Research Officer II - Pastoralism and Rangeland at International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

Responsibilities 

Contribute to research on rangelands under the guidance of the supervisor

• Compile data and conduct statistical analysis
• Write reviews, articles and technical reports
• Conduct literature reviews
• Develop new strategies and activities towards making rangelands more secure for local users

Support Kenya-focused action research activities for the CGIAR Research Initiative on  Livestock and Climate

• Contribute to advancing research on participatory rangeland management (PRM) and restoration including PRM impacts among other areas
• Coordinate the LCSR activities in PRM, land use planning, restoration, and other action research activities in pastoral areas of Kenya acting as liaison between ILRI researchers and local implementing NGO
• Maintain relationships with partners and other stakeholders
• Coordinate logistics for international staff
• Assist research interns
• Prepare blogs and other communication materials
• Contribute to written outputs including research reports and journal articles
• Coordinate and attend meetings with other LCSR (and 1CGIAR Initiative) staff based in Kenya.

Assist in the undertaking of trainings on PRM

• Support the undertaking of trainings on PRM and rangeland restoration as necessary and in agreement with country/project manager(s)
• Develop training materials on PRM and rangeland restoration for various audiences
• Represent ILRI at ministry and other meetings related to rangelands and pastoralism, or other as agreed with supervisor
• Some travel to Northern Kenya as agreed with supervisor.  Occasional international travel may also be required.
• Perform any other related duties as agreed

Requirements

• Masters’ degree in land resources management & environmental protection, animal rangeland and wildlife science, geography, environment, agriculture or equivalent relevant professional certification
• At least Five years relevant experience in research in rangelands, drylands, NRM, communal land governance, land use planning.
• Experience in research and working on gender issues and social inclusion
• Ability to engage/communicate with different sets of actors; surveys; participatory research tools
• Experience in training local/community institutions, government officers, NGO staff, etc on large-scale management of pastoralist rangelands and related issues
• Excellent communication and writing skills for different audiences (academic, government, NGOs, public, social media), in written and spoken Kiswahili, English (French, Arabic and/or knowledge of languages spoken in Kenya pastoral areas would be an advantage)
• Strong motivation and long-term interest in pastoral development, natural resource management and land issues
• Contributed to project management and is well-organised in a busy project environment