Livelihoods & Institutions

Location:      Medway campus
Salary:      £33,199 to £38,460
Contract Type:      Permanent
Closing Date:      Wednesday 25 September 2019
Interview Date:      To be confirmed

Do you have what it takes to make an impact on global food and nutrition security? We are looking for exceptional candidates to help drive forward our work to improve the lives of poor people.

The Natural Resources Institute (NRI – https://www.nri.org/) of the University of Greenwich carries out specialised research, teaching, training and consultancy with a focus on food, agriculture, environment and sustainable livelihoods.

NRI is currently expanding its interdisciplinary research excellence to address food and nutrition security, especially in Africa. This expansion is funded by UKRI’s Research England under the ‘Expanding Excellence in England’ scheme. Elements of this new investment include new staff, PhD studentships, infrastructure and partnerships (see www.nri.org/FanSI). Investment will be across four specific areas:

Climate Change, Agriculture and Natural Resources

Sustainable Agricultural Intensification

Food Loss and Waste

Food Systems for Improved Nutrition

NRI’s work is globally respected and has won many awards including a recent Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education. The Institute is located at the University’s vibrant Medway Campus in Chatham Maritime, Kent.

Candidates for this role are expected to enhance NRI’s capacity for researching gender and diversity in food systems and agricultural value chains, especially in Africa. The post-holder may have a main disciplinary background and a PhD in gender studies, development studies, economics, nutrition or other social science discipline, but will be interdisciplinary in orientation and international in outlook and experience. Candidates should have an in-depth understanding of the role of social norms and of women’s status and agency in rural development including e.g.in nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions, in relation to climate and natural resource management, resilience, post-conflict situations, sustainable intensification, resource use optimisation (Food Loss & Waste) and/or women’s representation. Experience in conducting mixed-method research and primary data collection combining standard with innovative (e.g. ICT type) tools will be expected. Knowledge of different gender frameworks and their application in gender transformative, and nutrition-sensitive interventions will be an advantage.

The purpose of this role is mainly to conduct high quality research, but may also contribute to teaching on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes (maximum 10%). The person appointed will be expected to have a credible research and publication record and to engage in research and professional practice across the subject area and contribute to the research profile of the Natural Resources Institute. The role is expected to contribute across the Programme portfolio of the Institute (https://www.nri.org/development-programmes/) and to the Development Studies Research Group (https://www.nri.org/research/development-studies/background).

For informal enquiries, please contact the Director of Programme Development (Professor Adrienne Martin (A.M.Martin@gre.ac.uk) or Head of Department (Professor Vegard Iversen (Vegard.Iversen@gre.ac.uk)).

We aim to be an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.