Research Associate – Cereal Seed Systems at International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)

CIMMYT is looking for a Research Associate – Cereal Seed Systems to work with the Seed Systems research team at CIMMYT based in Nairobi, Kenya. The position will support research-for-development (R4D) that addresses persistent challenges for faster varietal turnover and equitable uptake of innovative practices/technologies in Eastern Africa. Research will focus on identifying challenges and testing solutions that contribute to equitable gender relations and social inclusion, informed decision making, and improved access to seed.

The duty station will be in Nairobi, Kenya.

Specific duties:

• Collect primary data from a mix of seed systems actors, to include farming households, seed producers, retailers, NGOs, and government agencies.
• Support data entry, cleaning, analysis, management, and archiving.
• Conduct literature reviews from local and international sources, including peer-reviewed literature.
• Provide input to the design of effective research tools for studies related to, e.g., behavior change among farmers and other stakeholders, gender dynamics and social norms, and seed sector and value chain analysis.
• Provide inputs as requested for publication of research findings in international peer reviewed journals and contribute to dissemination of results to stakeholders via workshops and webinars.
• Support proposal writing to expand CIMMYT work in Eastern Africa on gender and social inclusion in seed systems development, breeding, and related areas
• Engage with CIMMYT staff, seed company representatives, and other partners in the region to build capacity and strengthen gender and social inclusion efforts.
• Ensure research results and communication materials on gender and social inclusion in R4D are available online and disseminated to a key audience.

Required background, skills and attitudes:

• Master’s degree in a relevant social science field (e.g., development studies, gender studies, rural sociology, applied economics) from a reputable university.
• At least three years of experience planning, conducting, and reporting on research relevant to the position (agriculture, seed systems, rural development, gender, social inclusion, etc.). Demonstrated experience designing and leading gender and social inclusion projects is an advantage.
• Experience and comfort using mixed methods in data collection and analysis (qualitative and quantitative).
• Experience with data analysis, preferably using both quantitative and qualitative analysis software (e.g., STATA, SPSS, R, NVIVO, Dedoose).
• Good partnership-building skills, including experience engaging with local partners.
• A high degree of personal organization and ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to work with different nationalities and disciplines as a member of a diverse work team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Accountable, reliable, and able to work independently, with good time management skills and capacity to produce outputs or fulfill requests in a timely manner.
• Willingness to travel frequently, often to rural areas, and spend days or weeks in the field when required.
• The selected candidate must exhibit the following competencies: Achievement Orientation, Teamwork, Problem Solving, Decision-making, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution.