Postdoctoral Fellow - Agronomy & Weed Science

IRRI is seeking a dynamic and self-motivated post-doctoral fellow with background in Agronomy and Weed Science to contribute to the development of innovative crop and natural resource management approaches for integrated weed management and sustainable intensification of rice-based cropping systems in Asia. The incumbent should have strong theoretical knowledge of agricultural systems, as well as a mix of practical field skills, data analytical skills, appreciation of inter-disciplinary work, and a core commitment to achieving science-led agricultural development. He/she will work closely with an interdisciplinary team of social scientists, economists, GIS/remote sensing experts, breeders, soil/agronomist, and policy analysts to understand adoption processes, technology targeting, and the enabling environment to support sustainable intensification at scale.

This position will be based at the IRRI Headquarters, Los Baños, Philippines and is open for international applications.

• Provide technical leadership to the priority thematic areas including cropping system design for climate resilience, direct-seeded rice, and integrated/precision weed management to support projects such as Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA; www.csisa.org), Direct-Seeded Rice Consortium, and Excellence in Agronomy
• Develop new research questions and overall research strategy that address core knowledge gaps, often by leveraging newer and emerging methods, including modern analytics, tools, multiple spatial and temporal scales leading to precision agronomy and weed management
• Work closely with multidisciplinary team to implement innovative agronomy and weed management approaches and to understand adoption processes, technology targeting, and the enabling environment to support sustainable intensification at scale
• Lead the development and writing of high impact publications in peer reviewed journals
• Prepare high quality project reports for submission to donors
• Supervise and mentor junior staff
• Communicate and coordinate effectively with CGIAR centers, NARES partners, other advance research institutions and private sector collaborators involved in CSISA, DSRC, and EiA to ensure the research outputs are effectively endorsed within CG and national systems
• Align with key IRRI staff to ensure that goals and objectives of the projects are met
• Communicate key messages and project progress with donors, policymakers, and other primary stakeholders
• Provide information and guidance to on-going field and project management activities involving assistants, technicians, scholars in order to maintain a good working environment as well as harmony within the team
• Successfully develop workflow, implement agreed plans and project activities
• Demonstrate leadership in research in the area of modern agronomy at scale and integrated weed management
• Systematically compile, analyze and interpret data in order to contribute to good quality project reports to donors
• Lead the development and writing of high impact publications in peer-reviewed journals showcasing the institute’s scientific leadership
• Represent IRRI to a wide audience by presenting at international conferences/meetings
• Contribute actively to the strategic planning of the research agenda of the research unit/platform

• PhD in relevant discipline with experience in Systems Agronomy and Weed Science

Mandatory

• Strong back ground in field oriented research and extension activities in the area of agronomy and integrated weed management
• Ability to use modern data analytics tools for data driven agronomy including weed management at scale
• Have a mix of practical field skills, quantitative abilities, appreciation of inter disciplinary work, and a core commitment to achieving science-led agricultural development
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
• Strong proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Good publication records relevant to the position requirement

Preferred

• Experience and knowledge of rice-based systems
• Prior experience in the field of Agronomy and weed science

IRRI offers a highly extensive employee benefits package inclusive of globally-covered medical insurance, retirement plan, life and accident insurance and other allowances. Join our team and be part of our story!

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
This position will remain open until filled.