Job Description
The Organization
The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) is part of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. CIAT delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. CIAT solutions address the global crisis of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.
CIAT works with local, national and multinational partners across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, and with the public and private sectors. CIAT is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to transforming food, land and water systems in a climate crisis.
About the position
Digital Inclusion team is looking for an experienced Postdoctoral Fellow to work with the agroclimatology team in crop-climate modelling. This work will feed into Climate Resilience Platform, a user-friendly platform which enables private sector sourcing companies, agronomic teams, farmers, and researchers to explore climate layers, risk and opportunity areas for crop production as well as environmental trends over time.
Key duties and responsibilities
• Contribute to the design and implementation of crop-climate modelling frameworks, climate risks, and agricultural productivity trends; contribute to regional and global agroclimatology research initiatives by integrating diverse datasets and generating evidence-based insights to improve climate resilience planning and agricultural decision-making.
• Communication, Outreach and Collaboration:
- Communicate research findings through publications in peer-reviewed journals, presentations at international conferences, and other relevant channels;
- Engage with other research teams (especially business impact modelling) to communicate findings and outputs;
- Collaborate with experts from various disciplines, including ecology, sociology, economics, and policy, to foster a holistic understanding of complex system.
• Research and Analysis:
- Deliver in-depth analyses on crop physiology, productivity, and trends, ensuring methodological consistency and scientific rigor across research outputs;
- Design and implement crop-climate modelling frameworks, including machine learning and statistical approaches (e.g. GAMs), to understand crop-climate interactions and project future climate impacts on crop production;
- Analyze and interpret climate data from diverse sources and modelling platforms, including (i.e. Copernicus, WorldClim, TerraClimate);
- Integrate, compile, and manage diverse datasets, including climate models, satellite imagery, and agronomic data, to enhance the accuracy of predictions;
- Apply systems thinking methodologies to analyze interactions, feedback loops, and emergent behaviors within the targeted systems.
Requirements
Required qualifications and experience
• A PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Agricultural meteorology, climate science, ecology, environmental science) with substantial work experience;
• Proven track record in quantitative and qualitative research;
• Demonstrated experience in applying systems thinking to real-world socio-ecological problems;
• Demonstrated experience in working as part of a research team in a collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment.
Skills and competencies
• Strong programming skills for model development (e.g., Python, R);
• Strong working knowledge of GIS;
• Expertise in climate modeling tools, remote sensing techniques, and relevant software;
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across disciplines;
• Ability to communicate complex ideas effectively, verbally and in writing, in English;
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across disciplines.
Benefits
Terms of employment
This position is a national recruited position based in Hanoi, Vietnam. The initial contract will be for 1 year, subject to a probation period of 2 months, and is renewable depending on performance and availability of resources.
This position is graded at BG8 level, with a minimum basic salary of VND 39,110,735 in a scale of BG01 to BG14 (BG14 being the highest level according to the CIAT job classification framework policy). We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits including but not limited to monthly allowances, insurance, retirement plan, staff training and development, paid time off and flexible working arrangements.
CIAT is committed to fair, safe, and inclusive workplaces. We believe that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority. We encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability statuses, sexual orientations, marital status, and gender identities. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applications
Applicants are invited to visit https://alliancebioversityciat.org/careers to get full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST include reference number (RFP301248) – Postdoctoral Fellow as the position applied for. Cover letter and CV should be saved as one document using the candidate’s last name, first name for ease of sorting (Cover letter should illustrate your motivation to apply and suitability for the above position against the listed qualifications and work responsibilities. Detailed curriculum vitae should include the names and email addresses of three professional referees who are knowledgeable about your skills and professional abilities). CIAT collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
Applications closing date: 03 June 2026