Postdoctoral position (m/f/d) Adaptation in Agricultural Systems

The climate needs bright minds. The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) addresses crucial scientific questions in the fields of global change, climate impacts and sustainable development. It is one of the world's leading research institutions in its field and offers natural and social scientists from around the world an inspiring environment for excellent interdisciplinary research.

For the Research Department 2: Climate Resilience, PIK is offering a

Postdoctoral position (m/f/d)

(Position number: 03-2023 PostDoc PACO)

in the working group of “Adaptation in Agricultural Systems”, starting as soon as possible.

The position is funded until the end of 2027. Remuneration is in accordance with the German public tariff scheme (TV-L Brandenburg), salary group E  13. This is a  full-time position with a weekly working time of 40 hours per week. Appointment is conditional on approval by the funding agency. The position can be filled on a part-time basis.

We are looking for a Postdoctoral researcher to join our team in the field of agricultural adaptation research, using econometric methods and other techniques to empirically assess adaptation measures for agriculture, mainly in the Global South.

Working together with governments, research institutes, international and private organizations primarily in sub-Saharan Africa (with occasional projects also in Asia and Latin America), we aim to transform research into user-oriented climate services and policies that enable end-users in partner countries to better adapt agriculture to climate change. This position will focus on developing adaptation solutions in the fields of practice adoption and innovation, socio-economic analysis, and/or risk management to stabilize the crop production and livelihoods of smallholder farmers. This position will perform evaluations of adaptation measures with empirical or economic tools and support the design of innovative adaptation measures. The work is carried out within different third-party funded projects and in cooperation with climate scientists, crop modellers and agricultural economists.

Key responsibilities:

• develop and improve methodologies for assessing the suitability and effectiveness of adaptation strategies in agriculture, with a focus on countries in the Global South, using empirical and mainly quantitative research methods
• coordinate and contribute to the implementation of research projects through close collaboration with other researchers at PIK as well as the involved stakeholders in the target countries
• write and publish articles in peer-reviewed journals that highlight findings from the research projects and present research findings at international conferences
• liaise and maintain communication with project donors, responding to information requests, preparing project progress reports and policy briefs
• support data collection, literature review and analysis, and the translation of scientific findings into policy recommendations for sustainable agriculture
• manage projects, develop new project proposals and apply for funding

We further encourage you to pursue your own research interests, which should have a thematic overlap with the above responsibilities.

Requirements:

• you hold a PhD in a field related to tasks above within the broader theme of agriculture. Examples are: Economics (in particular Agricultural or Development Economics), Development Studies, Social Science (with a quantitative focus), Statistics, or related fields with a quantitative, empirical orientation and fundamental knowledge of agricultural systems. Knowledge and work experience in tropical agriculture, sustainable development and/or climate impact analysis is valuable
• you have profound experience in the (socio-economic) evaluation of agricultural adaptation strategies, using e.g. statistical or econometric techniques
• you have expertise in data analysis with at least one statistical program (e.g. R, Stata). Programming skills in R or Python or experience with other programming languages are valuable,
• experience with qualitative research methods is an asset
• experience in project management, and development of research proposals is valuable
• work experience in developing countries is desirable
• you have strong analytical and scientific writing skills
• you have the ability to work independently, goal-oriented and on your own initiative

We expect:

• a methodical and systematic approach, 
• capacity to familiarise yourself quickly with new topics
• creativity and openness to new approaches,
• a high level of competence in oral and written German and English (proficiency in French is an asset)
• reliability, motivation, and a high level of motivation
• willingness to travel for work (project meetings, workshops etc.) and take part in further training
• capacity for teamwork
• organisational talent

We offer:

• participation in user-driven research projects with international partners
• insights into international projects with extensive stakeholder engagement
• opportunities for cooperation with PIK’s national and international network of leading climate and agricultural research institutes
• guidance and supervision in career development
• high-impact of your research through publications in renowned journals and consortia
• the chance to be part of a creative, interdisciplinary team
• a stimulating working environment in an internationally recognised research institute, a short commuting distance from Berlin
• flexitime and mobile working (up to 40% of your hours)
• a collective pay scheme and associated benefits, as well as a subsidized travel card

PIK values equality and diversity. We encourage applications without photo. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of ethnic and social origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, care responsibilities, or age. PIK seeks to increase the share of women in scientific positions and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply. In cases of equal qualification and within the given legal scope, women will be given preference. PIK also encourages applications by parents returning from parental leave.

Please apply by 12.02.2023 directly using our application form.

Application documents should comprise a letter of motivation including research interests, CV, relevant certificates, indication of references and a short sample of your work (e.g. journal publication, approx. 2-10 pages).

If you hold an international higher education qualification, please also submit the Statement of Comparability from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) with your application. In the case that you do not yet have a ZAB Statement of Comparability for your qualification, please be aware that you will need to request this if your application is successful. You can find further information on this website: https://www.kmk.org/zab/central-office-for-foreign-education.html

For further information or to discuss the position please contact Prof.  Dr. Christoph Gornott at gornott@pik-potsdam.de.