Location: Cairo, Egypt
Recruitment Type: International
Position Code: FO21-120
Open until filled
Job Summary:
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks a qualified candidate to serve as an Associate Research Fellow (ARF) / Research Fellow (RF) for a two (2) year, renewable appointment for its Development Strategy and Governance Division (DSGD). This position will be based at IFPRI’s Egypt office located in Cairo. The position involves travel to other countries where IFPRI conducts its research as well as to IFPRI’s headquarter in Washington, DC. The successful candidate will join the research team focusing on enhancing the impact of policies and rural investments on poverty, food security, and employment in the Middle East and North Africa. As part of the team, the incumbent will work in close collaboration with IFPRI senior researchers in Cairo and Washington, DC, as well as with local and international partners. The main duties will be to produce cutting-edge research and the development and dissemination of research products and tools. The successful candidate will also contribute to the broader research and capacity-building agenda of the Egypt office and have the opportunity to develop her/his own research projects that serve the broad research agenda of IFPRI Egypt and IFPRI.
Please note that ARF appointments at IFPRI have a maximum term of three (3) years, inclusive of any approved appointment extensions. After the maximum appointment term, ARFs may be considered for a promotion to the next level. The final grade level will be determined by demonstrated experience and track record of publications.
Essential Duties:
Specific duties include but are not limited to:
- Conduct innovative research on agriculture, nutrition, and social protection, with particular attention to poverty reduction, food security, and employment using cutting-edge econometric modeling techniques.
- Conduct quantitative research on the impact of agricultural and rural development policies and investments as well as other social protection and nutrition policies.
- Publish papers in top, peer-reviewed journals and IFPRI outlets (books, policy briefs etc.).
- Lead country case studies and coordinate related research, capacity building, and communication activities.
- Contribute to impact evaluations related to agricultural development, markets, and agriculture-nutrition linkages.
- Represent IFPRI and projects on various occasions, including at conferences and meetings.
- Supervise junior research staff (research assistants and research associates)
- Support the broader IFPRI Egypt research agenda, assist in reporting on program/project activities and help developing new research projects.
Required Qualifications:
- PhD in Economics, Agricultural Economics or closely related fields.
- Excellent econometric/statistical skills and excellent knowledge of STATA.
- Demonstrated knowledge of state-of-the-art techniques used in microeconomic analysis and panel data analysis.
- Experience in working with/combining different datasets like household surveys, agricultural surveys, and other socioeconomic datasets for innovative statistical and econometric analysis.
- Demonstrated capacity to produce high-quality research for publication in top, peer-reviewed journals.
- Strong team player, self-motivated and ability to work with people from different social and cultural backgrounds.
- Willingness to relocate to Egypt and travel to other MENA countries.
- Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English.
At the Research Fellow Level:
- Excellent publication record in peer-reviewed journals
- 3+ years of post-PhD experience relevant to the job and demonstrated fundraising experience
- Major external recognition within peer professional network due to publications and other leaderships activities
- Demonstrated leadership skills and strong experience building and managing teams.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Familiarity with the literature and demonstrated research experience in one or more of the following areas: agricultural development, public investments, employment, food security, poverty reduction, social protection, nutrition, and migration.
- Familiarity with GIS tools and remote sensing data.
- Field experience in collecting quantitative project and household data in developing countries.
- Working experience in the Middle East and North Africa region.
- Knowledge of French.
- Knowledge of (or willingness to learn) Arabic.
