Key responsibilities

Executive Management

• Provide quality and high level confidential secretarial support
• Facilitate effective utilization of the DDG’s time, through identifying priority matters
• Assist the DDG with decision making through:
• Conducting research on assigned topics, drawing on information from across the institute and elsewhere
• Maintenance and retrieval of information
• Initiating responses on urgent matters in his absence when appropriate
• Drafting concise written information
• Collation of information and preparation of reports for presentation by the DDG at Management  and Board meetings
• Efficient and timely dissemination of information across the unit and other units/programs in the institute
• Following up on outstanding matters and providing feedback

Administrative Support

• Effective planning and coordination of meetings (from one-on-one meetings to large group meetings)
• Provision of background information and pre-meeting documents
• Take part in meetings and produce minutes/action points from each meeting

Travel management

• Arrange mission travel and accommodation for the DDG
• Prepare travel expense reports

Budget management

• Prepare and monitor annual budget for the office of the DDG

Project and initiative management

• Manage or engage in projects/initiatives that are a top priority to the DDG
• Engage in task forces solving a specific problem or create materials needed for the DDG’s activities
• Manage small grants and consultancy contracts under the DDG’s budget

Relationship management

• Be the internal and external face of the DDG’s Office
• Build effective communications and working relations with all relevant colleagues and other stakeholders
• In addition, the post-holder will stay abreast of the work of ILRI in general and the Integrated Sciences Directorate in particular and have a full understanding of its core business and the DDG-IS’s role as well as having the flexibility to complete other duties as assigned
• Perform any other related duties as may be assigned

 Requirements

• Master’s degree in business, public administration, or a related degree
• At least 5 years of experience in positions that is highly relevant to the Executive Assistant’s role
• Demonstrate proficiency in using Microsoft Office Suite/Internet skills
• Demonstrate ability to create and manipulate spread sheets and databases
• Demonstrate working knowledge of office methods and practices including filing, proofreading, formatting and basic report
• Flexibility to react to real time under very short deadlines
• Strong intuition and ability to anticipate the DDG-IS’s needs and to develop actions and timelines even in the absence of explicit instructions

Objective of the assignment

We envision a Position Paper to be

• a document guiding the position of CGIAR on integrating a social inclusion perspective in agricultural and food system research for development, guided and vetted by the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform
• a document including proposed solutions, vetted by the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform, for integrating a social inclusion perspective in agricultural and food system research for development and tracking the impact in this area
• a paper drafted by experts on the matter
• a paper reviewed by the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform and external reviewers
• a document labelled as a Position Paper, authored by the person(s) developing the paper, and produced and published by CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform
• The length of a research paper (approximately 10,000 words)

The consultant will undertake the following activities:

• Define the concept of social inclusion in agri-food systems in Low-and Middle Income Countries (LMICs)
• Summarize the state-of-the-art and current thinking about social inclusion in agri-food systems in LMICs
• Lay out the relevance of a social inclusion perspective in agricultural and food system research for development
• Reflect on the complementarity/intersection of a social inclusion perspective and a gender perspective in agricultural and food system research for development
• Propose a position/perspective for CGIAR on social inclusion in agricultural and food system research for development, thereby also defining the scope of the topic
• Propose a position on key indicators of impact in terms of social inclusion in agri-food systems through agricultural and food system research for development

Final products:

The consultant will deliver.

• Final version of Position Paper with the length of a research paper (approximately 10,000 words), ready for copy-editing before publication as a Position Paper on the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform website

Consultancy Fee:  Lumpsum or by mutual agreement based on agreed milestones and deliverables

Post location: Homebased

Duration: 1 December 2022 to 15 February 2023 (working days:  30 days)

Essential skills and qualifications

• MSc in agriculture or related field. PhD would be an asset
• At least 10 years’ relevant experience
• Experience in agri-food systems
• Proficiency in English
• Excellent team communication skills

About the position

Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases such as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Ebola, rabies and avian influenza pose a major threat to humans and animal health globally. These diseases may have a wildlife reservoir or involve domestic animals.

In Southeast Asia, continued losses of livestock due to transboundary diseases such as African swine fever have revealed major weaknesses in the public health and veterinary services. Vietnam has been identified as a hotspot for transboundary animal and emerging zoonotic diseases in the region.

This project uses One Health approach to ensure a multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral approach to addressing the threat of zoonotic diseases. It also strengthens the capacities of national partners in surveillance, early detection and emergency response, disease prevention and control and laboratory science (serology and diagnostics). The project will inform policy formulation to improve the management of transboundary animal and emerging zoonotic diseases.

PhD fellowship whose research will address the health threats that face the continent using a One Health approach. The successful candidate will be supported to pursue his/her PhD research on diverse subjects ranging from tackling the burden of emerging and re-emerging infectious disease and zoonoses control.

Responsibilities of the fellow:

• Develop a protocol for screening human and animal blood and serum samples for zoonotic diseases.
• Process the samples mentioned above for laboratory analysis.
• Develop a survey for risk factors, knowledge, attitude and perception.
• Conduct statistical analysis and develop a disease transmission model from animal to human.
• Draft a thesis and at least three journal publications.
• Undertake other relevant tasks as assigned by the fellowship supervisors.

Eligibility:

This fellowship is open to Vietnamese nationals only.

Minimum requirements for the ideal candidate:

• Bachelor’s degree in veterinary medicine, animal science or other relevant areas and master’s degree within relevant field e.g., epidemiology, ecology and data science.
• Quantitative analysis skills.
• Good skills in a programming/scription language (e.g., R and STATA).
• Experience with QGIS or ArcGIS.
• Willingness to travel and to spend time in the field.
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary and international team, very good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent proficiency written and spoken English and Vietnamese languages.
• Good publication record (in peer-reviewed journals).
• Good working knowledge of MS Office packages.