Research Advisor or Action Research Officer

RECRUITMENT OF A RESEARCH ADVISOR OR ACTION RESEARCH OFFICER AT RIKOLTO IN VIETNAM

Background:

Rikolto (formerly VECO/Vredeseilanden) is an international NGO with more than 40 years’ experience in partnering farmer organisations and food chain stakeholders across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Rikolto runs programmes in 14 countries worldwide through eight regional offices.

Rikolto in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Regional office of Rikolto, located in Hanoi. Rikolto envisions a world with production and consumption systems that allow poverty and hunger to be eradicated and that do not burden our planet more than it can bear. Therefore, Rikolto enables and supports smallholder farmers to take up their role in rural poverty alleviation and to contribute to feeding a growing world population in a sustainable way. In 2017, Rikolto in Vietnam started a 5-year programme named “Supporting Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural Value Chain Development Benefitting Smallholder Farmers in Vietnam”.

We are currently looking for a qualified professional for the position of Research Advisor or Action Research Officer for the period 2018-2021. This incumbent will be based in the Regional Office in Hanoi, Vietnam with regular travel to the Programme’s target locations.

Position Summary: The Research Advisor or Action Research Officer, under the direct supervision of the Regional Director, will coordinate, support, and facilitate the implementation of research activities and projects of Rikolto in Vietnam’s programmes in close collaboration with other Programme officers and partners. The purpose of the Research Advisor/Officer is

• To ensure the efficient and effective coordination and implementation of ongoing and emerging research activities in collaboration with universities and research organizations,
• To facilitate the dissemination and integration of research findings into the design and implementation of Rikolto in Vietnam’s programmes,
• To increase the linkages between Rikolto and research organisations to support better delivery of the programmes,
• To contribute to Rikolto in Vietnam’s research-related fundraising efforts, and
• To coordinate food-system- related research projects when funding is confirmed.

Job size: Full-time

Expected starting date: June 2018

Basic Requirements

• Relevant PhD degree (for research advisor) or MSc degree (for action research officer) in agriculture, sociology, economics, rural development, food systems or equivalent from outside of Vietnam;
• At least 8 years (for Research Advisor) or 5 years (for Action Research Officer) of experience working with value chains, inclusive business, governance and/or climate change related issues in Vietnam
• In-depth understanding of the functioning of agri-food value chains from production to consumption, including chains’ institutional environment, rural communities’ socio-cultural system, consumers’ behavior and preferences, and business practices in the chains
• Hands on experience with qualitative, quantitative or a combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches and with leading and coordinating problem-focused and action research projects
• Strong research and analytical skills
• Scientific writing including journal papers, grants and reports
• Familiarity with Theory of Change approaches, programme planning, management, and reporting
• Practical mind-set, results-oriented, and systematic and analytical thinking
• Ability to work independently and in a team;
• Fluent in English and Vietnamese;
• Experience working on gender and youth inclusion in agricultural value chains is desirable.

For more details about the responsibilities, requirements of the role, and the Job Description, please refer to Rikolto in Vietnam’s website at: https://vietnam.rikolto.org/en/news/job-opportunity-research-advisor-or-...

Please send your application letter and detailed curriculum vitae, including links to previous research publications, with at least three referees in English by 21 May 2018 by email to:

Ms. Ngo Thi Thu Phuong
RIKOLTO IN VIETNAM Coordination Office
House No.4, 249A Thuy Khue Compound
Thuy Khue, Tay Ho, Hanoi
Email: [email protected]

Please, indicate in your application which position you wish to apply for. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.