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.
To apply for this position, please click here
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