C4RPWC Program WS5 Lead at ICARDA in United Arab Emirates

Reports to: Technical Lead, C4RPWCLocation: Ajman, UAE

Purpose of the position

The Consortium for Red Palm Weevil Control (C4RPWC) is a multi-institutional international initiative led by ICARDA to develop, test, and scale innovative and sustainable solutions for the management and containment of Red Palm Weevil (RPW). Workstream 5 (WS5) focuses on translating research into action through innovation scaling, adoption pathways, socio-economic and policy research, evidence-based decision support, and stakeholder-centered approaches that accelerate the uptake of RPW management solutions. WS5 has three work packages: WP1-Socioeconomics and Policy, WP2-Citizen science, and WP3-Pathways to scaling.

The WS5 Lead provides scientific, technical, and operational leadership for the planning, implementation, coordination, and delivery of all activities under WS5. The incumbent is responsible for overseeing all work packages within the workstream, ensuring effective partner coordination, stakeholder engagement, technical quality assurance, monitoring and reporting, and the timely delivery of outputs and outcomes.

The WS5 Lead serves as the primary focal point for WS5 across consortium partners and works closely with the Technical Lead, Program Management Unit, national partners, and stakeholders to ensure that workstream activities contribute to the successful adoption, scaling, and sustainability of integrated RPW management solutions in the UAE and participating countries.

About ICARDA

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR.

ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development and capacity development that take into account gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organization, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. For more information: https://www.icarda.org .

Main responsibilities

Workstream Leadership and Coordination

· Provide overall scientific and operational leadership for WS5.

· Lead the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of all Work Packages under WS5.

· Develop annual and quarterly workplans, implementation schedules, milestones, and budgets for WS5 activities.

· Ensure effective coordination among Work Package Leads, consortium partners, and implementing institutions.

· Facilitate regular workstream planning, coordination, and review meetings.

· Ensure timely delivery of outputs, outcomes, and key performance indicators assigned to WS5.

· Represent WS5 in Consortium Management Team meetings and other internal coordination mechanisms.

Technical Leadership

· Provide scientific leadership and technical guidance across all Work Packages within WS5.

· Ensure implementation follows agreed methodologies, protocols, and quality standards.

· Review technical workplans, methodologies, data collection approaches, and reports produced by Work Package teams.

· Promote evidence-based decision-making and adaptive management throughout implementation.

· Ensure integration of WS5 activities with relevant outputs and activities from other workstreams.

· Identify technical risks and develop mitigation strategies to support successful implementation.

Work Package Oversight

· Provide overall scientific, technical, and operational oversight of all Work Packages under WS5.

· Ensure effective planning, coordination, implementation, and reporting across Work Packages 1, 2, and 3.

· Monitor progress against approved workplans, milestones, deliverables, and performance indicators.

· Coordinate Work Package Leads, consortium partners, consultants, and implementing institutions to ensure integrated delivery of activities and outputs.

· Ensure implementation follows approved methodologies, protocols, and quality standards.

· Identify and address technical, operational, and implementation bottlenecks affecting delivery of work package activities.

· Ensure effective integration and knowledge sharing among the three work packages and with relevant activities in other workstreams.

· Oversee data collection, data quality assurance, technical reporting, and documentation of lessons learned and best practices.

· Ensure timely completion of work package outputs and contributions to workstream-level outcomes and Consortium targets.

· Lead the synthesis of results, lessons learned, and recommendations generated across the workstream for reporting, dissemination, and scaling purposes.

Monitoring, Reporting and Knowledge Management

· Track progress against approved workplans, milestones, and performance indicators.

· Prepare technical progress reports, annual reports, and donor reporting inputs related to WS5.

· Maintain workstream documentation, activity records, and knowledge products.

· Support monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes in coordination with the Program Management Unit.

· Contribute to synthesis reports and cross-workstream technical publications.

Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships

· Build and maintain strong relationships with consortium partners, national research institutions, universities, private sector partners, scaling partners, and international organizations.

· Support collaboration with government entities, including the Agricultural Research Center (ARC) Egypt, Desert Research Center (DRC) Egypt, UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), and other relevant regional and national institutions.

· Represent WS5 in technical meetings, workshops, conferences, and stakeholder consultations.

· Facilitate knowledge exchange among participating countries and institutions.

· Promote alignment of WS5 activities with national and regional RPW management priorities.

Capacity Development and Scaling

· Collaborate with ICARDA’s Communications Team to translate technical findings into briefs, infographics, and presentations.

· Ensure scientific outputs are accessible to policy and decision-making audiences.

· Support development of strategic narratives and outreach materials.

Communications and Knowledge Translation

· Work closely with the Communications and Knowledge Management team to disseminate WS5 achievements and results.

· Contribute technical content for policy briefs, factsheets, newsletters, scientific publications, and presentations.

· Support translation of scientific findings into practical recommendations for policymakers, extension services, and farmers.

· Ensure visibility of donor and consortium contributions in accordance with approved communications guidelines.

Resource Mobilization and Strategic Contribution

· Identify opportunities for leveraging and expanding WS5 activities.

· Contribute technical inputs to concept notes, proposals, and resource mobilization efforts.

· Support planning for future phases and scale-up of successful interventions.

· Contribute scientific input to strategic planning discussions within the Consortium.

Education, qualifications, and experience

· A Ph.D. in the agricultural science fields such as entomology, plant protection, Agricultural economics, and pest management; in closely related fields such as public policy or social sciences; or other related fields that directly relate to agricultural science, technology, and innovation.

· 8-10 years of experience and progressive levels of responsibility for projects on topics such as integrated pest management, innovation scaling, or public policy.

· Strong understanding of insect biology, surveillance, monitoring, control technologies, and integrated pest management approaches.

· Experience with innovation scaling strategies and the use of evidence-based frameworks for expanding the reach and impact of agricultural innovations across diverse socio-economic and agroecological systems, with an emphasis on issues such as market integration, policy alignment, and stakeholder empowerment.

· Experience working with government agencies, research institutions, private sector partners, and development organizations.

· Experience in project/program monitoring, evaluation, and learning approaches, as well as impact assessment methods and tools.

· Strong project management, planning, reporting, and coordination skills.

· Demonstrated ability to manage multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

· Written and verbal communication skills in Arabic preferred.

· Demonstrated experience in proposal development and resource mobilization is desirable.

Terms of appointment, salary, and benefits

This is an internationally recruited staff position for which ICARDA offers an attractive compensation package including a competitive salary, medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, five months’ maternity leave, 15 days’ paternity leave. The successful candidate will be offered an initial contract of 2 years, renewable subject to continued need for the position, availability of funds and satisfactory performance. The first year will be probationary period.

Please be advised that ICARDA accepts applications only in English, as per the organization's standard communication language. Applications in other languages will not be considered.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.