Scientist - Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) at International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

Job purpose

The purpose of this position is to further establish ILRI as a key partner and research provider for the development of low emission and circular livestock systems for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This position is a strategic investment, supported by a recent philanthropic grant from the Ballmer Group to advance ILRI’s livestock and climate agenda. The selected candidate will be an livestock, agricultural, or environmental scientist who can apply their knowledge of =livestock systems in Africa and Asia to assess GHG emissions and nutrient cycling in mixed-crop-livestock and pastoral systems, develop on-farm life cycle assessment (LCA),process-oriented modelling assessments, and test potential promising farm practices for reducing emissions or sequestering carbon in soils. The candidate will have the ability to estimate GHG emission factors and provide monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) support to bolster national livestock GHG inventory and mitigation efforts.

Livestock systems are known for their relatively large environmental footprint, particularly considering their contribution to methane emissions. To achieve sustainable livestock development pathways in LMICs, it is essential to understand the impact of livestock on the environment at various scales (GHG emissions, soil health, water impacts). The gained knowledge will help to prioritise livestock mitigation and adaptation options, and help to build capacity in decision support, planning and investment at the national and regional level.

The selected scientist will be part of the ILRI Mazingira team which is within the Sustainable Livestock Systems (SLS) program where s/he will work closely with teams across ILRI, particularly those involved in spatial analysis, rangeland modelling and management, feeds and forages, or animal health. ILRI’s comparative advantage in this area is bridging the gap between high-end science and local relevance, serving as a natural interface for users and partners in resource-poor smallholder livestock systems.

Key Responsibilities

Support the livestock GHG emissions agenda in ILRI by:

• Lead and manage research projects focused on low emissions development of sustainable livestock systems.
• Apply your knowledge of systems dynamics to support work on various topics, including the:
  • Collection of farm-level activity and diet data.
  • Develop, improve and apply of GHG inventory tools across scales, from farms to regions and beyond.
  • Develop emission factors and perform LCA to identify pathways for low-emissions livestock systems.
  • Apply soil-crop-forage farming systems models to the dynamics of biomass and carbon in response to climate, management, inputs etc.
• Scale localized knowledge (based on in-situ data collection) to broader geographic levels (e.g. regional).
• Develop and implement advanced LCA methods for the assessment of environmental, social, and economic impacts of livestock systems.
• Estimate emission factors for African and Asian livestock-based farming systems to support GHG inventory and mitigation strategies.
• Provide MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) support for livestock GHG inventory and mitigation efforts.
• Conduct literature reviews and expert consultations to identify and select appropriate indicators and methodologies for MRV and development of low emission farming systems.
• Collect, analyse, and interpret data to inform policy and practice.
• Publish high-quality research in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• Act as ILRI’s interface with other global teams and experts in this domain to bring local context and practical applications to impact IRLI’s mandate regions.
• Contribute to capacity building through the supervision and mentoring of postgraduate students and junior researchers.

Requirements

Academic and professional qualifications

•  PhD in a relevant field: Environmental science, livestock science, agronomy, ecology, or a related discipline.
•  GHG emissions research: Proven experience in greenhouse gas emissions research and mitigation strategies.
•  Analytical and project management skills: Demonstrated strong analytical abilities and effective project management skills.

Work Experience

• At least 5 years of professional experience post-PhD in related topics.
• Experience working in LMIC contexts.
• Extensive experience in life cycle assessment (LCA) and system modelling for livestock emissions and nutrient cycling.
• Experience in estimating emission factors and providing MRV support for GHG inventory and mitigation efforts.
• Holistic understanding of the interaction between soils, plants, animals, system; understanding of biogeochemical cycling in agricultural or natural ecosystems.
• Experience working with governments to develop and implement policies and strategies related to livestock emissions and sustainability.

Additional Skills

• Proficiency in the use of life cycle assessment including different software (e.g., SimaPro, Open LCA)
• Expertise in biogeochemical process models (e.g., APSIM, Landscape DNDC) for projecting productivity and GHG emissions under current climate and future conditions.
• In-depth knowledge of the low- and middle-income livestock sector.
• Strong coding skills (e.g., R, Python, Matlab) and ability to handle large datasets
• Proficiency in GIS tools (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS) and remote sensing data products.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to apply these in research and practical contexts.
• Proficiency in French is desirable.