Director Multifunctional Landscapes Science Program

Reports to: CGIAR Chief Scientist

Location: This position will be based in a duty station to be determined in a location with significant CGIAR operations relevant to the Program. Montpellier shown above is a default system setting and not the confirmed duty station.

Grade: SO8 / CG13 (Equivalent to UN D1

Date Published: 24 March 2025

Closing Date for Applications: 15 April 2025 at 16:00 CEST.

About CGIAR

CGIAR is a global research partnership for a foodsecure future. CGIAR science is dedicated to reducing poverty enhancing food and nutrition security and improving natural resources and ecosystem services. Its research is conducted closely with hundreds of partners including national and regional research institutes civil society organizations academia development organizations and the private sector.

About the position

CGIAR has an ambitious mission to deliver science and innovations that advance the transformation of food land and water systems in a climate crisis to reduce poverty and inequity enhance food and nutrition security and improve natural resources and ecosystem services. CGIARs Integrated Partnership operates as a federated group of Centers and the CGIAR System Organization united by common values and principles and committed to achieving synergies that enhance their individual and collective contributions to CGIARs mission.

CGIARs 202530 science and innovation Portfolio encompasses eight Science Programs a Scaling for Impact Program and three Accelerators. The Portfolio is designed to harness CGIARs collective capabilities to address the most pressing global challenges. It aims to foster deeper and broader programmatic integration across Centers and disciplines enabling science and innovation at a greater scale with enhanced reach and impact.

The Multifunctional Landscapes Science Program aims to coidentify codesign and coimplement interventions that harmonize environmental sustainability with human development goals and help develop biodiverse productive resilient and lowemissions land and aquascapes. By leveraging agroecological regenerative and naturepositive solutions the program aims to create biodiverse and resilient landscapes that balance ecological restoration with sustainable development. Collaborative engagement with communities governments and private sector partners ensures equitable and impactful strategies.

The Director Multifunctional Landscapes Science Program provides scientific leadership adaptive management and strategic alignment of the Program and its components as a coherent joint undertaking that spans multiple CGIAR Centers partners and sources of funding.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Designs and implements research and evidencebased strategies to address critical global challenges such as land degradation biodiversity loss climate change and socioeconomic inequities ensuring they are responsive to diverse stakeholder needs and aligned with the CGIARs mission.
• Provides scientific and strategic leadership of the Program ensuring continuous review and adaptive management of the Programs vision theory of change and structure to maximize impact relevance and efficiency.
• Oversees Program aligning activities with CGIARs overarching vision mission and 2030 outcomes including developing and managing work plans and budgets for Program and fostering alignment of relevant of other bilaterally funded projects and programs with the Programs highlevel outcomes and theory of change.
• Leads the Programs Leadership team comprising Area of Work Leads and CoLeads and Center Delegates defining a vision for the program and shared accountability.
• Actively participates in CGIARs Global Science Team driving coordinated science and innovation leadership across the Portfolio to achieve collective impact.
• Guides and directs engagement with global enabling and engagement functions a Program level Independent Advisory Group and CGIARs partnershipwide independent advisory and assurance bodies (i.e. Independent Science for Development Council the Independent Advisory and Evaluation Service the Standing Panel on Impact Assessment and Internal Audit) combining scientific and political acumen.
• Acts as a spokesperson engaging with partners funders and when required CGIARs partnershipwide governing bodies on matters related to the Program including the CGIAR System Council and CGIAR Integrated Partnership Board.
• Drives research for integrated landscape management by building strategic partnerships with global and regional stakeholders including research institutions policymakers private sector actors development agencies and community organizations.
• Directs the delivery quality of science and prioritization of activities and outputs and assumes overall accountability for the use of such funds for their intended purpose under the Program.
• Establishes performance and results management of the Program including the development of technical and financial reporting and the implementation of regular pause and reflect processes.
• Assigns and provides functional oversight of Area of Work Leads and CoLeads and Program Management Unit staff in Centers.
• Consolidates that program outputs are scientifically rigorous actionable and scalable effectively bridging the gap between innovative research and its application in landscapelevel solutions.
• Defines the integration of sciencebased practices into sustainable landscape management enhancing biodiversity ecosystem restoration and climate resilience.
• Expands continuous improvement by implementing advanced monitoring evaluation and learning (MEL) frameworks ensuring alignment with CGIARs impact pathways driving equitable and transformative change.

Education and Experience

• Advanced degree (PhD or equivalent) in Environmental Science Ecology Natural Resource Management Sustainable Development or a related field with a specialization in integrated landscape management or multifunctional landscapes.
• Postdoctoral experience or additional certifications in landscape ecology agroecology or participatory governance frameworks are highly desirable.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing and implementing sciencebased strategies for sustainable landscape management including naturebased solutions biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration.
• Proven track record of leading largescale interdisciplinary programs addressing landscapescale challenges such as land degradation climate adaptation and socioeconomic equity across diverse geographies.
• Familiarity with innovative tools and methodologies such as spatial analysis geographic information systems (GIS) and decisionsupport systems to inform landscapelevel interventions and policy frameworks.
• Extensive experience in resource mobilization building strategic partnerships and overseeing financial and operational management of multistakeholder programs ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and maximizing impact.

Key Competences

• Strategic alignment of Program goals with CGIARs organizational strategies and global priorities ensuring that landscapelevel solutions contribute to the transformation of food land and water systems.
• Strong strategic and adaptive thinking with pragmatism required to design integrated and evidencebased solutions that address complex challenges such as biodiversity loss climate adaptation and socioeconomic inequities.
• Systems thinking to understand interconnected landscapescale challenges to cocreate and scale impactful and sustainable solutions.
• Effective communication with diverse stakeholders including research partners donors policymakers and private sector stakeholders to articulate a compelling vision and drive engagement.
• Fostering collaboration and consensus navigating diverse perspectives and influencing decisionmaking across multidisciplinary teams and multistakeholder networks to achieve shared objectives.
• Exceptional leadership skills with a proven ability to inspire and integrate multidisciplinary teams and manage talent while promoting knowledge sharing staff development and diversity.
• Adherence to the highest ethical standards fostering trust and treating all people with respect.

Languages

Fluency in English essential to communicate in writing and speaking. Knowledge of a second language desirable.

The selected staff member will be offered terms and conditions commensurate with the grade of the position qualifications and experience.

Submitting Your Application

If you face challenges in submitting your application please email with the position title in the subject line.

Please note that shortlisted candidates will be contacted by our partner SRI Executive.