Senior Scientist I - Environmental / Climate Change Expert

Climate Change impacts rice production through exacerbated and more frequent climate extremes, rising sea levels and temperatures. Understanding future trends is crucial to plan ahead and implement adaptation options to increase resilience of agricultural systems. Working with various national and international partners in different projects, IRRI develops strategies to mitigate climate change (effects) and to adapt to climate change, e.g., through the development and dissemination of climate-smart technologies in rice production.

The incumbent will scientifically contribute to and lead the project “Reducing methane emissions from rice: from mechanistic understanding to scalable crop management options”. This project will encompass four workstreams: (i) improve our understanding of the processes of methanogenesis in rice fields and use this knowledge to propose the next-generation methane inhibitors; (ii) Validate current best-bet soil amendments and management practices, which involves more applied research and focuses on testing and validating combinations of management practices and soil amendments with immediate potential for scaling to farmers across Asia; (iii) Variety screening; Large numbers of genotypes will be screened for CH4 emissions to rapidly and confidently identify the underlying methanogenesis-related mechanisms (microbial and physiological); (iv) modeling: the ecophysiological crop model ORYZA will be linked with the GHG model DNDC (and potentially the root model SimRoot), and the ensemble will be calibrated and validated using historical experimental data and using the new data generated in work streams 1, 2, and 3. Finally, it will be used to explore the effects of specific management practices, soil amendments and methane inhibitors on the agronomic performance of rice (especially yield, but also productivities) and on emission of methane, other GHG gases and soil C sequestration – under both current and future predicted climate scenarios. The project will thus combine experimental work in greenhouses and fields in IRRI’s experiment station with simulation work.

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

The advertised job will have a two-pronged approach covering responsibilities related to project lead (#1-#3) as well as to research contributions (#4):

• Overall project leadership and leading the team of workstream managers to produce the project deliverables that are of high quality and in a timely manner; organize and conduct project evaluation and planning meetings; develop and timely submit to the project donor reports as per project document; interaction with the donor as needed;
• Oversight of project budget and finances;
• Organize international workshops and meetings on the project and/or on the topic of methanogenesis in rice in general
• Develop experimental protocols and measurement schemes, specifically including the measurements of methane and other greenhouse gases; design and implement the greenhouse and field experiments; analyze data and synthesize results to create the project deliverables
• The thematic focus of the research (#4) will be on the workstreams that will generate the two project deliverables:
• Increased understanding of drivers of methanogenesis and how to manipulate them through management practices. More specifically: deepened understanding of the relations between soil redox potential, water-nutrient- and residue-management, soil amendments, methane inhibitors, and rice varieties on the one hand and the soil microbiome that ‘regulates’ production and emission of methane, other GHG gasses, and soil organic carbon build up on the other. Identified ‘next generation’ soil amendments/methane inhibitors/rice genotypes to reduce methane emissions from rice fields.
• Practical management recommendations – including the application of soil amendments (including biochar) and methane inhibitors - that farmers can apply that reduce the emissions of GHG – and of methane in particular - and sequester carbon in the soil, while at the same time keeping constant or improve the agronomic performance of wetland rice (yield!). During the project, it will be explored whether new management practices can be appropriate for accreditation as methodology for rice carbon credit schemes
• Lead the multidisciplinary project team at IRRI on climate-smart mitigation R&D on rice;
• Engage with the donor and timely report on project progress as per contractual requirements;
• Engage with any external partner that the project may bring in during its inception phase;
• Supervise and mentor junior staff;
• Demonstrate scientific leadership through publications and representing IRRI in scientific and strategy forums
• Timely delivery of the above deliverables (including project reports), in accordance with specific project documents and contracts;
• A well-functioning and effective R4D team based on principles of mutual trust and respect for gender and inclusion

• PhD in agricultural or environmental (climate change) sciences, or related fields with at least 5+ years post-PhD

Mandatory

• Experience with measurements and data analysis of greenhouse gases (specifically methane) from agricultural fields (preferable wetland rice fields);
• Strong background in field oriented and experimental research;
• Have a mix of practical field skills, quantitative abilities; appreciation of interdisciplinary work, and a core commitment to achieving science-led agricultural development;
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills;
• Strong proficiency in written and spoken English

Preferred

• Experience with rice; work experience in a developing country environment;
• Experience with working for both public and private sector partners; experience in working in private-sector funded projects

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.