Scientist-Remote Sensing

International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a Scientist-Remote Sensing to contribute to a growing research agenda around remote sensing and ecological modelling for rangeland management applications. The successful candidate will make important contributions to broader, interdisciplinary research for developing sustainable strategies, tools and policies to increase the resilience of pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihoods to hazards like adverse weather conditions and climate change, market fluctuations and insecurity. The position will be  within a team that is  known for developing and implementing index-based livestock insurance (IBLI) as a risk-management tool for pastoralists (www.ilri.org/ibli), but is currently broadening its agenda to leverage the use of remotely sensed data to a greater range of innovative applications in support of rangeland management and productivity.ILRI works with partners worldwide to enhance the roles that livestock play in food security and poverty alleviation, principally in Africa and Asia. The outcomes of these research partnerships help people in developing countries keep their farm animals’ alive and productive, increase and sustain their livestock and farm productivity, find profitable markets for their animal products, and reduce the risk of livestock-related diseases.www.ilri.orgILRI is a not-for-profit institution with a staff of about 700 and in 2015, an operating budget of about USD83 million. A member of the CGIAR Consortium working for a food-secure future, ILRI has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, a principal campus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and offices in other countries in East, West and Southern Africa and in South, Southeast and East Asia. www.cgiar.org. 

ResponsibilitiesUndertake research to assess and improve the remotely-sensed forage scarcity indices used for the Index-Based Livestock Insurance program.Provide remote-sensing support to the IBLI program through contributions to contract design and index updates, and (geographical) data analysis.Lead analysis aiming to analyze and ground-truth remotely-sensed data with the aim of increasing the precision and value of applications using satellite-based measures of forage availability and quality as key inputs.Contribute to an interdisciplinary and applied research program investigating the link between climate change, rangeland productivity and livelihood impact.Undertake research seeking to apply remote sensing tools and data to the development of useful innovations targeted at rangeland monitoring and management.Support the capacity building of non-technical partners to improve their understanding of remote sensing and index design (e.g. manuals, e-learning activities).Work with pastoralists, their representatives and other key stakeholders to improve uptake of some of the technologies/innovations developed under this program.Support and lead the writing of journal articles and proposals on the above topics.Supervise PhD and MSc students on the above topics.RequirementsA PhD in spatial ecology, geography, or similar field obtained through a thesis with a strong focus on remote sensing methods applied to rangeland ecology.2-4 years postdoctoral experience.Demonstrated experience applying remote sensing methods to interdisciplinary research spanning social and biophysical sciences.A sound knowledge of rangeland ecological research in pastoral/agropastoral systems in developing countries, with a minimum of two years of experience in performing ecological research in this field.Strong statistical skills, including designing field data collection protocols and analyzing data that vary over space and time.Programming skills (e.g. IDL, R) and proven ability to be able to process large data amounts such as satellite image time series.Good peer-reviewed publication record.Strong written and oral communication skills in English and the ability to communicate with diverse audiences.Ability to work in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams, and experience working in developing countries.Post location: Nairobi, Kenya.Position level: The position is Scientist/Research Level 1, dependent on qualifications and experience.

Duration: 3 years with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and continued funding.Benefits: ILRI offers a competitive international salary and benefits package which includes 15% Pension, Medical insurance, Life insurance and allowances for: Education, Housing, Relocation, Home leave, Annual holiday entitlement of 30 days + public holidays.*Benefits are tax free subject to compliance with tax regulations of country of citizenship.How to apply: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV explaining their interest in the position, what they can bring to the job and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to the Director, People and Organizational Development. 

The position title and reference number REF: SRS/LSE/ 02/15should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment portal:http://ilri.simplicant.com by 10 March 2015.To find out more about working at ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org/ilricrowd/ILRI is an equal opportunity employer More ILRI jobsSubscribe by email to ILRI jobs alert