RESEARCHER (FOOD SYSTEMS)

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is a leading Africa-based, African-led, international research institution headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. APHRC conducts policy-relevant research on population, health, education, urbanization and related development issues in sub-Saharan Africa.

APHRC seeks to recruit a Researcher to work in the Nutrition and Food Systems Unit within the Research Division, mainly focusing on research on food systems.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Conduct research on food systems which may include community-based, school based or desk-based research including applied research. Tasks may include study conceptualization and design, project management and coordination including overseeing field work, data management, data analysis, report writing.
• Conduct research to understand linkages between climate change, food systems and nutrition to inform food systems transformation and climate action.
• Develop and test strategies to inform policy & practice to catalyze food systems transformation to enhance food security and nutrition as appropriate.
• Lead and contribute to proposal development.
• Lead and contribute to scientific writing.
• Supervise, mentor and train junior research staff at the Center.
• Lead policy engagement, knowledge translation and communication to appropriate audiences.

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience 

• PhD in Nutrition, Public Health, Food Systems or closely related fields.
• Strong writing skills and good record of publications on relevant areas in sub- Saharan Africa.
• At least six years’ post-doctoral experience in research in Food Systems including research related to food production, distribution, value addition, consumption and relationship with nutrition and health.
• Experience in developing proposals and attracting research grants, particularly in nutrition or food systems.
• Demonstrated experience in managing research teams and partnerships.
• Proven experience in conducting household surveys.
• Strong quantitative skills (managing, analyzing and interpreting data), with extensive familiarity with quantitative statistical packages (e.g. STATA, SAS or SPSS).
• Computer literacy in Microsoft packages (e.g. MS Word, MS PowerPoint and MS Excel).
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills and ability to work in a culturally diverse team.

Desirable

• Expertise/experience in maternal, infant and young child nutrition/nutrition in the first 1000 days plus, child nutrition including preschool and school going children, and adolescent nutrition.
• Expertise in human-rights based approach to food systems.
• Training and/or experience with work on climate change including sustainable food systems approaches and linking climate change, food systems and nutrition and health.
• Expertise in qualitative methods, including familiarity with qualitative analysis software packages (e.g. NVivo).

The successful candidate may be appointed at Research Scientist (6-11 years after PhD) or Senior Research Scientist (12+ years after PhD) levels depending on experience and track record. This position is classified under Internationally Recruited Positions (IRP), Grades II to IV in our scales.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their application in English, and include:

1. A letter of application;
2. A statement of research interests and goals (1-2 pages); and
3. CV with contact details of three referees

through Researcher- Food Systems. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the positions are filled.  Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates will be required to have a Police Clearance Certificate.

 Special Notice

APHRC is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.