ILRI is an international organisation working for better lives and better planet through livestock. ILRI’s mission emphasises the interconnections between people, animals, and the environment, aiming to improve the lives of more than 300 million people in low- and middle-income countries through livestock science that supports equitable and resilient livestock systems, ultimately contributing to food systems transformation with climate and environmental benefits. This mission is delivered through two core strategic objectives: co-designing and deploying sustainable, science-based livestock solutions, and leveraging science to inform and influence policy and investment decisions.

ILRI is a member of the CGIAR, a global research alliance that works to transform food, land and water systems in a climate crisis and is the only CGIAR centre dedicated to addressing multiple development challenges through sustainable livestock solutions.

About the Job

In alignment with the CGIAR Research Portfolio 2025–2030, ILRI contributes to the Gender Equality and Inclusion (Gender) Accelerator and the Digital Transformation Accelerator (DTA)—two cross-cutting platforms driving inclusive and sustainable transformation of food, land, and water systems. This position will support both Accelerators by contributing to digital inclusion research under the DTA and to the sub-Area of Work 2.2 under the Gender Accelerator, which focuses on leveraging evidence and strategic engagement to inform policy and implementation. The role will also lead ILRI’s contributions to the Center of Excellence on Gender and Digital Inclusion under Area of Work 4 (Enabling Environment) of the DTA. This includes designing evidence frameworks, advancing key research agendas, and fostering capacity, partnerships, and influence to promote ethical and inclusive digital transformation across CGIAR and partner organizations. In addition, the position will support ILRI’s engagement in bilateral initiatives related to digital such as the World Bank funded AICCRA-FSRP Phase 4 project as well as other emerging opportunities under the Master Card Foundation (MCF).

Key Responsibilities

This position requires a proactive, collaborative, and impact-driven individual with the skills to advance ILRI’s digital transformation agenda with a gender lens and contribute to overarching goal of leveraging digital innovations for resilience-building for communities in Asia and Africa.

• Research Leadership
  • Lead ILRI’s contributions to the CGIAR Center of Excellence on Gender and Digital Inclusion under the Digital Transformation Accelerator (DTA), including agenda setting, research design, evidence generation, and partner coordination.
  • Design and implement research on inclusive digital innovation including user design principles, gender-responsive/ transformative technologies, and responsible AI use to support the development of equitable and resilient agriculture and livestock livelihood systems across Africa and Asia.
  • Develop and apply frameworks, metrics, and benchmarking tools to assess digital inclusion, scalability, gender equity, adoption, and impacts of digital innovations.
  • Contribute to the CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion Accelerator through research, evidence synthesis, and policy-relevant analysis
  • Support bilateral and strategic initiatives (e.g., AICCRA-FSRP Phase 4, Monsoon Mission III, CIS4Y, MCF) related to AI-enabled advisory systems, digital climate services, and inclusive information systems.
• Partnerships and Engagement
  • Build and manage strategic partnerships with CGIAR Centers, universities, governments, donors, private sector actors, and civil society organizations.
  • Convene stakeholder dialogues, technical workshops, learning events, and capacity-strengthening initiatives at global, regional, and national levels.
  • Collaborate with communications teams to translate research into accessible knowledge products, campaigns, and influence strategies.
  • Represent ILRI and CGIAR in relevant global and regional platforms on digital inclusion, gender equality, and responsible innovation.
• Delivery and Management
  • Manage project plans, milestones, budgets, deliverables, and reporting requirements across multiple grants and workstreams.
  • Lead or contribute to peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, policy briefs, toolkits, and donor reports.
  • Ensure quality assurance, ethical compliance, monitoring, learning, and documentation of project outcomes.
  • Support proposal development, fundraising, and strategic positioning for new opportunities in digital transformation and gender research.

Requirements

• PhD in Rural Sociology, Gender Studies, Anthropology, Feminist Economics, Development Economics, Agricultural Economics, Geography, or related fields with 3–5 years of professional experience, including a minimum of 4 years of postdoctoral experience in gender research, digital inclusion, agricultural innovation systems, or related areas.
• Strong grounding in gender theory and social equity frameworks, with demonstrated experience applying these in the Global South.
• Demonstrated experience leading or contributing to research on digital inclusion, gender-responsive innovation, digital advisory systems, or responsible AI in agriculture or development contexts.
• Strong experience in mixed-methods research design, including quantitative, qualitative, participatory, and interdisciplinary approaches.
• Proven publication record in peer-reviewed journals and production of high-quality technical, policy, and donor-facing outputs.
• Experience working with multi-stakeholder partnerships involving research institutions, governments, NGOs, private sector actors, and international development agencies.
• Track record in managing research-for-development (R4D) projects, including planning, implementation, budgeting, monitoring, and reporting.
• Demonstrated experience influencing policy, strategy, or practice through evidence generation, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge brokering.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills, with experience working in multicultural and multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience working in Africa and Asia on agriculture, livestock, climate resilience, gender equality, or digital development programs.

