Country Director

Position description

The Country Director operates within the Asia Directorate of CIFOR-ICRAF and in liaison with thematic leads and other units within the institution as appropriate to deliver the Sri Lanka country programme. The Country Director will be the first point of contact for government and other organisations in Sri Lanka and be responsible for implementation of the ICRAF host country agreement. The Sri Lanka country programme is a new initiative within CIFOR-ICRAF, enabled largely by the existence of the GCF Knuckles project (a 50M USD investment in ecosystem-based adaptation), for which ICRAF is an executing entity alongside the Ministry of Irrigation. This project was developed by and is managed through the Agroecology Directorate at CIFOR-ICRAF who have also been tasked with supporting the establishment of a viable country programme in Sri Lanka in liaison with the Asia Directorate. This means that initially the Country Director will report to the Director of Agroecology with a transition to the Asia Directorate anticipated within a year to 18 months.

Duties and responsibilities

• Lead the CIFOR-ICRAF country programme in Sri Lanka including development and implementation of an integrated portfolio of projects that can position and sustain CIFOR-ICRAF as a critical support to the Government of Sri Lanka in developing agriculture, forestry and food security while contributing to humanity remaining within planetary boundaries. This will involve leading, in liaison with the CIFOR- ICRAF Asia directorate and thematic leads, resource mobilization to create the project portfolio as well as ensuring its scientific underpinning;
• Take overall management responsibility and ensure timely completion of deliverables for the GCF Knuckles project in liaison with CIFOR-ICRAF science leads, IUCN as the accredited entity with GCF, the Ministry of Irrigation, implementing partners and consultants;
• Represent the CIFOR-ICRAF contribution to the GCF Knuckles project within Sri Lanka ensuring government acknowledgement of, and support for, ICRAF’s role in the project and appropriate linkages with different arms of government and other significant organizations nationally;
• Oversee in conjunction with the CIFOR-ICRAF communications unit, development and implementation of a communications strategy for the CIFOR-ICRAF contribution to the GCF Knuckles project and contribute to scientific publications;
• Represent CIFOR-ICRAF in Sri Lanka at key forums in the country, regionally and internationally to promote the institution as a prominent knowledge hub for technical, market, information and institutional solutions in the context of climate change issues including food security, agroecology, agroforestry, nature-based solutions and blue carbon, and to explore and follow up opportunities to collaborate in research and development projects;
• Oversee, in conjunction with the CIFOR-ICRAF communications unit, development and implementation of a communications strategy for CIFOR-ICRAF in Sri Lanka and contribute to scientific publications;
• Supervision, guidance, and mentorship of staff based in Sri Lanka to help overall personal and professional development of staff members.

Education, knowledge and experience

• PhD in agriculture, forestry, environmental science or a related field;
• At least 10 years of experience of research leadership including project/programme. management, including technical and financial aspects and resource mobilization;
• Demonstrable experience of success in accelerating development impact through mobilizing research;
• Scientific credibility and international experience commensurate with representing an International Research for Development Organisation at a national level.

Application instructions

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