CIFOR Vacancy: Director, CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees & Agroforestry, Indonesian & Kenya

Director, CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees, and Agroforestry

Center for International Forestry Research

Jakarta/Bogor or Nairobi, Indonesia, Kenya

Closing 20 Jun 2014

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) is a nonprofit, global research organization dedicated to advancing human well-being, environmental conservation and equity. We conduct research that enables more informed and equitable decision making about the use and management of tropical and sub-tropical forest landscapes. We help policy makers and practitioners shape effective policy, improve the management of tropical forests and address the needs and perspectives of people who depend on forests for their livelihoods. Our multidisciplinary approach considers the underlying drivers of deforestation and degradation which often lie outside the forestry sector: forces such as agriculture, infrastructure development, trade and investment policies and law enforcement.
Overview
The CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry: Livelihoods, Landscapes and Governance (FTA) is a world-leading research initiative, responding to the call for urgent, strong and sustained effort focused on forest management and governance, given the crucial role of forests in confronting some of the most important challenges of our time: climate change, poverty, and food security.
The FTA brings together several hundred scientists from the following six program participants: four CGIAR Research Centers (the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)) and two non-CGIAR Organisations (CIRAD and CATIE), as well as many other partners. The program was initiated in 2011 with a ten-year horizon. The 2014 budget is US$ 89 million.
The FTA is led by CIFOR, where the Management Support Unit is located, headed by the Director of FTA. For further information about FTA, see: www.cifor.org/forests-trees-agroforestry
Summary of responsibilities

• Providing intellectual leadership and building a shared vision for the FTA research agenda.
• Overseeing and supporting the work of FTA theme leaders and facilitating delivery of research outputs and contributions toward outcomes and impacts across the themes in the program
• Coordinating  FTA workplans, budgets, reporting, monitoring, and evaluation, including working closely with the Consortium Office and other CGIAR institutions

Principal Accountabilities
With guidance from the Director General and the FTA Steering Committee, the Director FTA will – in close coordination with the DDG-Res – be responsible for the following:

• Management of CRP6 planning, budgeting, reporting, monitoring and evaluation 
• Develop and update the FTA research and impact strategy, including the compilation of annual program of work and budget, and rolling three-year operation plans 
• Oversee implementation of cross-cutting themes in close collaboration with coordinators of these themes; exercise decision-making authority for day-to-day operations of the cross-cutting themes, including sign off on deliverables and the release of funding
• Oversee progress of teams in delivering expected research outputs through the semi-annual technical reports (traffic-light reports)
• Coordinate the annual reporting process to the Consortium Board for all program participants
• Supervise the design and implementation of an appropriate monitoring and evaluation system built on a sound theory of change and realistic impact pathways
• Ensure proper coordination is given to Gender and related issues in the programming and budgeting of activities
• Coordinate internal and external reviews and evaluations, as requested by the Steering Committee, the Consortium Board, or the Fund Council
• Supervise staff in the Management Support Unit
• Work closely with the Consortium Office and other CGIAR institutions for all the above tasks, and provide regular updates to the Board of Trustees on progress and problems on relevant issues.

• Leadership and support to science and impact orientation
• Provide overall direction to and facilitate collaboration among FTA theme leaders, supplementing and complementing accountabilities of the organisations participating in the program
• Facilitate collaboration and seek synergies among program participants, including data management, peer review processes, monitoring and evaluation and impact assessment
• Ensure collaboration between FTA and other CRPs
• Organize periodic FTA meetings to bring together scientists from across the CRP to present results, discuss and exchange research methods, develop strategies to maximize impacts and build stronger collaborations

• Coordination and outreach 
• Support, manage and coordinate meetings of the FTA Steering Committee
• Coordinate FTA-level communications functions as needed to supplement and complement Center-level outreach activities 
• Represent FTA at international meetings, maintain donor relations and engage in resource mobilization activities as needed and required
• Ensure coordination and information flow among the different CRP6 partners, as well as with other CGIAR Centers, CRPs, and CGIAR system bodies and working groups

Requirements
Education, experience and technical skills:

• PhD or advanced degree in a relevant discipline with extensive relevant experience, including research management experience in an international, multicultural and multidisciplinary environment. 
• Familiarity with the current state of knowledge, policy, and practice across a substantial portion of the FTA research agenda.
• Proven expertise in leading collaborative research.
• Fluency in English is required; proficiency in other international languages is preferred
• Knowledge and experience of the CGIAR and its operations

Personal attributes and competencies:

• Have strong leadership skills, able to engage in strategic planning with sound analytical ability and good judgment. 
• Has open and transparent leadership style, encouraging participatory processes and promoting fairness
• Is an astute manager, able to manage human resources and administrative matters with efficiency and effectiveness.
• Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, interacting constructively with people across different cultures, disciplines, and institutions.

Terms and Conditions

• Internationally recruited position. 
• Competitive remuneration in USD commensurate with skills and experience.
• The appointment will be for a period of 3 year(s), inclusive 6 months probationary period, with a possibility of extension contingent upon performance, continued relevance of the position and available resources.
• The duty station will be at Jakarta/Bogor or Nairobi in Indonesia or Kenya (with travel to research sites).

Application process
We will acknowledge all applications, however, we will contact only short-listed candidates.

To apply, please visit our career site at HERE