Post location: The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya

Terms of Appointment: This position is at job level HG18, and it is open to both national and international applicants. The position is a three (3) year contract, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding. ILRI offers a competitive international salary and benefits package which includes pension, medical insurance, life insurance and allowances for: education, housing, security, relocation, and home leave.

Applications: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, what they can bring to the role, and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. The applications will be addressed to the Head of People and Culture and submitted through our recruitment portal https://ilri.simplicant.com on or before 12 July 2026.

The position title and reference number: REF: SGRD/2213-06/2026 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

ILRI is an equal opportunity employer.

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ILRI is an international organisation working for better lives and better planet through livestock. ILRI’s mission emphasises the interconnections between people, animals, and the environment, aiming to improve the lives of more than 300 million people in low- and middle-income countries through livestock science that supports equitable and resilient livestock systems, ultimately contributing to food systems transformation with climate and environmental benefits. This mission is delivered through two core strategic objectives: co-designing and deploying sustainable, science-based livestock solutions, and leveraging science to inform and influence policy and investment decisions.

ILRI is a member of the CGIAR, a global research alliance that works to transform food, land and water systems in a climate crisis and is the only CGIAR centre dedicated to addressing multiple development challenges through sustainable livestock solutions.

Key Responsibilities

The incumbent will catalyze the transformation of local innovation ecosystems into knowledge hubs for populations in close collaboration with youth, the private sector, governments, policy makers, and other partners.

Digital and AI-enabled Innovations in Smallholder Systems

• Lead socio-ecological systems co-design and co-engineering, leveraging precision ag, digital and AI-enabled innovations with smallholder farmers, pastoralists, youth organizations, extension services, governments and private sector partners.
• Advance the responsible, inclusive and ethical use of data, AI and automation, ensuring gender equity, youth inclusion, data sovereignty and environmental sustainability.
• Design and operationalize innovative uses of remote sensing, IoT, edge computing, machine learning and decision-support systems tailored to low-connectivity and resource-constrained farming systems
• Foster public–private partnerships, digital public infrastructure and institutional innovations that enable sustainable and equitable value creation from digital and AI technologies.
• Design, implement and refine digital services (e.g. climate information, credit, insurance, market-input-value chain linkages) that support bundled technical-market solutions that aim to derisk agriculture and pastoral livelihoods and create dignified and fulfilling jobs for youth
• Strengthen the role that digital public infrastructure, open science, open data and pre-competitive collaboration and products may play in supporting agricultural development across regions, including smallholder-oriented contractual agriculture

Research dissemination and knowledge sharing

• Write and publish scientific papers in reputable journals, contributing to ILRI’s knowledge base on digital innovation and machine-augmented intelligence for agriculture and livestock
• Represent ILRI in conferences, workshops, and training sessions to share research findings, advocate and establish ILRI as a thought leader in this space
• Develop and contribute to blogs, communication products as well as policy briefs that promote the responsible exploitation of digital innovations and machine-augmented intelligence

Partnership Building

• Build partnerships with agtech and fintech, youth organizations, financial and academic institutions, mobile network operators, policy makers, other CGIAR centres, NGOs and investors to conceptualize, develop and implement digital innovations and machine-augmented intelligence solutions in smallholder agriculture and livestock systems
• Leverage South-South and North-South collaborations and strengthen networking with institutions of repute to bring the power of artificial intelligence to bear on the reduction of stubborn development challenges in complex smallholder systems
• Play the role of a knowledge broker and stimulate strategic linkages within the innovation ecosystem
• Lead and/or support in activities connected with developing project plans, costing, business cases and other material for optimizing new digital tool development, enhancement and maintenance
• Actively contribute to fundraising in support of ILRI and CGIAR agendas on precision agriculture, digital innovations and machine-augmented intelligence, particularly from private capital

Capacity building and mentoring

• Identify and deliver training/capacity building programs in target countries on development and maintenance of digital platforms in consultation with various stakeholders
• Co-supervise PhD and MSc students on relevant topics
• Mentor and support research technicians involved in field data collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings

Requirements

• PhD in agriculture/environmental sciences/computer/geospatial sciences with over 7 years of experience in the capacity of technical project/program management and leading solution architecture development for large complex distributed systems.
• Experience in technical management roles is desirable as well as a degree in Business Administration
• Proven practical ability to design, develop and deploy digital innovations and/or machine-augmented intelligence solutions for crop-livestock and pastoral systems. Working knowledge of Generative AI and computational social sciences an advantage.
• Track record of writing and publishing scientific papers, as well as preparing and delivering presentations for conferences, workshops, and stakeholder engagements.
• Experience in creating communication products such as research and policy briefs that highlight the potential as well as pitfalls of digitalization of agriculture and livestock systems.
• Experience in grant and proposal writing, engaging with donors and stakeholders, and mobilizing resources to support ILRI’s agenda.
• Demonstrable experience in collaborating and sharing results with an interdisciplinary research team, encompassing fields such as climate science, livestock productivity, crop and soil management, socioeconomics, and gender studies.
• Experience in co-supervising students and providing mentorship to research technicians involved in data collection, field studies, and analysis.
• Deep understanding of resource poor, smallholder farming systems in developing countries, particularly within semi-arid and tropical regions, with a focus on climate adaptation and resilience.
• Prior work experience in Africa and or Asia, and a demonstrated understanding of the agricultural and environmental contexts of both.
• Demonstrated experience of active collaboration or past work and understanding of private sector business models as well as ways of working is an added advantage.
• Bilingual in English and French. Working knowledge of African languages is an added advantage.

