Salary: Birr 48,846

Deadline: October, 17/2023

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) seeks to recruit a Research Officer II – Data Science who will provide technical support on building project datasets and lead the analytics of agricultural and resource use data and support the utilization of the data and its products.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is an International organization, one of the 15 CGIAR centers, which conducts agricultural research for rural development in drought-prone of Africa and Asia, headquartered in Patancheru (Hyderabad, Telangana, India) with several regional centers (Bamako (Mali), Nairobi (Kenya)) and country offices, including in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. ICRISAT adopts integrated genetic and natural resources management as its overarching research strategy to improve productivity and enhance the resilience of dryland systems. ICRISAT-Ethiopia works with national partners on availing technologies to dry land farmers and agro-pastoralists, enhancing technology utilization, linking farmers to markets, and strengthening the national capacity.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the analytics of agricultural and resource use data and support the utilization of the data and its products;

• Develop analytical tools (e.g. software packages, web applications) to enhance the efficiency of nutrient management and soil health, agronomy, soil and water management, hydrology, flood, and market and bundled toolbox for integrated landscape management;

• Collate, process and organize large databases of agriculture, natural resources and socio-economics and maintain and expand the data repository and related metadatabases to support end-user needs;

• Generating project-specific databases;

• Create and maintain the data repository;

• Identify appropriate data sources of spatial information layers and digital imagery data from global websites, collect/compile such information/data and imagery, interpret and extract information to support research for development projects and other operations of the ICRISAT Ethiopia Office;

• Develop spatial information and link it with decision tools in agriculture, natural resources and socio-economics applications;

• Develop and use models to integrate with decision tools and experience in modeling systems, and yield gaps;

• Integrate data science with other research portfolios. Work closely with thematic specialists (landscape, soil, agronomy, crop-livestock, water management) to identify needs for; data/information to support research and interpret these information needs such as identification of needs for data, satellite imageries, GIS layers, processing and map production needs;

• Provide capacity development to partners on spatial analysis, decision tools and analytics;

• Contribute to project reports, peer review publications and proposal development;

• Perform other relevant duties assigned by the supervisor.

Minimum Requirements:

Education:

• MSc degree in Agricultural Science, Data Science, Environmental Science, Geography, Geoinformatics, Geospatial, and Geomatics, with an understanding of agriculture and natural resources and climate adaptations

• Broad/specialized knowledge of methods, techniques and processes

Experience:

• Five years of relevant work experience

Skills:

• Proven experience with data analytical tools (machine learning), and handling of large legacy agricultural and soil data, and geospatial datasets using R and/or Python is a must.

• Experience working with the development of decision support applications, integrated decision tools and interface design

• Sound knowledge of relational data management systems and demonstrated ability to extract/store data and navigate systems (SQL, PostgreSQL, etc.) and some background on agriculture and landscape management

• Familiarity with Google Earth Engine and remote sensing data is a plus.

• Desire and ability to work collaboratively and respectfully in a diverse, multicultural, and multidisciplinary work environment.

• Good reporting and communication skills in English and the ability to present complex concepts and results with a non-specialist audience.

Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Grade: HG 14

Monthly Base Salary: Birr 48,846 (Negotiable depending on the salary history of the candidate)

Terms of appointment: This is a Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) position, initial appointment is for two years with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and the availability of funding. The ILRI/ICRISAT remuneration package for nationally recruited staff in Ethiopia includes very competitive salaries and benefits such as life and medical insurance, offshore pension plan, etc. The ILRI campus is set in a secure, attractive campus with dining and sports facilities.

How to apply

Register using the following link CLICK HERE

Applicants should provide a cover letter and curriculum vitae; names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to be included in the curriculum vitae.

The position and reference number: RO/ICRISAT/24/23 should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter.

All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment portal using the below apply button before 17 October 2023.

Suitably qualified women are particularly encouraged to apply.