Gender, Youth and Inclusion (GYI) Lead Specialist

Background

The CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) is a global research-for-development program that combines the resources of 11 CGIAR centers, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the RUAF Foundation, and numerous national, regional and international partners. WLE and partners work around five interconnected themes: land; water; rural-urban linkages; risks and trade-offs; and gender, youth and inclusion. The program convenes and connects top scientists across these centers to develop integrated solutions for, and with, farmers, governments, nongovernmental organizations and businesses. WLE aims to find, test and support the scaling up of productive agri-food solutions that protect our natural resources.

WLE is led by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center. IWMI is a non-profit, scientific research organization focusing on the sustainable use of water and land resources in developing countries, with its headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and regional offices across Asia and Africa. WLE is based at the headquarters of IWMI. 

The person and the job

We are looking for a Gender, Youth and Inclusion (GYI) Lead Specialist to work jointly across activities of WLE and also on IWMI-specific activities. The person will be responsible for driving efforts to deliver a step change in our understanding of gender, youth and inclusion challenges in sustainable agriculture and natural resource management. The Lead Specialist will focus on delivering evidence that can underpin changing policies and practices on gender, youth and inclusion; and support the transfer of this evidence to partners in order to enable positive outcomes for people living in rural and urban communities. 

The GYI Lead Specialist will report to the Program Director - WLE for work related to the program, and to IWMI’s Research Group Leader - Governance and Gender for work related to the Institute. The person will also coordinate gender research across five WLE subprograms, and will work closely with four WLE Gender Focal Points based in other WLE partner centers. At IWMI, the work will involve coordination of gender research across the research programs implemented by the Institute.

The incumbent will be based at IWMI’s headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, but there are possibilities to consider other regional offices of the Institute, if there is a strong case for changing the location.
We are looking for an outstanding social scientist, with very strong development impact and research coordination credentials in the field of gender, youth and inclusion to take this work stream forward. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with the enthusiasm and inspiration to make IWMI and WLE the place to go for evidence, insights and knowledge on gender, youth and inclusion in relation to the sustainable intensification of agriculture, natural resource management, and water and land resources management in developing countries.

Candidates with a PhD in a social science (geography, anthropology, sociology, development studies, economics, political economy, etc.) or equivalent, and about 10 years’ experience in managing research or research-for-development projects in developing countries, which directly tackle gender, youth and inclusion, within agriculture or natural resource management, are invited to apply for the position. Candidates with a strong understanding of the methods and approaches for integrating gender, youth and inclusion into research for development, as well as how to operate at the science-policy interface, and transition towards achieving more effective research uptake on these issues, are encouraged to apply.

This is an internationally recruited position at Senior Researcher level (http://www.iwmi.org/irsbss2015) with a competitive salary and benefits package, which includes a housing allowance, transport, education, shipping assistance, annual home leave, retirement and health insurance package. The duration of the contract will initially be for a three-year period with possible extension.

For a detailed job description and to apply for the position, visit www.iwmi.org/jobs. Your application must include a copy of your curriculum vitae, cover letter which addresses IWMI’s requirements stated above, and contact information of three professional referees who may be contacted if you are short-listed for the position. Applications must be submitted by 24:00 (Colombo time) on April 06, 2018 (Friday).

IWMI is an equal opportunity employer and emphasizes the importance of regional and gender diversity in identifying candidates for this position and its staff more generally.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is a non-profit, scientific research organization focusing on the sustainable use of water and land resources in developing countries. IWMI works in partnership with governments, civil society and the private sector to develop scalable agricultural water management solutions that have a real impact on poverty reduction, food security and ecosystem health. Headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with regional offices across Asia and Africa, IWMI is a CGIAR Research Center and leads the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). www.iwmi.org