Post location: The position will be based in Dakar, Senegal or Nairobi, Kenya

Terms of Appointment: This position is at job level HG19, and it is open to both national and international applicants. The position is a three (3) year contract, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding. ILRI offers a competitive international salary and benefits package which includes pension, medical insurance, life insurance and allowances for: education, housing, security, relocation, and home leave.

Applications: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, what they can bring to the role, and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. The applications will be addressed to the Head of People and Culture and submitted through our recruitment portal https://ilri.simplicant.com on or before 12 July 2026.

The position title and reference number: REF: SSDA/2219-06/2026 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

ILRI is an equal opportunity employer.

More ILRI jobs

Subscribe by email to ILRI jobs alert

ILRI is an international organisation working for better lives and better planet through livestock. ILRI’s mission emphasises the interconnections between people, animals, and the environment, aiming to improve the lives of more than 300 million people in low- and middle-income countries through livestock science that supports equitable and resilient livestock systems, ultimately contributing to food systems transformation with climate and environmental benefits. This mission is delivered through two core strategic objectives: co-designing and deploying sustainable, science-based livestock solutions, and leveraging science to inform and influence policy and investment decisions.

ILRI is a member of the CGIAR, a global research alliance that works to transform food, land and water systems in a climate crisis and is the only CGIAR centre dedicated to addressing multiple development challenges through sustainable livestock solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Coordinate events, seminars, conferences and meetings and support hosted institutions activities, including venue booking, logistics, technical support, caterer coordination and guest services
• Coordinate visitor programmes for individuals and groups, including preparation of information packages, accommodation, meeting room allocations, catering arrangements and campus support services
• Maintain and regularly update the Kenya events calendar and Google calendar to ensure accurate scheduling and visibility of all hospitality-related activities
• Liaise with internal service units such as Supply Chain, Transport, Liaison and Protocol, Security, ICT, CAKM, Engineering and outsourced Catering to ensure seamless planning and delivery of events and visitor programmes in alignment with the required standards
• Build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships to anticipate service needs and enhance client experience and revenue opportunities
• Lead daily pre-function and operational briefings with hospitality staff to review upcoming events, service requirements and operational risks
• Monitor service delivery, resolve operational issues, respond to emergencies and ensure activities are implemented according to approved plans
• Oversee hotel and conferencing front office desks, housekeeping, campus housing maintenance coordination, use of recreational facilities and overall guest services to ensure efficient, high quality and client-centric services
• Supervise hospitality staff and contribute to the performance review of the Director General’s domestic staff
• Apply effective reservation and inventory control practices to optimize facility utilization, occupancy and events revenue
• Undertake targeted client engagement and business development activities (internal and approved external clients), in consultation with the Head of Operations, to promote hospitality services within the scope of the established institutional campus guidelines
• Maintain accurate records of bookings, revenue, expenditures, client feedback, declined business, advance bookings and occupancy forecasts
• Verify contracted-service provider invoices and prepare periodic or monthly reports for review and approval
• Ensure compliance with ILRI policies on credit, billing and revenue-collection
• Provide regular updates and reports to the Head of Operations on key developments, risks, client feedback, revenue performance and service-delivery issues
• Perform any other related duties as may be assigned

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in hotel and catering management, hospitality management, business administration, or a related field
• Relevant professional certification
• Seven years’ relevant experience in hospitality, conferencing, guest services, hotel/accommodation, events management or related operations
• Strong communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal and networking abilities
• Self-starter, able to work independently against agreed priorities and deliverables
• Customer-service orientation with a focus on delivering high-quality service experiences
• Good planning and coordination skills, with attention to detail
• Proficiency in revenue tracking and records management
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management capability
• Proficiency in the use of digital systems/tools for bookings, calendar management and reporting

Post location: The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Terms of Appointment

This position is at job level HG15 and it is only open to Kenyan nationals. The position is a 3-year contract, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding. ILRI offers a competitive salary and benefits package which includes pension, medical and other insurances.

How to apply: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, what they can bring to the job and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to the Head of People and Culture through our recruitment portal https://ilri.simplicant.com on or before 22 June 2026. The position title and reference number REF: HC /06/2026 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.

We thank all applicants for their interest in working for ILRI. Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

To find out more about ILRI, visit our websites at http://www.ilri.org/

More ILRI jobs

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit the Head of Internal Audit to lead the overall Internal Audit function. This is a unique opportunity to provide independent, risk-based assurance and advisory services to strengthen governance, risk management, and internal controls across the institute. The incumbent shall be responsible for the supervision and coordination of audit activities across multiple field offices in addition to operations in Kenya and Ethiopia. The role shall serve as the principal advisor to the Audit, Finance, Risk Committee (AFRC) of the Board to ensure institutional compliance.

