Assistant Scientist - Agricultural Data Analyst

Bangkok

Organization: IRRI - International Rice Research Institute
Location: Bangkok
Grade: Junior level - Junior
Occupational Groups:
- Statistics
- Administrative support
- Agriculture and Forestry
- Information Technology and Computer Science
- Scientist and Researcher
Closing Date: 2023-12-05

About IRRI

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science; improving the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers; and protecting the rice-growing environment for future generations. IRRI is an independent, nonprofit, research and educational institute, founded in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations with support from the Philippine government. The institute, headquartered in Los Baños, Philippines, has offices in 17 rice-growing countries in Asia and Africa, and over 1,000 staff.

Working with in-country partners, IRRI develops advanced rice varieties that yield more grain and better withstand pests and disease as well as flooding, drought, and other harmful effects of climate change.

Job Purpose

Climate Change impacts rice production through exacerbated and more frequent climate extremes. At the same time rice fields are a large emitter of greenhouse gases. Technologies that reduce the carbon footprint of rice exist but uptake of such technologies is slow. Working with various national and international partners in different projects, IRRI develops strategies to increase the level of adoption of climate-smart technologies in rice production. This task needs a concerted approach of an inter-disciplinary team of experts.

Under the minimal supervision of the IRRI Representative in Thailand, the Agricultural Data Analyst will be responsible for managing and updating database and providing analysis of information to support the implementation of IRRI’s agricultural and climate change projects in Thailand. The Agricultural Data Analyst will provide technical expertise to support monitoring and evaluation related tasks including qualitative performance data collection and analysis, and preparing reports. He/she will be further responsible for the management and analysis of project/research data sets and research support where necessary.

The successful applicant will lead related M&E tasks of a National Child Project in Thailand under the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded Inclusive Sustainable Rice Landscapes Initiative (ISRL). ISRL is a Regional Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) Impact Programme of the GEF and involves a core partnership between UN Environment, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) and IRRI.

The Child Project in Thailand seeks to transform rice and agricultural production landscapes in Thailand by reconciling competing social, economic, and environmental interests. To achieve this, the project proposes an integrated and multi-disciplinary landscape management approach to create inclusive, sustainable rice farming practices through policy, capacity building, financing, and sustainable land management (SLM) practices at landscape scale. Inter-ministerial land use planning at the national and local levels in the target provinces Chiang Rai and Ubon Ratchathani will precede the adoption of SRP Standard practices by smallholder farmers, while maintaining, restoring and improving landscapes, ecosystems and biodiversity.

This position will be based in Bangkok, Thailand and may only be filled by permanent citizens of Thailand.

Roles and Responsibilities

Analyze agricultural data to assess system performance, e.g., according to sustainability standards
Pilot testing and assessment of on-farm and landscape impacts of climate-smart agriculture technologies
Monitor and evaluate the development of projects and activities (e.g. baseline vs. intervention) and identify successes and constraints of implementation
Apply tools (e.g. GIS tool) to analyze and visualize results in order to identify gaps and target intervention
Contribute to the development of an effective Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system for agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Thailand
Collaborate and support the development and operation of a gender-sensitive M&E system to track the project performance and the level of adoption of Integrated Landscape Management approaches
Support internal evaluations of project’s progress at different stages of development and suggest improvements if needed
Engage with project staff and research partners on the monitoring and evaluation of project activities
Coordinate with project’ staff in the preparation of progress and annual reports.
Assist the IRRI Representative in Thailand in preparing different types of reports and documents as required
Assist in facilitating mid-term and end-of-term project review
Assist in facilitating the organization of and participating in different seminars, conferences and coordination meetings to gather information
Contribute to the development and publishing of scientific articles and reports (mostly in English)
Design, manage, and implement monitoring and evaluation systems, plans and tools for progress of IRRI projects and activities in Thailand in coordination with IRRI’s M&E team
Design, manage and update databases and provide analysis of information to support project implementation
Design and revise data collection and monitoring and evaluation processes, tools and methods

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Science, Agricultural Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Sciences, Statistics, Economics, or an agriculture-related analytics field with minimum 4 years of professional experience in agricultural data management
Master’s degree in Agriculture Science, Agricultural Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Sciences, Statistics, Economics, or an agriculture-related analytics field with minimum 1 year of professional experience in agricultural data management

Skills Required

Mandatory

Experience working with agricultural standards, logical framework design, performance indicator development and selection, data collection systems and tools, and results-based planning approaches
GIS knowledge and data management skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills in English as well as interpersonal skills
Proficient user of computer software packages related to database management, and data analysis including statistic software
Experience in writing reports in English
Experience in analyzing and synthesizing data and information for meaningful reporting
Strong problem-solving and analytical skills

Preferred

Experience in applying GIS to produce analysis related to agricultural research
Experience in database management; and (optional) experience working with mobile and/or web-based applications;
Knowledgeable of quantitative analytical techniques

IRRI offers a highly extensive employee benefits package inclusive of globally-covered medical insurance, retirement plan, life and accident insurance and other allowances.

Join our team and be part of our story!

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
This position will remain open until filled.

We do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.

Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.

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