Oversee a comprehensive array of critical duties encompassing strategic planning, operational execution, and team leadership to drive organizational success. Serve as the primary point of accountability for project deliverables, ensuring adherence to timelines, budget constraints, and quality benchmarks. Collaborate closely with cross-functional stakeholders to align initiatives with broader business objectives while fostering an environment of innovation and continuous improvement. Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams, cultivating talent and promoting a culture of accountability and excellence. Monitor key performance indicators to assess progress, identify gaps, and implement corrective measures to sustain momentum toward established goals. Ensure compliance with all relevant policies, regulations, and industry standards to mitigate risk and uphold organizational integrity.
The successful candidate will spearhead efforts to evolve local innovation ecosystems into vibrant knowledge hubs, working in close partnership with youth, private sector entities, governmental bodies, policymakers, and additional stakeholders.
Digital and AI-enabled innovations are transforming smallholder agricultural systems, enhancing productivity, efficiency, and resilience through advanced technologies. These innovations leverage data analytics, machine learning, and automation to optimize resource allocation, improve decision-making, and mitigate risks such as climate variability and market fluctuations. Smallholder farmers—who cultivate plots typically under two hectares—benefit from tailored solutions like precision farming tools, AI-driven crop monitoring, and predictive analytics for yield forecasting. To effectively integrate these advancements, professionals must possess expertise in agricultural technology, data science, or related fields, coupled with a deep understanding of smallholder farming challenges. Responsibilities may include developing and deploying AI models, designing user-friendly digital platforms, training farmers on technology adoption, and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to ensure scalable and sustainable solutions. Strong analytical skills, problem-solving abilities, and proficiency in AI/ML frameworks are essential for driving impactful change in this dynamic sector.
Facilitate collaborative socio-ecological systems co-design and co-engineering initiatives, integrating precision agriculture, digital solutions, and AI-driven innovations in partnership with smallholder farmers, pastoralists, youth organizations, extension services, governmental bodies, and private sector stakeholders.
Promote the ethical, responsible, and inclusive deployment of data, AI, and automation while advancing gender equity, youth engagement, data sovereignty, and environmental sustainability.
Design and implement cutting-edge solutions leveraging remote sensing, IoT, edge computing, machine learning, and decision-support systems, specifically optimized for low-connectivity and resource-limited agricultural environments.
Develop public–private collaborations, digital public infrastructure, and institutional innovations to facilitate sustainable and equitable value generation through digital and AI technologies.
Develop, execute, and enhance digital services—such as climate information, credit, insurance, and market-input-value chain linkages—to deliver integrated technical-market solutions. These solutions are designed to mitigate risks in agriculture and pastoral livelihoods while fostering dignified and meaningful employment opportunities for young people.
Enhance the contributions of digital public infrastructure, open science, open data, and pre-competitive collaboration and products in fostering agricultural development across diverse regions, with a particular focus on smallholder-focused contractual agriculture.
Research dissemination and knowledge sharing play a crucial role in advancing organizational learning and fostering innovation. This involves effectively communicating findings to relevant stakeholders, including internal teams, external partners, and the broader community, while ensuring accessibility and clarity. It also encompasses the development of strategies to promote the adoption of research insights, as well as the creation of platforms or channels to facilitate ongoing dialogue and collaboration. Additionally, it requires monitoring and evaluating the impact of shared knowledge to refine dissemination methods and enhance effectiveness. Strong written and verbal communication skills, proficiency in data visualization tools, and an ability to tailor messages for diverse audiences are essential for success in this role.
Craft and disseminate scholarly articles in respected academic journals, thereby enriching INRI’s repository of insights on digital innovation and machine-augmented intelligence applications within agriculture and livestock systems.
Representing INRI at conferences, workshops, and training sessions, you will effectively communicate research findings, champion INRI’s expertise, and solidify its position as a leading authority in the field.
Craft informative blogs, strategic communication materials, and concise policy briefs that advocate for the ethical and responsible application of digital innovations and machine-augmented intelligence.