ILRI is an international organisation working for better lives and better planet through livestock. ILRI’s mission emphasises the interconnections between people, animals, and the environment, aiming to improve the lives of more than 300 million people in low- and middle-income countries through livestock science that supports equitable and resilient livestock systems, ultimately contributing to food systems transformation with climate and environmental benefits. This mission is delivered through two core strategic objectives: co-designing and deploying sustainable, science-based livestock solutions, and leveraging science to inform and influence policy and investment decisions.

ILRI is a member of the CGIAR, a global research alliance that works to transform food, land and water systems in a climate crisis and is the only CGIAR centre dedicated to addressing multiple development challenges through sustainable livestock solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and approval of the risk‑based annual and multi‑year audit plans covering internal and partnership audits, forming the basis for determining the scope of internal controls testing for review and approval by the AFRC.
• Provide independent insights and recommendations on emerging institutional risks, regulatory developments, donor compliance, and global trends in alignment with governance expectations.
• Develop and maintain audit policies, procedures, good practices and standard operating procedures to evaluate effectiveness of controls of the institute’s processes.
• Provide strategic oversight of audit execution across all audit cycles ensuring alignment with the approved audit plan, institutional risk priorities and quality standards.
• Oversee the establishment, implementation and effectiveness of governance systems for tracking audit actions and remedial outcomes, through the adoption of digital auditing tools, data analytics, automation, and technology-enabled assurance methodologies.
• Provide independent advisory to the AFRC and the Director General on matters relating to governance effectiveness, institutional accountability, risk exposure, and internal control frameworks.
• Ensure timely escalation of high‑risk issues and control deficiencies through the established mechanisms, provide periodic monitoring and reporting on implementation of remedial actions, and strengthen closure through formal accountability and defined timelines.
• Align internal audit priorities with ILRI’s strategic objectives, institutional risk appetite, enterprise risk registers, and emerging operational risks.
• Ensure institutional preparedness, resilience, and business continuity arrangements to support operational sustainability and crisis response capability through the evaluation of the adequacy of risk management practices across operational, financial, compliance, cybersecurity, and other reputational risk domains.
• Provide strategic leadership of the Internal Audit function, setting direction, priorities and capability requirements while fostering a high-performance and independent assurance culture.
• Oversee the design and delivery of periodic training programmes to strengthen awareness of internal controls and policy changes that will support institutional effectiveness.
• Direct special audit reviews ensuring appropriate scope, independence and reporting to the Board or the Director General.
• Oversee capacity development of the team and promote risk management, in cooperation with the Risk Management Committee, ensuring a culture of effective risk assessment and management across the institute.
• Oversee and ensure effective and efficient use of financial and other resources of the function.
• Safeguard the independence and objectivity of the Internal Audit function in line with IIA standards and best practice.
• Collaborate and foster strong working relationships with all relevant stakeholders across CGIAR to strengthen coordinated assurance and knowledge sharing.
• Perform any other related duties as may be required.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in accounting, finance, commerce, business administration or relevant field
• Relevant professional certification (e.g., CIA, CPA, CISA, or equivalent)
• Be a member with good standing status in the relevant professional body(ies)
• Minimum 12 years relevant experience
• Demonstrated expertise in quality assurance and the application of risk-based auditing methodologies
• Solid experience in ethics and fraud investigations, audit finance, governance, risk management and internal control frameworks
• Experience in a senior leadership/internal audit management role
• Experience in multicultural donor-funded or development/research institutions
• Extensive analytical capability with strong attention to detail and advance report writing skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior levels
• Sound knowledge of regulatory frameworks, legal principles and economic environments relevant to internal audit
• Strong ability to interpret and apply institutional policies, procedures, and governance frameworks, with the capability to quickly analyze, decipher, and operationalize complex policy information in a dynamic environment
• Proficiency in auditing-related information technology systems and digital audit tools.
• Strategic thinking and enterprise risk foresight

Post location: The position will be based in either Addis Ababa, Ethiopia or Nairobi, Kenya.

Terms of Appointment: This position is at job level HG 19, and it is open to both national and international applicants. The position is a three (3) year contract, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding. ILRI offers a competitive international salary and benefits package which includes pension, medical insurance, life insurance and allowances for: education, housing, security, relocation, and home leave.

Applications: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, what they can bring to the role, and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. The applications will be addressed to the Head of People and Culture and submitted through our recruitment portal https://ilri.simplicant.com on or before 2 July 2026.

The position title and reference number: HIA/06/2026 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

ILRI is an equal opportunity employer.

More ILRI jobs

Subscribe by email to ILRI jobs alert

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works to improve people’s lives in low- and middle-income countries through livestock science that contributes to equitable and resilient livestock systems to deliver food systems transformation with climate and environmental benefits. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centers dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. www.ilri.org

The Health program’s goal is to enhance the health and welfare of farmed livestock, improve human well-being, and protect the shared environment by strengthening control measures for animal and agriculture-associated health risks. The program adopts a One Health approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. By addressing disease risks at this interface, the program aims to prevent the spread of zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases that threaten public health and food security. Read more here: https://www.ilri.org/index.php/research/themes/health

The position

ILRI and the Genomic Pathogen Analysis Platform (GPAP) at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) are advancing next-generation approaches for pathogen surveillance by integrating genomics, epidemiology, and artificial intelligence. A key focus is the development of agentic AI tools capable of automating complex analytical workflows, from metagenomic data processing to actionable public health insights.

