Senior Scientist (Social/Socio-Economic Science) at WorldFish

The overall purpose of the position is to (i) lead the effective delivery of key projects, including ensuring high-quality research delivery and effective stakeholder interaction and engagement, aligned with agreed impact pathways; (ii) design and deliver high quality social and socio-economic science and influential peer-reviewed outputs from key projects, including gender integration and strategic gender research; (iii) contribute to and enable the quality of social science (including socio-economics, gender) and inter- and transdisciplinary approaches across all Zambia and Southern African projects and (iv) lead and contribute to the successful development of well-aligned innovative funding proposals for Zambia and Southern Africa on an ongoing basis.

The Senior Scientist’s key responsibilities will include, but not limited to the following:

Project leadership

• Lead a set of current aquaculture and value chains and nutrition projects to deliver high-quality research on-time and within budget and well aligned to agreed impact pathways.


• Manage the effective engagement with stakeholders and project partners to ensure desired outcomes are delivered and effective and lasting relationships are maintained.

Social Science leadership

• Lead the design, implementation, analysis of social and socio-economic science, including gender, aquaculture and value chains and nutrition projects, with the potential to expend into small-scale fisheries.


• Produce high-quality peer-review and other types of science outputs.

Enabling quality social science and inter- and transdisciplinary science

• Support the design, implementation, monitoring & evaluation of WorldFish research projects in Zambia for maximum delivery on social science quality. As well as being a contributing member of the WorldFish Gender Team, the post holder will involve to provide input and mentoring Zambia teams on design and implementation of research-for-development related to social science, social inclusion, gender integration and women’s empowerment, participatory action research, and knowledge sharing and learning.


• Provide scientific mentoring and advice to Zambia country teams and stakeholders in the planning, implementing and writing up of social-science related research papers and other science products.


• Facilitate inter- or transdisciplinary approach in new and existing projects to ensure effective program delivery and achievement of the WorldFish mission across the portfolio of projects in Zambia and Southern Africa.

Funding pipeline development

• Successfully lead the development of new funding opportunities suitable to support an innovative, growing WorldFish research program in Zambia and Southern Africa.

Requirements

This job might be for you if you have these essential skills and qualifications:

• A PhD in Social Sciences; Economics, Sociology, Gender, Rural Development, Human Geography, applied to rural development in Africa or equivalent degree in relevant disciplines.


• Possess minimum of eight (8) years of post-PhD relevant experience in rural development in developing countries especially in Africa.


• Track record of high-quality social science/socio-economic delivery, including effective gender integration, evidenced by a body of peer-reviewed science publications in high impact factor journals.


• Demonstrated strong competencies in quantitative research methods and analyses.


• Demonstrated track record of research project leadership and management to ensure both on-time, in-budget delivery and development impact.


• Capacity to successfully engage and manage and sustain stakeholder and partner relationships for delivery and impact effectiveness.


• Evidence of capacity to mentor and support research teams in producing high-quality social science, including socio-economic (quantitative) research.


• Demonstrated capacity and commitment to successfully engage in and facilitate inter- and/or transdisciplinary research including integrating technical and social science disciplines, including gender, and effectively applying mixed (qualitative and quantitative).


• Demonstrated quality of judgment and the ability to think strategically, assessing and responding to new challenges in rural development.


• Demonstrated success in (gender, youth, pro-poor) inclusive sector development or inclusive livelihoods, markets or value chains.


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, and the ability to present coherent and convincing strategic analysis.

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