Agricultural Economist, Cloudburst Consulting - Washington DC

Position:  Agricultural Economist in Land Tenure and Property Rights
Location:  Washington DC (with 25% travel to various developing countries.)
Start Date:  February 2013

 

I have been retained by Cloudburst Consulting Group to seek an Agricultural Economist. This is a long-term opportunity under their recently-awarded USAID Strengthening Tenure and Resource Rights (STARR) contract. The Agricultural Economist will be a key staff member for the five-year Evaluation, Research and Communications (ERC) task order under USAID’s STARR program.
The STARR IQC is designed to address resource tenure issues in support of key USAID strategic objectives, including but not limited to, enhanced food security; climate change adaptation and mitigation; conflict prevention and mitigation; economic growth; biodiversity conservation, natural resource management; gender and health. The ERC task order will assist the USAID Land Tenure and Property Rights (LTPR) Division to:
1.      Evaluate ongoing and future projects;
2.      Conduct applied research links between LTPR and key USAID strategic areas including food security, climate change, and health; and
3.      Facilitate outreach and dissemination of the knowledge, best practices and lessons learned produced by evaluation, research and experience from this project, other ongoing projects and future LTPR Division supported activities.

 

Responsibilities

• Conduct ex poste and impact evaluations of USAID LTPR projects
• Lead development and implementation of a research program examining the relationship between land tenure, agricultural productivity, food security, climate adaptation, health and overall economic development
• Develop technical toolkits of best practices based on lessons learned from evaluation and research activities for use in designing, monitoring and evaluating agricultural based land tenure and food security programs
• Develop training modules for USAID staff and implementing partners in the realm of land tenure, agriculture and food security
• Conduct pilot field programs to demonstrate innovative approaches to resolving land tenure constraints to improved agricultural production and food security.

Qualifications:

• Minimum Education: Master’s Degree in agricultural economics or a related field. Ph.D. preferred
• Minimum of 7 years’ of international development experience is required. Experience with long term field positions preferred.
• Experience in the field of land tenure and property rights, with a focus on agriculture, food security and economic growth is required-- Minimum of 5 years preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with evaluation of land tenure and/or food security project impact, including research design and sampling expertise.
• Knowledge of gender issues in agriculture is highly desirable
• Fluent spoken and written English required
• Must be currently eligible to work in the United States and hold necessary authorization.

 

Cloudburst is a small business, located in the Washington DC Metro Area, composed of experienced professionals who provide assistance to federal, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations, both domestically and internationally, for programs that assist socially and economically disadvantaged persons. Their services include research, evaluation, planning, management consulting and technical assistance, communications and performance measurement.  They are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V.


How to Apply:  Please submit CV /resume, and a 3-5 page technical/managerial writing sample to linda.aines@internationalink.net  with name of the position “STARR-ERC Agricultural Economist”in the subject line
Deadline for Application:  November 29, 2012