Building on a large-scale wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) initiative with longitudinal metagenomic sequencing data from 30 urban sites, this PhD project will integrate environmental genomic data with clinical surveillance data. The project will leverage GPAP’s infrastructure to develop AI-driven, semi-autonomous (“agentic”) analytical pipelines and interactive dashboards that translate complex data streams into real-time decision-support tools for public health systems.

Terms of reference

1. Lead the harmonization and integration of clinical infectious disease and AMR datasets with wastewater metagenomic data.
2. Map and align spatial and temporal dynamics between sewer catchment populations and health facility data.
3. Conduct epidemiological and statistical analyses to identify associations between wastewater-derived pathogen/AMR signals and clinical outcomes.
4. Collaborate in the design and application of agentic AI tools within GPAP to:
   1. Automate data ingestion, cleaning, and analysis workflows
   2. Detect anomalies, trends, and early warning signals
   3. Generate interpretable summaries for public health users
5. Contribute to the development of interactive dashboards and visualization tools for real-time surveillance, including:
   1. Pathogen and AMR trend monitoring
   2. Outbreak early warning indicators
   3. Spatial risk mapping
6. Evaluate the predictive performance and operational utility of GPAP tools in real-world public health scenarios.
7. Engage with public health stakeholders to co-develop user-centered outputs and ensure policy relevance.
8. Contribute to implementation frameworks for integrating WBE and AI-enabled analytics into national surveillance systems.
   1. Produce scientific publications, policy briefs, and technical documentation.

Minimum requirements for the ideal candidate

1. Master’s degree in Epidemiology, Public Health, Global Health, Biostatistics, or a related field.
2. Proficiency in Python and/or R programming for data manipulation and statistical analysis, including libraries such as pandas, scikit-learn, PyTorch or Tensorflow.
3. Strong experience in epidemiological analysis and surveillance systems.
4. Proficiency with cloud platforms (AWS) and deployment of AI/ML models.
5. Experience with agentic frameworks
6. Proficiency in version control and collaboration Git and Github
7. Familiarity with infectious disease epidemiology and AMR.
8. Exposure to data visualization tools (e.g., R Shiny, Dash, Tableau, Power BI) is desirable.
9. Interest in or experience with AI/ML applications in public health is an advantage.

Location: ILRI Kenya.

Duration: 3 Years.

Terms of appointment and stipend: ILRI will offer a competitive stipend to cover living expenses in the project location, medical cover, tuition costs and research expenses. The successful candidate will be supervised jointly by ILRI scientists and an academic supervisor.

All applications MUST include the following (applications without the below documents will not be considered):

• a cover letter expressing their interest in the fellowship position and what they can bring to the fellowship.
• CV including names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience.
• academic qualification certificates/transcripts.

Applications should be made to the Senior Manager, Capacity Development, through our recruitment portal http://ilri.simplicant.com/ on or before 03/06/2026. The position title and reference number ILRI PhD GF/Health/02/2026 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.

ILRI is an international organisation working for better lives and better planet through livestock. ILRI’s mission emphasises the interconnections between people, animals, and the environment, aiming to improve the lives of more than 300 million people in low- and middle-income countries through livestock science that supports equitable and resilient livestock systems, ultimately contributing to food systems transformation with climate and environmental benefits. This mission is delivered through two core strategic objectives: co-designing and deploying sustainable, science-based livestock solutions, and leveraging science to inform and influence policy and investment decisions.

ILRI is a member of the CGIAR, a global research alliance that works to transform food, land and water systems in a climate crisis and is the only CGIAR centre dedicated to addressing multiple development challenges through sustainable livestock solutions.

Reporting line and structure:

• Reports to the Director General of ILRI and participates as a member of ILRI’s Strategy, Program Execution and Acceleration Review (SPEAR) Team.
• This is a strategic and oversight role. Four dedicated unit leads — for Partnerships, Advocacy, Strategic Communications, and Knowledge Management — report directly to this position, supported by a team of approximately 30 staff.
• Works in close collaboration with the ILRI Deputy Director Generals, and Research programs and Regional Directors.
• Works in collaboration with business development unit and program and regional directors to actively identify, surface, and channel partnership and funding opportunities for advocacy and resources mobilization

What This Role Must Deliver

• An integrated, institute-wide strategy connecting partnerships, advocacy, communications and knowledge management with unified goals and measurable KPIs to ensure these different elements contribute as a whole to deliver ILRI’s strategy.
• Corporate standards and quality metrics for advocacy, partnerships, communications, and knowledge management — with regular monitoring and reporting to ILRI leadership.
• A fit-for-purpose partnership function: tools, systems, and organizational capacity for partner intelligence, partner management, and coordination with research teams.
• A strengthened global-regional-local advocacy approach, including strategic oversight of the Global Livestock Advocacy for Sustainable Development (GLAD) project and the Advocacy and Investment Hub.
• Expanded institutional visibility and thought leadership to continue to elevate and nuance livestock in the development agenda and to ensure ILRI’s solutions and innovations are reaching the right stakeholders.
• Active support to resource mobilization by identifying strategic partnership and funding opportunities, incorporating advocacy and communications into new proposals and strengthening marketing of ILRI for resource mobilization.

