Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, or Senegal: Gender and Migration Climate Security Scientist

Nov 13, 2022 | The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
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The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.

With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people in a climate crisis. The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future.

Through the development of CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security, CGIAR aims to unpack the linkages- and address knowledge gaps- with regards to the relationship between climate change and food security to leverage CGIAR expertise for peace and security outcomes. Using a multidisciplinary methodological approach, our main objective is to generate and align climate security-sensitive climate, land, food, and water systems science and evidence with ongoing efforts to address socio-political security, stability, and peace in the realms of policy, programming, and finance.

About the position

The CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security is looking for a highly talented Gender and Migration Climate Security Scientist. The purpose of this position is to coordinate and conduct research on Gender, Inequality and Migration for Climate Security within the CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security and contribute to the delivery of state-of-the-art knowledge generation on issues related to migration, inequality, gender, climate, conflict, and peacebuilding, with a specific focus on climate security-sensitive programming, including through work on some or all of the following broad themes in the program of study: 1) effect of climate risks on vulnerable populations  and migrants, climate adaptation, resilience, and their relationship to conflict; 2) gender, social equity, and climate-related insecurity (issues related to unequal access, social cohesion, marginalization, political economy across multiple scales); 3) local institutions and peace (cross-cutting issues across the humanitarian, development and peace nexus in fragile and complex environments, with a focus on programming); 4) understanding mobility and forced climate migration, its drivers and impacts at origin and destination, unveiling the climate conflict migration nexus, the role of diaspora and remittances.

With background in migration and/or gender, and a strong background in peace and conflict studies, policy, and related qualitative and/or quantitative analysis skills, the successful candidate will contribute to the following four research areas:

  1. Evidence 4 Climate Security: Understanding the complexity of climate and security for informed decision-making that is gender sensitive and socially equitable. This research area will help unpack the main impact pathways that link climate, agriculture, and security in different geographies to enrich our knowledge of the complex, context-specific, socially variable, and dynamic pathways through which climate affects the risk of conflict.
  2. Programming 4 Climate Security: Developing climate security sensitive operations in agricultural settings. The main goal of this component is to develop a global framework to inform the design and implementation of integrated programming at regional, national, and subnational level improving interventions, research, policies, and investments to mitigate and prevent conflicts, reduce people’s inequalities and vulnerabilities, and increase resilience.
  3. Policy 4 Climate Security: Articulating the role of food systems in a climate crisis for policies and frameworks. This research area aims to engage with communities, civil society, and governing actors across multiple scales of governance to assess and improve the coherence, integration, and performance of policies within climate-related and security domains.
  4. Finance 4 Climate Security: Leveraging finance by aligning objectives and incentives along the Humanitarian Development and Peace Nexus. This research area aims to identify and prioritise climate adaptation investment that have the greatest peace potential to align climate adaptation and peace and security objectives of governments and donors.

Gender and Migration are integral and cross cutting themes to the above four research areas.

Key Responsibilities

  • Contributes to the design and implementation of high-quality research on gender and migration climate security issues in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
  • Contribute to knowledge generation on issues related to gender, migration, climate, conflict and peacebuilding, with a specific focus on climate security-sensitive programming.
  • Coordinates a team of researchers delivering on this agenda, providing technical guidance.
  • Disseminate research analysis, findings, and recommendations to various audiences,
  • Contributes to the development of proposal writing for research activities related to gender, inequality, peace and security.
  • Support the global rollout of the Climate Security research.
  • Support the development of global and regional partnerships, managing and developing institutional relationships.
  • Support on scientific/proposal writing, reporting, and fundraising.
  • Contribute to the write up of highly quality scientific papers, suitable for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
  • Facilitate cross collaboration in the climate security nexus flagship initiatives
  • Work in collaboration with climate security, peacebuilding, and security analysts.
  • Supervise and collaborate with junior researchers, research assistants, visiting researchers and/or students.
  • Contribute to the reporting/communication to supervisor and donors and discover/respond to tendering processes.
  • Support the development of Climate Security innovations such as proofing guidelines to make CGIAR and partners research and practice climate security sensitive.
  • Contribute to the development of a theoretical framework and related methodology to assess the peace potential of climate adaptation efforts.
  • Contribute or co-lead quantitative and qualitative analyses on gender and migration in climate security hotspots and corridors to understand drivers and impacts at origin and destination.
  • Contribute to peer-review articles, position papers, policy brief and commentary.

Requirements

  • A PhD Degree in gender studies, sociology, anthropology, peace and conflict studies, international relations, development economics, demographic or political science will be desirable
  • At least 3 years of experience as a researcher initiating and carrying out their own research projects on issues related to climate-related security risks and experience managing researchers or research assistants.
  • Experience with international research for applied research and development programs
  • Experience in international, multi-cultural settings and  interacting with researchers, policymakers, donors, and civil society across a wide range of contexts
  • Substantive knowledge of issues relating to climate-related security risks, either more broadly or in-depth to a specific sub-area (e.g., peace and conflict, development, migration, or organizational responses);
  • Knowledge of gender, conflict and peace studies, gender and intersectional analysis, climate security and specific areas of expertise related to these fields (For the Gender and Climate Security Scientist position)
  • Strong knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods; 
  • knowledge of the multilateral system, preferably the United Nations, African Union, or the Regional Economic Communities within Africa 
  • A record of publications commensurate with the length of time worked in research; 
  • Proven ability to work and coordinate teams; 
  • Ease of working in oral and written English and/or French, with further language proficiency being an advantage.
  • Excellent report writing, communication and project management skills
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team-oriented, multi-cultural environment

Terms of employment

This is an internationally recruited position and will be based in either Nairobi (Kenya), Pretoria (South Africa), Cairo (Egypt) or Dakar (Senegal). (Please note that preference will be given to Pretoria and Cairo where possible). The initial contract will be for two (2) years, subject to a trial period of six (6) months and is renewable based on performance and availability. This is a position at level BG09, on a scale of 14 levels, with level 14 being the highest.

The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits. We are an equal opportunity employer, and strive for gender, diversity, and inclusion in our staff, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic.

Applications

Please apply online through the website (https://alliancebioversityciat.org/careers) not later than 23rd November 2022, attaching a cover letter illustrating your suitability for the above position against the listed qualifications, competencies, skills together with a detailed curriculum vitae, including names and contact information of three referees knowledgeable about your professional qualifications and work experience. Both documents in English. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.