JOB PURPOSE

This position is responsible for providing leadership and management in research areas related to the school’s mission. The research director will be responsible for the development and implementation of the school’s research Strategy and will be required to work collaboratively with the school’s management, faculty, research hub leads, administrative staff and any other stakeholders

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and lead the implementation of the School’s Research Strategic Plan that is aligned to the University’s Mission and Vision.
• Foster an active and productive school research culture that attracts high-quality researchers and students, and support and mentor staff to develop their research careers.
• Support the delivery of high-impact research outcomes by identifying research funding opportunities, overseeing the development of research grant applications, and aligning activity to school and external priorities.
• Regularly monitor and report research performance and develop strategies to ensure research targets are achieved and research impact is maximized, and quality standards are upheld.
• Building and providing sufficient support for, a community of innovative researchers to enhance research capacity at the Business School and to increase internal and external research opportunities for faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students.
• Developing networks between the research centers and researchers in the field in the public and private sectors, locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Ensure that all research policies and procedures are well documented, updated and regularly communicated to faculty and staff.
• Developing mutually beneficial linkages with industry in order to develop partnerships and collaborative research of mutual benefit.
• Transferring knowledge to society through outreach (e.g., seminars, workshops, lectures, websites, conferences, publications) and, where applicable, through technology transfer (e.g., collaborative research; contract work; and commercialization of intellectual property).
• Overseeing the proper discharge of administrative duties of the research Centre including supervising personnel, financial management, and operations.
• Reporting to donors and other stakeholders on funding and research outcomes.
• Managing the research plan effectively and efficiently, ensuring that accepted standards of research and ethical behavior are met.
• Enhancing the reputation of the research centers and the school by working collaboratively with the Marketing and Communications team.
• Ensuring an accurate and up-to-date database on research activities and outputs that can be compiled into an annual report is maintained.
• Represent the Associate Dean Research and Innovation in the Schools’ Management committee and any other forums when called upon.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

The post holder will be required to have and to demonstrate evidence of the following qualifications, attributes, and skills:

• An earned Ph.D. or equivalent degree in a relevant field from an accredited and recognized university
• Masters’ Degree in a Business-related course
• 4 years of university teaching and research experience at the level of a senior lecturer
• Experience in sourcing and management of research grants
• A minimum of 32 publications points, of which at least twenty-four (24) should be from refereed scholarly journals
• Organized
• Excellent communication skills
• People skills
• Dynamic and innovative
• Team player
• Good supervisory and managerial skills
• Excellent teaching/lecturing skills
• Excellent analytical skills
• Ability to direct and conduct research

JOB PURPOSE

The primary duty as a postdoctoral fellow is to perform research and to support some teaching activities. The research is to be conducted with academic staff, postgraduate students, and industry partners. It is also expected that the research is published in high-quality journals.

JOB DURATION

The duration of the postdoctoral research position is 12 months with the possibility of renewal for a second year depending on performance and availability of funds.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide support in the preparation of research proposals and implementation of research projects in market system development.
• Supervise the collection of various forms of data pertaining to the research projects carried out by the AFI hub.
• Participate in the elaboration of research themes and objectives through team meetings, internal and external committees, in-house research, seminars, and workshops.
• Keep up to date with and contributes to research and current developments in the disciplines/areas covered by the Hub and in the regions where the research work is held at the regional or international level.
• Identify opportunities that will contribute to meeting the objectives of the research in terms of relevance, quality, policy impact, capacity building, and in terms of visibility of the program and the program partners.
• Participate in strategic networking with other research institutions, donors, lenders, and policymakers.
• Provide expertise in data analysis and preparation of research reports, articles, cases, etc.
• Teaching activities for a maximum of 30% of total working hours.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

The post holder will be required to have and to demonstrate evidence of the following qualifications, attributes, and skills:

• A Ph.D. that has been awarded in the last five years.
• Areas of specialization: Agricultural Economics or agribusiness management. Familiarity with Econometrics, livestock Economics, Climate change Economics and case studies development is a plus. Knowledge or academic background in Pastoralist systems will be an advantage.
• Excellent analytical skills
• Ability to conduct research (publications in peer-reviewed journals)
• Excellent English, writing skills, and emotional quotient
• Excellent communication skills