Job Summary:

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks a qualified candidate to serve as a Research Fellow or Senior Research Fellow for a 2-year, renewable appointment in its Development Strategies and Governance Unit.  This position is based in Lilongwe, Malawi. The candidate will play a key role in conducting research, capacity building and policy communication activities to support IFPRI’s research and policy engagement in Malawi. 

Essential Duties:

Specific duties include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinate and lead research that supports policy formulation in Malawi on topics such as economic development, poverty reduction, food security, rural transformation, estate and smallholder farming models, agricultural markets, rural labor markets, modernizing value chains, and urbanization.
  
• Participate in the management of research projects, including developing workplans, coordinating research activities, engaging in capacity development activities, monitoring and reporting on progress, and sharing research findings.
  
• Design and supervise large data collection activities, such as household surveys, enterprise surveys, listing exercises, price monitoring surveys.
  
• Lead empirical, conceptual and analytical work that identifies pathways to prosperity in Malawi. 
  
• Formulate research outputs to guide and inform development policies and investments in Malawi. 
  
• Use empirical evidence to clearly articulate the development challenges Malawi faces, the policies and investments that can address these and the most urgent knowledge gaps that need to be filled for the country to develop. 
  
• Participate in the preparation of funding proposals for research projects and in the cultivation of relationships with potential funders.
  
• Communicate research to a broad spectrum of stakeholders including fellow researchers, students, partner organizations, funding agencies, and policymakers and their advisors.
  
• Represent IFPRI at meetings, debates, panel discussions, media interviews etc.
  
• Cultivate professional relationships with external collaborators and collaborating organizations for the purposes of research, capacity development, and communications.   
  
• Review drafts of Malawian policy documents – including strategies, implementation plans, acts and bills – to assess their development impact.
  
• Conduct capacity-strengthening activities.
  
• Supervise research support staff and provide professional mentoring to other local researchers. 
  
• Publish research in peer-reviewed journals and IFPRI outlets (books, policy briefs etc.).

Essential Qualifications:

• At the Research Fellow II level:
  • PhD in Economics, Development Economics, Agricultural Economics, or a related field.
    
  • At least 5 years of relevant post-PhD experience.
    
• At the Senior Research Fellow I level: 
  
  • PhD in Economics, Development Economics, Agricultural Economics, or a related field.
    
  • At least 7 years of relevant post-PhD experience. 
    
• Experience designing and coordinating large quantitative data collection activities using CAPI.
  
• Excellent knowledge of Stata, R, or other relevant statistical/econometric software package.
  
• Demonstrated knowledge of state-of-the-art techniques used in applied microeconomics, including randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental evaluation methods, and panel data analysis.
  
• Demonstrated leadership skills and strong experience building and managing teams.
  
• Experience working in a developing country setting.
  
• Excellent written and spoken English communication skills with demonstrated excellence in written and oral presentations.
  
• Ability to express complicated analytical findings to non-scientist, but expert audiences.
  
• Proven record of fundraising success for projects
  
• Demonstrated experience in effective interactions in a multicultural setting with other researchers and with policymakers, donors, and civil society.
  
• Demonstrated ability to use economic theory and concepts from related disciplines or fields in innovative and policy-relevant ways.
  
• Major external recognition within peer professional network due to publications and other leaderships activities.
  
• Willingness to travel for project activities including, but not limited to, project meetings, field survey testing, workshops, and conferences.
  
• Willingness to prioritize policy relevance and engagement in all research activities.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in the region.
  
• Knowledge of Chichewa.
  

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is an equal employment opportunity employer - F/M/Disability/Vet/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.

Application Deadline: May 10, 2024