The organization

The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (The Alliance) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. The Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.

The Alliance works with local, national, and multinational partners across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, and with the public and private sectors. The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services.

About the position

The Alliance is looking for a highly skilled data scientist to support the agroclimatology team in crop-climate modelling in the Climate Resilience Study, an initiative endorsed by the PepsiCo Global Sustainability team. The scope of work focuses on developing climate model for potato production in New Zealand and China. This work will feed into a user-friendly platform which enables private sector sourcing companies, agronomic teams, farmers, and researchers to explore climate layers, risk and opportunity areas for potato production as well as environmental trends over time.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth analysis on crop yield performance and other agronomic variables for New Zealand and China;
• Develop machine learning and statistical models (e.g. GAMs) to understand potato-climate interactions and future climate impacts on potato production for New Zealand and China;
• Be comfortable in using and analyzing climate data from diverse sources and models (ie Copernicus, WorldClim, TerraClimate);
• Analyze and judge the quality of data produced and work with the project team to resolve issues;
• Integrate diverse datasets, including climate models, satellite imagery, and agronomic data, to enhance the accuracy of predictions;
• Apply systems thinking methodologies to analyze interactions, feedback loops, and emergent behaviors within the targeted systems.

Required qualifications and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Agricultural meteorology, climate science, ecology, environmental science) with work experience;
• Proficiency in quantitative and qualitative research methods;
• Strong programming skills for model development (e.g., Python, R);
• Strong working knowledge of GIS;
• Familiarity with climate modeling tools, remote sensing techniques, and relevant software;
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across disciplines;
• Demonstrated experience in applying systems thinking to real-world socio-ecological problems;
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment;
• Ability to communicate complex ideas effectively, verbally and in writing, in English.

Terms of contract

• The selected individual or firm will be contracted as a consultant according to the procurement policies of the Alliance Bioversity-CIAT.

Applications 

Please send applications to [email protected] with the subject line: Statistical Modeler as position being applied for. In your email, please include:

1. A cover letter illustrating your motivation to apply and suitability for the above position against the listed qualifications and work responsibilities.
2. A detailed Curriculum Vitae. 

Applications should be saved as one document using the candidate’s last and first names for ease of sorting. 

The Alliance collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

The Alliance does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, or training). 

Applications closing date: 10^th March 2024.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Organization: CIAT
Location: Hanoi
Application deadline: 2024-03-10
Send application to: [email protected]