1. About TechnoServe:
TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. Founded in 1968, we are a nonprofit organization that develops business solutions to poverty by linking people to information, capital, and markets. With more than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives.
2. Job Summary:
We are seeking applications from a specialist in agroclimatology or agroecology, i.e. a person that has an excellent working knowledge of how the principles of climatology (or climate variables) are applied to agricultural systems. Ideally, this person will also have expertise in coffee agronomy.
The position will provide the successful applicant with a unique opportunity to develop their scientific and practical skills in coffee agronomy and climate research. They will work alongside team members from TechnoServe Ethiopia and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, to make a contribution to understanding the challenges facing Ethiopia’s coffee production sector under climate change, and working on cost-effective adaptation solutions.
It is a three-year, full time position in coffee agroclimatology, focusing on climate smart farm interventions and their influence on: the coffee farming microclimate, productivity (yield) and plant health, soil health and production costs. The study area is within the Sidamo coffee farming region.
The successful applicant will benefit from professional development, through training and experience.
3. Details of the role
The Coffee Agroclimatologist will work within a project team to set up, and develop, coffee farm research plots, to better understand the benefits (and costs) of climate smart interventions on coffee farms, with a focus on the amelioration of high temperatures and low rainfall, productivity (yield), and plant and farming ecosystem health. They will work with farmers and the project team to: manage the plots; collect and archive agronomy and climate data; and undertake preliminary analysis of the data collected. The applicant will be required to travel widely in the project area (Sidamo Coffee Area), throughout the year, at set intervals.