Key Responsibilities

Drive a new approach to strategic partnerships

• Steward and grow partnerships in collaboration with the DG and DDG offices, maintaining and developing new partnerships to build an ecosystem of partners ensuring alignment with ILRI’s strategic priorities.
• Lead ILRI’s engagement with the CGIAR on partnerships and communications defining ILRI’s contributions to joint advocacy positions, shared platforms, and system-level coherence.
• Collaborate with scientists and regional teams to coordinate and align partnership engagement efforts across the institute.
• Engage with partners to convene dialogues and engage around ILRIs flagship reports around sustainable livestock
• Build and maintain partnership intelligence systems that generate actionable insights to inform strategic decisions across the institute.

Oversight of communications, advocacy and knowledge management

• Provide strategic communications counsel and support to ILRI’s leadership, research program directors, and regional directors on media, risk communication, and institutional positioning.
• Oversee ILRI’s strategic communications work to translate research into compelling, accessible content that reaches the right audiences across relevant channels and platforms.
• Develop and maintain systematic processes for gathering intelligence on critical issues affecting the livestock sector in LMICs, and shape how ILRI and partners to respond.
• Lead a strategic approach to ILRI’s and partners engagement in key global and regional events and policy processes, with the aim of influencing decisions and enhancing sustainable livestock
• Lead the establishment and oversee operations of the ILRI Livestock Advocacy and Investment Hub ensuring it delivers on ILRI’s strategy and effectively links scientists from across ILRI’s programs.
• Direct the implementation of GLAD and other advocacy-focused projects, ensuring delivery against agreed outcomes and adequate resourcing.
• Guide the management process of ILRI’s Flagship report ensuring that partners, stakeholders are involved, appropriate knowledge and communication products and channels are used to influence decisions.
• Guide a demand driven approach to repackage ILRI and partner research into knowledge products (policy briefs, white papers, biennial reports) to be used by decision-makers
• Champion knowledge-sharing systems and practices that strengthen internal collaboration and internal communications

Organisational leadership and management

• Provide strategic direction and ensure operational integration across the four units, with clear accountability frameworks for each unit lead.
• Develop and oversee M&E systems that track advocacy influence, partnership value, and communications reach — with findings feeding back into strategy.
• Guide an approach to leverage use of AI to streamline different processes within communication and knowledge management
• Identify and secure funding for livestock advocacy and communications through various means including working with program directors and partners to develop proposals, or incorporate advocacy and communications into new funding opportunities.
• Manage budgets and financial oversight across all four units, including exploring and promoting innovative financing models.
• Foster a high-performing, collaborative team culture that supports ILRI’s mission and adapts to a fast-changing institutional and external environment.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in International Development, Public Policy, Agriculture, Strategic Communications, or a related field
• At least 15 years of progressive leadership experience in international organizations, with significant experience across advocacy, partnerships, resource mobilization and communications.
• English language fluency

• Proven ability to design and execute strategies aligned with institutional priorities and external trends, including in CGIAR or similar research-for-development systems.
• Skilled manager and managing diverse, geographically distributed teams and building high-performance functions.
• Experience in mobilizing funding and resource mobilization
• Demonstrated success in influencing global forums, engaging key decision-makers, and participating actively in multistakeholder processes.
• Deep knowledge of global development and research-for-development systems, particularly in agriculture, food systems, environment, and livestock sectors in LMICs.
• Being able to work in a complex and engaging internal and external environment and build social capital to motivate staff and partners to collaborate
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical capabilities, including donor intelligence, political economy analysis, and partnership innovation.
• Expertise in institutional advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and policy influence at global and regional levels.
• Fluency in modern communications tools, digital strategy, audience analytics, and strategic branding.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead change and build organizational capability in dynamic institutional environments.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the credibility to engage at the highest levels of donor, philanthropies, partner, and policymaking institutions.

Post location: The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya

Terms of Appointment: This position is at job level HG 21, and it is open to both national and international applicants. The position is a three (3) year contract, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding. ILRI offers a competitive international salary and benefits package which includes pension, medical insurance, life insurance and allowances for: education, housing, security, relocation, and home leave.

Applications: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, what they can bring to the role, and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. The applications will be addressed to the Head of People and Culture and submitted through our recruitment portal https://ilri.simplicant.com on or before 18 June 2026.

The position title and reference number: REF: D/05/2026should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

ILRI is an equal opportunity employer.