We are actively seeking an experienced professional to drive strategic alliances and cultivate robust business relationships. This role requires a proven track record of identifying and securing high-value partnership opportunities, negotiating mutually beneficial agreements, and fostering long-term collaborations. The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional interpersonal skills, a deep understanding of market dynamics, and the ability to align partnerships with organizational objectives. Responsibilities include conducting market research, evaluating potential partners, developing partnership proposals, and maintaining strong stakeholder engagement.
Foster strategic collaborations with adtech and fintech firms, youth organizations, financial and academic institutions, mobile network operators, policymakers, fellow CGIAR centers, NGOs, and investors to design, develop, and deploy digital innovations and machine-augmented intelligence solutions tailored for smallholder agriculture and livestock systems.
By fostering strategic partnerships across South-South and North-South collaborations, as well as cultivating robust connections with reputable institutions, the role will harness the transformative potential of artificial intelligence to address persistent development challenges within intricate smallholder systems.
Serve as a pivotal connector in the innovation ecosystem, fostering meaningful collaborations and facilitating the exchange of critical knowledge to drive collective progress.
Lead and/or contribute to initiatives aimed at creating project plans, cost estimates, business cases, and related documentation to streamline the development, enhancement, and ongoing maintenance of new digital tools.
Contribute proactively to fundraising initiatives that align with INRI and CGIAR objectives in precision agriculture, digital innovations, and machine-augmented intelligence, with a focus on securing private capital.
Capacity development and guidance are core responsibilities of this role, involving the enhancement of skills, knowledge, and competencies within teams or individuals. The position requires the ability to foster professional growth through structured mentorship, offering constructive feedback and support to cultivate talent. Additionally, the incumbent will design and implement training programs tailored to organizational needs, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and measurable outcomes. Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative approach are essential to effectively engage stakeholders, identify development opportunities, and drive continuous improvement.
Design and implement training and capacity-building initiatives in designated countries, focusing on the development and maintenance of digital platforms, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
Co-provide supervision for doctoral candidates and Master’s students engaged in pertinent research themes.
Seasoned professionals will provide guidance and assistance to research technicians engaged in collecting field data, conducting analyses, and sharing findings with relevant stakeholders.
Requirements
A PhD in agriculture, environmental sciences, computer science, or geospatial sciences, complemented by over seven years of hands-on experience in technical project and program management, as well as leading the development of solution architectures for large-scale, complex distributed systems.
Desirable qualifications include prior experience in technical management roles, complemented by a degree in Business Administration.
Demonstrated expertise in designing, developing, and implementing digital innovations and machine-augmented intelligence solutions tailored for crop-livestock and pastoral systems is required. Familiarity with Generative AI and computational social sciences is considered a plus.
Demonstrated success in authoring and publishing peer-reviewed scientific papers, coupled with proficiency in developing and delivering presentations tailored for conferences, workshops, and stakeholder engagements.
Skilled in developing communication materials—such as research reports and policy briefs—that effectively showcase both the opportunities and risks associated with the digital transformation of agriculture and livestock systems.
Proven expertise in grant and proposal development, donor and stakeholder engagement, and resource mobilization to advance INRI’s strategic objectives.
Proficiency in working collaboratively with cross-disciplinary research teams spanning climate science, livestock productivity, crop and soil management, socioeconomic, and gender studies is required, with a proven ability to effectively share findings and insights.
With a proven track record of co-supervising students and guiding research technicians, you will assume responsibility for mentoring them through data collection, field studies, and analytical processes.
A solid grasp of resource-constrained, smallholder farming systems in developing nations—especially within semi-arid and tropical climates—with an emphasis on climate adaptation and resilience.
Experienced working in Africa and/or Asia, with a proven grasp of the agricultural and environmental conditions in these regions.
Proven experience in collaborative engagements or direct involvement with private sector business models and operational frameworks is highly beneficial.
Proficient in both English and French, with a working knowledge of African languages serving as a valuable asset.
Qualifications
PhD/Fellowship
Experience Required
7 years
