context of the ecosystem services they affect and/or provide;
- provide leadership in conceptual and empirical research, including modelling related to improving water resources management in Africa across a range of scales, and under existing and possible future conditions, including those resulting from climate change, land-use change and increasing hydropower utilization;
- identify new research trends and niches, and develop new research proposals for projects addressing important environmental and water management issues;
- initiate, develop and sustain collaboration with research partners, governments and donors in East Africa and elsewhere in Africa, as well as in Europe, Asia and the USA;
- contribute to relevant research portfolios of the CGIAR Research Programs on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE), and Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), particularly in relation to ecosystem services and resilience, and water variability and competing uses;
- prepare research reports, journal articles and other scientific manuscripts (e.g., policy guidelines, policy briefs, etc.) for dissemination and uptake of research results; and
- ensure that research outputs are being used by development partners.
You will possess:
- a PhD in hydrology, environmental water management, water resources management and modelling or a related discipline;
- an advanced knowledge of the concept of ecosystem services, and the links to water resources management;
- Five to eight years of relevant experience (depending on the level of appointment) in a broad field of ecosystem-based water resources management, with a focus on interactions between ecosystems, water and agriculture;
- experience in diverse hydrological, hydro-ecological and water resource models, tools and techniques, and their application in a basin context and in data-scarce environments;
- experience in developing and leading teams with multiple partners and multiple disciplines from both advanced research institutes and developing countries;
- advanced ability to conduct fieldwork and work in data-scarce environments;
- advanced ability to develop fundable research proposals;
- a proven ability to write and publish research findings, with a strong publication record;
- excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
- advanced project management skills;
- knowledge of concepts and methods of environmental flow assessment, and management and mapping of ecosystem services;
- experience in the use and application of remote sensing (RS) data and methods, and geographic information systems (GIS); and
- strong empathy towards integration with social and economic sciences.
It would be useful if you have:
- an understanding of the sociopolitical environment of the region;
- knowledge of hydrogeology and related methods and tools;
- an understanding of the principles of climate change modeling and scenario integration into hydrological and water resource models;
- knowledge of downscaling techniques of climate data from general circulation models (GCMs);
- the ability to communicate and work in French and/or African languages; and
- the advanced ability to effectively multitask.
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 providing evidence-based solutions to sustainably manage water and land resources for food security, people’s livelihoods and the environment. IWMI is a member of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future.
IWMI is an equal opportunity employer and is keen to further diversify its staff in terms of both gender and nationality.
Closing date: October 31, 2015
How to apply:
Please submit your application online at :www.iwmi.org/jobs
For information about IWMI visit : http://www.iwmi.org