Agricultural Economic Modeler The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (www.ciat.cgiar.org) works to reduce hunger and poverty, and improve human nutrition in the tropics through research aimed at increasing the ecoefficiency of agriculture. CIAT is a member of the CGIAR Consortium (www.cgiar.org), a global research partnership working many partners for a food secure future. The Center’s research focuses on increasing productivity of key crops (cassava, common bean, rice, and tropical forages); reversing soil and land degradation; and using information to foster better decisions about issues such as climate change and environmental management. Headquartered near Cali, Colombia, CIAT has regional offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Hanoi, Vietnam, with staff posted in other developing countries as well. We are initiating a search for an Agricultural Economic Modeler for the Decision and Policy Analysis (DAPA) research area. The principal role of the position will be to conduct ex-ante evaluation of the economic impact of climate change on agricultural production. The candidate will work with the CIAT Global Futures and Strategic Foresight (http://globalfutures.cgiar.org) team, part of the Decision and Policy Analysis group. The DAPA group is a growing research area of CIAT that works towards CIAT’s mission of eco-efficient agriculture for the tropics by ensuring improved decision making by a range of stakeholders on the themes of climate change, linking farmers to markets and ecosystem services. See http://dapa.ciat.cgiar.org for more details on DAPA. We are looking for a candidate who will thrive in a fast-paced environment and who will bring a collaborative, forward looking mindset to the group. The candidate is expected to contribute directly to the goals of the Global Futures group and DAPA more broadly, but will also have the opportunity develop research in areas of their interest with relevance to DAPA and CIAT. We envisage the successful candidate to have a proven track record in economic modelling, with broad knowledge of modelling approaches, a strong record, and an interest in working on applied research. The position will be based at CIAT Headquarters in Palmira, Colombia. Responsibilities  Supervise the compilation of data and information for the economic analysis and modeling of economic systems associated with the CIAT mandate crops  Collaborate with CIAT crop modelers in activities associated with modeling the crops using DSSAT  Utilize the IMPACT partial equilibrium model for ex-ante evaluation of future scenarios at a global scale  Participate in conferences and international meetings to present results of research  Produce technical reports, policy briefs and papers as part of the ex-ante evaluation group Requirements  Professional in engineering, economics or any discipline related to the field of agriculture, with a master’s or Doctorate in economics, international development or related area  3 years of experience in agricultural economics or related disciplines. Demonstrated understanding of the economic models and the dynamics of international markets of agricultural commodities  Analytic ability and substantial demonstrated experience in agricultural economics  Bilingual ability in English and Spanish is preferred  Excellent skills with Microsoft Office  Intermediate econometric skills and proven abilities with common econometrics software such as Stata, SPSS, and R as well as familiarity with geographic information systems  Knowledge of the databases and programming language associated with GAMS or a similar system  Experience with partial equilibrium models such as IMPACT  Previous work in development  Capacity to work with diverse groups on complex problems, interacting with a wide range of partners and colleagues from different countries, communicating in an effective and convincing manner, both orally and in writing  Competencies: results oriented, high levels of initiative and innovation, effective communication, collaborative and team player, user oriented, adaptable and flexible, organized, and a continuous learner Terms of employment The position is internationally recruited and will be based at CIAT Headquarters in Palmira, Colombia. The initial contract in the Associate/Postdoctoral category will be for up to two (2) years, subject to a probation period of six (6) months, and is renewable depending on performance and availability of resources. CIAT offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits; we believe that the diversity of our staff contributes to excellence. CIAT is an equal opportunity employer, and strives for staff diversity in gender and nationality. Applications Applicants are invited to send a cover letter illustrating their suitability for the above position against the listed qualifications, competencies, skills together with a detailed curriculum vitae, including names and addresses of three referees knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience. All correspondence should be addressed to the CIAT Human Resources Office to Andrea Linares ([email protected]) and should clearly indicate “Agricultural Economic Modeler”. Closing date for applications: 21st of November, 2014 or until a suitable candidate is identified. We invite you to learn more about us at: http://www.ciat.cgiar.org