LOCATION: WUHAN, CHINA

DIVISION: ENVIRONMENT AND PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

GRADE: 18R/19R

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  AUGUST 30, 2022

Job Summary:

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) East and Central Asia Office (Beijing) and Macro Agriculture Research Institute (MARI) of Huazhong Agricultural Universityseeks to recruit a skilled and innovative spatial analysis professional to support strategic, policy-focused research across a range of geographic scales from sub-national through to global. Current regional foci are Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, but global perspectives on challenges and opportunities for poverty and hunger alleviation in developing countries pervade much of the work of this program. The success of the research program will depend, in part, on its ability to develop and maintain large, integrated sets of spatial and tabular data linked to a range of biophysical (e.g., hydrological, crop growth, land degradation and land use) and economic models. Thematically, data and analyses will encompass spatial dimensions of climate and climate change, soils, agricultural production systems, ecosystem services, economic activity, market access, and multiple dimensions of human well-being. The ability to bridge gaps between different scales, methods, and disciplinary perspectives is central to the work of the program.

This is two-year, fixed term appointment, renewable depending on performance and funding. This position is based at Macro Agriculture Research Institute, Huazhong Agricultural University (Wuhan, China), but might involve travel to the countries in which IFPRI carries out its research.

Essential Duties:

The successful candidate will perform the following duties:

· Document, catalogue, and manage a very large and growing collection of national, regional and global spatial data sets.

· Familiarize oneself with remote sensing applications and modelling, in particular on cropland and grasslands.

· Write database, object-oriented or procedural language code to perform specialized analytical functions related to biophysical applications of large datasets.

· Execute the spatial analysis tasks required to achieve GIS related technical outputs.

Required Qualifications:

· Master’s degree in Engineering, Geography, Environmental science, Computer science or related field.

· Proficient in a scientific programming language such as Python, Java, or C++.

· Familiarity with data management, processing, and analysis.

· Experience using major GIS software such as ArcGIS, or experience working with equivalent data in a relevant programming language.

· Experience in managing and manipulating large spatial datasets.

· Fluency in oral and written English.

· Excellent writing and analytical skills.

· Ability to work independently and effectively with colleagues from diverse cultures.

· Good interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

· Sound knowledge of international agricultural policy, food security, and natural resources.

· Previous experience working on international development issues and/or extensive knowledge of relevant development issues within an academic context.

Physical Demand & Work environment:

· Employee will sit in an upright position for a long period of time with little opportunity to move/stretch.

· Employee will lift between 0-10 pounds.

· Employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform activities such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing computer terminal; extensive reading.

Note: Salary to be negotiated with all benefits required by labor regulations in China.

To apply: Please send resume to mari@hzau.edu.cn /s.zhou@cgiar.org

IFPRI is one of the international agricultural research institutes organized under the umbrella of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).  The mandate of IFPRI is to identify and analyze alternative national and international strategies and policies for meeting world food needs in ways that conserve the natural resource base, with emphasis on low income and on the poorer groups in the countries.