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The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) one of 15 CGIAR research centers dedicated entirely to deliver research-based solutions that address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. The Alliance focuses on the nexus of agriculture, nutrition, and environment. We work with local, national, and multinational partners across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and with the public and private sectors and civil society. With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people. The Alliance is organized into six key levers: 1) Food environment and consumer behavior – reshaping the food environment and consumer behavior toward healthy and sustainable diets; 2) Multifunctional landscapes – fostering innovation for environmental health and productive landscapes to improve livelihoods; 3) Climate action – mainstreaming climate action in the food system to reduce risks; 4) Biodiversity for food and agriculture – making agricultural and tree diversity available and safeguarding it for the diverse needs of food system actors; 5) Digital inclusion – promoting inclusion in the digital agriculture revolution for equitable benefits; and 6) Crops for nutrition and health – putting nutrition and health at the heart of crop improvement to address the triple burden of malnutrition. 

Main Responsibilities:

• Review Travel Authorizations (TA), Travel Expense Claims (TEC), invoices, and receipts—both in SAP Concur and offline—in line with Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT policies and established procedures.
• Review the completeness and appropriateness of supporting documentation for payments, ensuring compliance with defined procedures.
• Verify that payments are accurate, properly documented, and authorized in line with the ABC Delegation of Authority.
• Register and process financial transactions in Agresso/OCS systems in accordance with established accounting practices.
• Prepare bank letters for signatories in accordance with approved and authorized payment documentation.
• Assist in quarterly cash flow forecasting activities to facilitate timely fund transfers to the ILRI account.
• Assist in the preparation of monthly imprest fund requests to maintain approved imprest levels.
• Ensure payment vouchers reflect correct account and budget codes as guided by established practices.
• Assist in tracking Alliance staff accounts in ILRI reports and the Alliance Agresso system.
• Follow up the liquidation of work advances as per the ABC travel policy.
• Prepare bank reconciliations for Alliance bank accounts in accordance with standard reconciliation guidelines.
• Support the preparation and cascading of ILRI monthly financial reports to align with Alliance internal reporting formats, ensuring consistency with Alliance budget codes (AEC).
• Assist with statutory and donor audits by providing required documentation and responding to audit queries under guidance.
• Maintain accurate, organized, and up-to-date digital (SharePoint or approved platforms) and physical financial records.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Country Office Administrator.

Minimum Requirements:

Education:

• Bachelor degree or Diploma in accounting, finance or relevant field

Experience:

• BA degree with two years of relevant experience Or Diploma with five years of relevant experience
• Work experience in an international NGO or an international organization

Skills:

• Knowledge of accounting principles and financial control procedures
• Familiarity with ERP systems, including Agresso (Unit4) or OCS
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, especially Excel
• Strong analytical skills
• Attention to details
• Integrity and confidentiality

Duty Station:  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Position level:   HG12

Minimum Base salary:   Birr 35,071 per month

Terms of appointment: Initial appointment is for one year renewable appointment based on performance and funding availability. ABC offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits in line with ILRI salary applicable for its Nationally Recruited Staff. ABC is an international and equal opportunity organization and believes that diversity of its staff contributes to excellence.  The ILRI campus is set in a secure, attractive campus with dining and sports facilities.

Applications: Applicants should provide a cover letter and curriculum vitae; names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to be included in the curriculum vitae. The position and reference number: ACT/ABC/03/26 should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter. All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment portal: http://ilri.simplicant.com/ on or before 26 February 2026.

We thank all applicants for their interest in working for ABC/ILRI. Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

ABC/ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training).

To find more about the Alliance, visit our Website at https://alliancebioversityciat.org

Suitably qualified women are particularly encouraged to apply.

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The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centers dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. www.ilri.org.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the planning and implementation of feed and forage production trials, including crop-residue processing and the evaluation of improved feed ingredients.
• Assist in the planning and execution of forage field trials and animal trials both on-station and on-farm.
• Assist with the preparation, processing, and laboratory analysis of feed ingredient and forage samples, including nutrient profiling, digestibility testing, and safety assessments.
• Conduct field data collection, sampling, and initial sample preparation for quality assessment, including activities related to on-station and on-farm forage variety trials.
• Compile, clean, and manage field, laboratory, survey, and trial datasets; perform basic data analysis and contribute to scientific reports and communication materials.
• Facilitate and lead trainings, field days, workshops, and other knowledge-sharing activities with farmers, private-sector partners, and service providers.
• Provide logistical, operational, and supervisory support for research activities, ensuring proper use and maintenance of field, farm, and laboratory equipment.
• Compile reports on field research and development activities under the guidance of senior researchers.
• Supervise research technicians, data collectors, and casual workers involved in field activities.
• Perform any other related duties assigned by the supervisor.

Academic and professional qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in animal production, animal nutrition, forage science, agricultural biotechnology or other closely related agricultural fields.

Experience:

• Minimum of five years hands-on experience in agricultural research, livestock or aquaculture nutrition, feed and forage development, laboratory analysis, or related areas.
• Hands-on experience in farm operations, animal trials, forage production, or agricultural fieldwork.
• Practical involvement in field trials, laboratory assays, or on-farm research is essential.
• Experience working with farmers, private-sector actors, government agencies, or development partners is desirable.
• Prior exposure to data collection, data management, and basic statistical analysis is an advantage.

