Associate Scientist Agronomist

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. IRRI is seeking for an agronomist who will address diversified tasks related to agriculture and agronomy.
Under the minimal supervision of the IRRI Representative in Thailand, the Agronomist will be responsible to conduct and evaluate agronomic field trial on climate change adaptation technologies and practices in rice-based systems. The Agronomist will lead related agricultural 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.
The successful applicant should have demonstrated experience and a proven track record of conducting similar research or projects related to landscape management, rice farming systems, crop management, crop diversification, sustainable agriculture, resilience in agricultural production, etc. The applicant is also expected to have domain area expertise in conducting an environmental impact assessment on the on- and off farm impacts of agricultural production systems on landscapes. Apart from research, the position also requires close collaboration with Thai government partners, most important departments and research institutes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC), International partners, private sectors, and stakeholders of other national projects. Moreover, this position will require analytical skills to interpret and publish results from adaptive research and support the Thailand office, namely within the context of developing funding proposals.
This position will be based in Bangkok, Thailand and may only be filled by permanent citizens of Thailand.
Roles and Responsibilities: