Research Management Coordinator - Internal/External at The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

Position: Research Management Coordinator - Internal/External

Job Time: Full-Time

Job Type: Contract

Place of Work: Addis Ababa, Addis Abeba - Ethiopia

Salary: Monthly Base Salary Birr 150,522

Posted date: 1 month ago

Deadline: Submition date is over

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) Ethiopia Country Office seeks to recruit a Research Management Coordinator for its activities in Ethiopia – with education and research experience in agroforestry and forestry in general and in tree-based livelihoods design and implementation in particular. The specific focus of this position is to provide support, conduct, and coordinate CIFOR’s research in forest management in general and the integration of trees on managed landscapes for wood, food, and fodder thereby improving the livelihoods of Ethiopia’s smallholders. The overall objective is to support the efforts of the Ethiopian Forestry Development work towards achieving its stated national and global commitments in conservation and landscape restoration. The job will provide support to the implementation of forestry projects by coordinating the planning and execution of day-to-day project activities related to forest management, agroforestry, and tree-based forest landscape restoration.

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) is a non-profit, scientific institution that researches the most pressing challenges of forest and landscape management around the world. CIFOR-ICRAF envisions a more equitable world where forestry and landscapes enhance the environment and well-being of all. Its aim to improve human well-being, protect the environment, and increase equity is based on innovative research that helps inform decision-makers and develop partners’ capacity. To do so CIFOR-ICRAF actively engages in dialogue with all stakeholders to inform policies and practices that affect forests and people. Before its merger with ICRAF, CIFOR has been operating in Ethiopia since 2005 and is expanding its activities to better support its national partners, notably the Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD). It has been actively working with EFD in the co-design and implementation of various forestry projects in Ethiopia.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the efforts in the identification of innovations in agroforestry and forestry relevant to Ethiopia;
• Lead and coordinated capacity-building efforts of CIFOR for its national partners through organizing seminars and training workshops;
• Lead and contribute to resource mobilization efforts through the write-up of bankable proposals;
• Contribute to the fulfillment, in a timely and accurate fashion, project deliverables including reporting, enabling digital platforms, and communicating findings to stakeholders;
• Lead and contributed to scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, and in producing high-quality technical reports;
• Coordinate the gathering of evidence and generation of knowledge in Agroforestry that would inform policy and practice in the development of agroforestry in Ethiopia;
• Coordinate and lead efforts of situational analysis in forestry and agroforestry development in Ethiopia given generating ideas for developing project idea notes and concept notes;
• Support the dissemination of project results through among others preparing briefs and making presentations in workshops and policy dialogue meetings;

Coordinate efforts of CIFOR to support EFD:

• In mapping, demarcating, and certification of Ethiopia’s forests;
• In identifying, mapping, and demarcating areas suitable for tree planting for various objectives;
• In identifying additional incentives for attracting the engagement of the private sector and communities in forest establishment and development;
• In developing manuals and guidelines in forestry and agroforestry;
• In developing procedures and criteria for classifying Ethiopia’s natural forests into strictly reserve, reserve, and production forests;

Lead and coordinate efforts of CIFOR to:

• Establish a center of excellence in forest knowledge management at Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources;
• Review existing forest sector legal instruments given identifying gaps and supporting EFD to develop appropriate directives, guidelines, and manuals;
• Organize trainings and awareness-raising events for federal and regional stakeholders, initially with unpacking of duties and responsibilities of EFD given developing its strategy aligned to its mandates;
• Establish policy platforms for policy dialogues, by initially establishing a national platform of GO-NGOs in the forestry sector;
• Identify livelihood diversification options for forest-dependent communities that simultaneously and positively contribute to better conservation and livelihood outcomes;
• Identify challenges (I) to promote cluster-based tree growing by smallholders; (ii) for the private sector to engage in forestry (notably in commercial plantations, in wood and forest-based industries); (iii) for the landless youth and women to engage in the rehabilitation and sustainable use of degraded lands; (iv) for the expansion of out-growers and other forms of partnership schemes in developing commercial plantations; (v) that constrain the expansion and growth of forest-based enterprises and wood processing industries to substitute imports and create green jobs; and (vi) that actors engaged in the processing and marketing of NTFPs (bamboo, gums and resins, spices, aromatic and medicinal plants, etc.);
• Document efforts thus far made and challenges to be addressed for sustainable production of woody biomass for meeting household energy demands, and improve the efficiency of processing and utilization of wood products (charcoal, pellets, etc.);
• identifying challenges smallholder forest managers and forest product processors face in accessing technologies, finance, and insurance services.

Any other relevant duties assigned to him/her by the supervisor

Minimum Requirements:

Education

MSc degree or PhD degree in agroforestry with research focus on soil-water-plant relations in mixed planting/agroforestry systems

Experience:

• Masters’ degree with ten years or PhD degree with three years of experience in agroforestry and forestry education, research, and development
• Experience working with CIFOR projects and understanding of operations of CGIAR organizations

Skills:

• Up-to-date and in-depth knowledge in agroforestry and forestry education, research, and development undertakings in Ethiopia
• Experience working with forestry research, education, and development institutions in Ethiopia
• Deep understanding of opportunities and challenges of promoting agroforestry in the various farming systems of Ethiopia
• Good team player with excellent interpersonal, social, and organizational skills
• Strong, analytical, writing, communication, and presentation skills
• Post-doctoral studies in Agroforestry will have an added value

Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Job Grade: HG 17

Monthly Base Salary: Birr 150,522 (Negotiable depending on the salary history of the candidate).

Terms of appointment: This is a National Staff (NS) position, initial appointment is fixed term for two years with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and the availability of funding. The ILRI remuneration package for nationally recruited staff in Ethiopia includes very competitive salaries and benefits such as life and medical insurance, offshore pension plans, etc. The ILRI campus is set in a secure, attractive campus in Addis Ababa. Dining and sports facilities are located on-site.