Skills:

• Familiarity with tools and equipment used in field research and farm management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; basic knowledge of statistical software is a plus.
• Knowledge and experience in handling agrochemicals; possession of a valid spray certificate is an advantage. 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multicultural team and independently in remote field locations.
• Organizational and time-management abilities, including working under pressure and meeting deadlines.
• Creative and innovative mindset, with the ability to develop and apply new ideas, techniques, and improved practices.
• Results-oriented, reliable, and accountable, with strong personal integrity and the ability to guide others when needed.
• Ability to prepare clear reports and documentation from trial data and to communicate information in a timely manner.

Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Grade:  HG 12

Minimum Base Salary:  Birr 35,071 per month

Terms of appointment:  This is a National Staff (NS) position, initial appointment is for three years with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and the availability of funding. The ILRI remuneration package for nationally recruited staff in Ethiopia includes a very competitive salary and benefits such as life and medical insurance, offshore pension plan, etc. The ILRI campus is set in a secure, attractive campus in Addis Ababa. Dining and sports facilities are located on site.

Applications: Applicants should provide a cover letter and curriculum vitae; names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to be included in the curriculum vitae. The position and reference number: REF: RA/LGFNR/01/26 should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter. All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment portal: http://ilri.simplicant.com/ on or before 15 January 2026.  

We thank all applicants for their interest in working for ILRI. Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training).

Suitably qualified women are particularly encouraged to apply.

To find out more about ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org

To find out more about working at ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org/

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The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centers dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. www.ilri.org.

Key Responsibilities:

• Coordinate poultry health interventions targeting youth and women’s employment in RAYEE II project areas, including co-developing and co-deploying innovative health service delivery models.
• Support and facilitate the introduction of innovative health service delivery models for organized women and youth groups in the RAYEE II project areas (e.g., vaccine and treatment drugs), focusing on job creation.
• Provide veterinary advisory and support services to young women poultry producers in the RAYEE II project areas on flock health monitoring, disease diagnosis, sample collection, vaccination, and treatment.
• Coordinate poultry health capacity development activities, including preparation of training materials and other documentation, as required.
• Facilitate poultry health-related collaboration with government veterinary services, research institutes, universities, private sector partners, and farmer organizations.
• Contribute to developing and implementing tailored training modules, extension packages, and practical demonstrations to improve poultry health and production practices.
• Organize and participate in project meetings, stakeholder workshops, seminars, and farmer learning platforms.
• Document and disseminate lessons learned, case studies, and success stories on innovative approaches to poultry health delivery.
• Collect high-quality health-related technical and socio-economic monitoring and evaluation data using digital tools (e.g., ODK).
• Analyze and synthesize data using statistical software (e.g., R, STATA); prepare technical reports, project deliverables, and contribute to peer-reviewed publications.
• Contribute to the review, edition, and preparation of technical reports, proposals, and manuscripts to support resource mobilization.
• Perform other related tasks as required

Academic and professional qualifications:

Education:

• Master’s degree in veterinary medicine, poultry health management, agricultural science, animal science, or a relevant field

Experience:

• Minimum of three years or more of relevant work experience in veterinary services, poultry production, animal health, or agricultural research
• Experience in working with women and youth groups in developing and deploying innovative poultry health packages
• Experience in working with national actors in poultry health, including government and non-government organizations
• Experience in fieldwork, including data collection (quantitative and qualitative)
• Familiarity with the poultry health system in Ethiopia and innovative poultry disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment approaches
• Prior involvement in poultry health-related research for development projects, including capacity building, extension, and advisory services, is advantageous

Skills:

• Strong technical knowledge in poultry health, farm management, and biosecurity
• Skills in developing and delivering women and youth-oriented training and extension programs.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills
• Strong organizational and time-management abilities with proven multitasking capacity
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams
• Proficient with digital data collection tools (e.g., ODK, KoboCollect)
• Competence in report writing, scientific writing, and technical documentation
• Practical experience in research design, field data collection, and statistical analysis (R, STATA, or similar)
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently and work in rural settings

Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Grade:  HG 13

Minimum Base Salary:  Birr 42,084 per month

Terms of appointment: This is a National Staff (NS) position, initial appointment is for three years with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and the availability of funding. The ILRI remuneration package for nationally recruited staff in Ethiopia includes a very competitive salary and benefits such as life and medical insurance, offshore pension plan, etc. The ILRI campus is set in a secure, attractive campus in Addis Ababa. Dining and sports facilities are located on site.

Applications: Applicants should provide a cover letter and curriculum vitae; names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to be included in the curriculum vitae. The position and reference number: REF: PV/LGFNR/17/25 should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter. All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment portal: http://ilri.simplicant.com/ on or before 17 November 2025.  

We thank all applicants for their interest in working for ILRI. Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training).

Suitably qualified women are particularly encouraged to apply.

To find out more about ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org

To find out more about working at ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org/

More ILRI jobs