Research Officer III - Eddy Covariance

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works to improve food security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for better and more sustainable use of livestock. ILRI is a CGIAR research centre D —part of a global research partnership for a food-secure future.

Role Overview

The Research Officer III - Eddy Covariance role involves supervising and maintaining existing Eddy Covariance (EC) flux towers, leading the establishment of new ones, and conducting comprehensive data processing, analysis, and synthesis related to environmental variables, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and nutrient fluxes in dryland systems. The role requires strong technical expertise in micrometeorology and EC measurements, coupled with demonstrated ability in scientific publishing and stakeholder communication.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise the performance of two existing experimental sites with eddy covariance (EC) flux towers and other environmental sensors in two semi-arid areas in Machakos County, Kenya.
• Lead the establishment and maintenance of new EC flux towers in dryland systems in the region subject to funding availability.
• Undertake sampling of soils, aboveground biomass and other environmental variables as required.
• Ensure data quality assurance and control (QA/QC) in accordance with standard operating procedures.
• Conduct processing, visualization, and analysis of the newly derived EC tower data, also in relation to other environmental variables and remote sensing data.
• Lead and contribute to the writing and publication of scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals using the derived EC data.
• Develop conference/workshop presentations describing results and their implications for agricultural and rangeland productivity, GHG emissions, and nutrient management.
• Contribute to communication of findings to stakeholders, including researchers, press, ministries, livestock extension officers, farmers, donors, etc.
• Participate in capacity building of partners, and supervision of graduate students and research assistants.
• Contribute to resource mobilization through significant input to proposal development.
• Perform any other related duties as may be assigned.

Requirements and Qualifications

• Education: Masters in the discipline of micrometeorology, (atmospheric) physics, environmental sciences, eddy covariance fluxes, or related fields.
• Experience: Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in eddy covariance towers, with proven experience (at least two years) in field setup, maintenance, data evaluation, and processing.
• Technical Expertise: Demonstrated ability to integrate eddy covariance flux data with ancillary environmental variables for synthesis studies on flux budgets, control parameters, and processes.
• Software Proficiency: Ability to handle large datasets, data processing, and strong familiarity with statistical software such as R, SPSS, Matlab, and/or Python.
• Field Work: Willingness to coordinate and participate in regular field work campaigns across a range of experimental sites in East Africa.
• Supervision: The ability to supervise and train research assistants and students, and provide necessary data quality control and assurance.
• Communication: Excellent written and spoken English.

Preferred Attributes

• Field experience in related areas (e.g., remote sensing of rangeland vegetation).
• Knowledge on agricultural production systems in developing and/or developed countries.
• A background in remote sensing or modeling of nutrient and water cycles is an asset.
• Working experience in developing countries desirable.
• Enjoying working as part of an international and intercultural team.