senior scientist i - digital Agriculture and precision farmingInternational Rice Research Institute

About IRRI
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science; improving the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers; and protecting the rice-growing environment for future generations. IRRI is an independent, nonprofit, research and educational institute, founded in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations with support from the Philippine government. The institute, headquartered in Los Baños, Philippines, has offices in 17 rice-growing countries in Asia and Africa, and over 1,000 staff.
Working with in-country partners, IRRI develops advanced rice varieties that yield more grain and better withstand pests and disease as well as flooding, drought, and other harmful effects of climate change.
Job Purpose
Climate Change impacts rice production through exacerbated and more frequent climate extremes, rising sea levels and temperatures. Understanding future trends is crucial in order to plan ahead and implement adaptation options to increase resilience of agricultural systems. 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. This position will be part of a multi-disciplinary team of scientists to address climate change challenges.
In particular, you will work closely with an interdisciplinary team of GIS/remote sensing experts, soil scientists, agronomists, social scientists/gender specialists, breeders, soil/agronomists, and policy analysts to understand adoption processes, technology targeting, and the enabling environment to support sustainable rice farming under climate change. You will have a clear focus on science-led agricultural development, scale, sustainability and underlying processes. You will conceptualize and mobilize resources for the R4D program aligned with the goals and objectives of IRRI and One-CGIAR.
This position will be based at the IRRI Headquarters, Los Baños, Philippines and is open for international applications.
Roles and Responsibilities
The incumbent will develop and lead IRRI's R4D program on precision and digital decision-based agriculture for climate-smart, nature-friendly rice-based farming systems in Asia and Africa, with specific emphasis on the development and application of drone-and proximal sensing technologies for data-driven farming. The focus of his or her work would be around the following key thematic areas:
Development and application of drone-based and digital technologies to guide farmers and service providers in dealing with spatial variation (at field, farm, and landscape levels) and the precision application of inputs and timely decision- making on crop/farm/system level mangement; establish state-of-the-art precision agricultural solutions for rice-based cropping systems. Integration of information acquired through drones and other remote sensing platforms with decision support systems such as IRRI's Rice Crop Manager, WeRise, Rice Doctor, EasyHarvest, Automon etc;
Digital agriculture, esp. novel frontiers in this and related fields, such as Artificial Intelligence/Deep Learning/Machine Learning, Internet of Things, Big Data and Data Mining, Systems Interoperability. The incumbent will lead a team that will explore and develop opportunities for novel decision support systems for rice-based cropping systems and landscapes;
Technological and operational considerations and business models for scaling up adoption by smallholder farmers;
Support field research, specifically phenotyping and breeding activities, at the IRRI farm through drone-sensed information
Contribute in developing strategic partnerships, knowledge sharing, and capacity development of various stakeholders
Nurture and initiate collaboration with NARES partners, private sector and development partners, advanced research institutions (ARI) and policymakers in East and South Africa and conduct joint research
Collaborate with government, donors, rice R&D partners, private enterprises to align with client and donor expectations; Across CGIAR initiatives and other IRRI projects
Communicate key messages and project progress with donors, policymakers, and other primary stakeholders
Coordinate closely with project partners and build a relationship with other stakeholders to ensure research outputs are transferred effectively
Develop new projects together with IRRI colleagues, ARIs, and NARES in Africa and Asia
Supervise, and mentor junior staff
World-class R&D agenda on precision and digital decision-based agriculture for climate-smart, nature-friendly rice-based farming systems
Novel agricultural decision-support systems based on drone and other remote sensing-based technologies
Effective partnerships with public and private sector parties, including leading R&D entities (ARIs) in such fields as digital agriculture, artificial intelligence, etc
Articles in peer-reviewed journals, proceedings, technical manuals, and training materials that highlight findings from research and experiment activities showcasing the institute's scientific leadership
A well-funded portfolio of R&D projects
A well-functioning and effective R&D team based on principles of mutual trust and respect for gender and inclusion
Qualifications
PhD or equivalent work experience in agricultural engineering, agronomy, GIS/remote sensing, data science or related fields with at least 8 years post-PhD or 10 years post- Masters experience in any of the above fields
Skills Required
Mandatory
Strong background in field oriented research and extension activities
Have a mix of practical field skills, quantitative abilities, appreciation of inter-disciplinary work, and a core commitment to achieving science-led agricultural development
Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
Strong proficiency in written and spoken English
Preferred
Experience with rice; work experience in a developing country environment
IRRI offers a highly extensive employee benefits package inclusive of globally-covered medical insurance, retirement plan, life and accident insurance and other allowances. Join our team and be part of our story!
Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
This position will remain open until filled.
International Rice Research Institute

Philippines
Permanent
Full-time