Senior Research Associate

Job Description
The Organization
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.
The Alliance works with local, national and multinational partners across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, and with the public and private sectors. The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services.
About the position
Food systems transformation for sustainable healthy diets is impeded by the absence of accessible science-based evidence and practical tools for decision-making. Knowledge gaps range from an incomplete understanding of the demand for sustainable healthy diets; to the constraints in delivering affordable sustainable nutritious foods; to the limited evidence on food systems power and governance dynamics; to the poor understanding of trade-offs between goals and incentives of different actors; and to the lack of tested successful transformative pathways. The Alliance is involved in several initiatives and projects aiming to fill these gaps and seeks a research associate to contribute to this work.
The position will be based within the Alliance office in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Senior Research Associate will work in a multi-disciplinary team composed of national and international experts and will participate in various research activities, including characterizing, developing and implementing food systems/food environment interventions, and in documenting their outcomes and possible impacts. He/She will work with multiple national and sub-national stakeholders and food systems actors notably including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), informal actors and consumers.
The ideal candidate has demonstrated experience in both quantitative and qualitative research and participatory methods applied to national and sub-national development, working with relevant food systems stakeholders at both national and sub-national levels, including public sector, the informal sector and/or MSMEs, as well as with consumers. Experience with human-centered design (HDC) or user-centered design (UCD) approaches to services or solutions design would be a huge advantage.
Candidates with no prior experience in such participatory processes will be considered in case they have a strong record in working with food systems actors (e.g., wholesalers, processors, retailers, caterers, etc.) and/or business development or business innovation, and/or value chain research, and can demonstrate how they have developed solutions for specific target groups. Any experience related to improving the provision of sustainable nutritious food for poor consumers will also be an advantage.
The most important qualities of any candidate will be that they are independent, rigorous, have excellent social and team skills, and are passionate and motivated by the social and economic impact potential of their work.
Key duties and responsibilities
- Conduct field research activities, including overseeing research implementation and data collection, and monitoring progress. Fieldwork methods will include, among other, quantitative data collection and qualitative interviews, focus group discussions and participatory workshops;
- Coordinate with external partners for data collection and other project activities, ensuring that research team needs are met;
- Deliver synthetic periodic reports describing the process and the outputs and publications of the research, to support the execution of research projects;
- Lead or contribute to data analysis, and production of research outputs and project deliverables (including notably progress reports, research reports, policy briefs and peer-review publications);
- Advise researchers on team capacities, processes and protocols, proposing solutions to anticipate and address issues that may affect research execution. Support identifying and linking with key national and sub-national stakeholders to be included in research activities;
- Contribute to the cohesion and development of good practices and trust among food systems actors, proactively identifying ways to increase engagement of national and sub-national stakeholders and opportunities to make processes more efficient and inclusive; and
- Join coordination meeting with other team members, participate to project schedules, and ensure the logistics, to ensure timely delivery of project activities.
Requirements Required qualifications and experience
- At least 5 years of relevant professional experience, in a research organization or an NGO;
- Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree is desirable) in social sciences, international development, or business development;
- Experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research-action.
Skills and competence

- Ability to communicate complex ideas effectively, verbally and in writing, in both English and Vietnamese;
- Strong drive to learn new topics and skills, and to see research and ideas having positive impact in practice;
- Strong sense of professional pride and curiosity;
- Comfort with public speaking and workshop facilitation;
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment;
- Ability to work with various stakeholders in both public and private sector;
- Willing to spend time on the field, working with local stakeholders; and
- Enjoy working in an international environment and producing deliverables in English.
Benefits Terms of employment
This position is a national recruited position based in Hanoi, Vietnam. The initial contract will be for 1 year, subject to a probation period of 2 months, and is renewable depending on performance and availability of resources.
This position is graded at BG7 level, with a minimum basic salary of VND 29,629,345 in a scale of BG01 to BG14 (BG14 being the highest level according to the Alliance job classification framework policy). We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits including but not limited to monthly allowances, insurance, retirement plan, staff training and development, paid time off and flexible working arrangements.
The Alliance Bioversity-CIAT is committed to fair, safe, and inclusive workplaces. We believe that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority. We encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability statuses, sexual orientations, marital status, and gender identities. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applications
Applicants are invited to visit to get full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST include reference number 2024.VN.06 – Senior Research Associate for FECB as the position applied for. Cover letter and CV should be saved as one document using the candidate’s last name, first name for ease of sorting (Cover letter should illustrate your motivation to apply and suitability for the above position against the listed qualifications and work responsibilities. Detailed curriculum vitae should include the names and email addresses of three professional referees who are knowledgeable about your skills and professional abilities). The Alliance collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
Applications closing date: June 9, 2024
Please note that email applications will not be considered.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
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