The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) is a non-profit, autonomous international agricultural research center with headquarters in Taiwan and five regional offices around the globe. WorldVeg conducts research and development programs that contribute to realize the potential of vegetables for healthier lives and more resilient livelihoods. For more information, please visit the website: worldveg.org
WorldVeg seeks to employ a Scientist – Food Systems to strengthen the ability of the Center to provide evidence-based solutions for making vegetables more available, affordable, accessible, and desirable in lower-income countries. This role will focus on leading research on how food systems enable or constrain the consumption of vegetables as part of a healthy diet, and the design, piloting and evaluation of food system interventions, including policy interventions, promoting the role of vegetables.
The incumbent will be based at the WorldVeg's regional office for East and Southeast Asia located at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand. The position has a global mandate and will contribute to projects across Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. The position reports to the Flagship Program Leader – Healthy Diets.
Key job responsibilities:
- Design and implement qualitative and quantitative studies analyzing food systems and consumer behavior for vegetable-rich healthy diets in low- and middle-income countries and publish findings in peer-reviewed journals.
- Design, pilot, and evaluate food system interventions aimed at making vegetables more available, accessible, affordable, and accessible to consumers.
- Conduct systematic reviews of the evidence for food system interventions targeting vegetables.
- Conduct research on how food system policies and food system shocks affect the role of vegetables in people's diets, also considering equity issues.
- Participate in international conferences and other fora to share WorldVeg research and raise the profile of vegetables (and fruit) among policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders.
- Create strong partnerships with local and international research organizations and global research initiatives while promoting the role of vegetables in these.
- Contribute to project management and global fundraising efforts.
- Provide guidance to colleagues and partners on issues of healthy diets, food systems and food environments, and consumer behavior.
- Perform any other duties as required by the needs of the Center.
The Person: Candidates must have a PhD degree in Food Systems, Public Health Nutrition, Food Science & Nutrition, Development Studies, Social Science, or a related discipline with a strong focus on applied behavioral research and thorough knowledge of nutrition and health. The candidate should have demonstrated experience and interest, including academic publications, in mixed-methods research on food system issues with relation to healthy diets, ideally with at least five years of postdoctoral experience. She/he should demonstrate understanding of and engagement in regional or global discourse on food systems research, policy or practice. She/he must have strong communication skills in spoken and written English; other languages may be an advantage. The candidate must be able to work with multidisciplinary teams in a multicultural and multinational environment and be willing to travel extensively.
The Reward: This is an Internationally Recruited Staff (IRS) position with competitive pay and benefits. The initial appointment is for three years. The position will be available on 1 January 2024 or sooner, but the exact starting date is negotiable.
The candidate we hire will embody WorldVeg's Core Values
● Dedication to Innovation and Knowledge Sharing: Supports the conduct of world-class science, respects ethical standards, and is committed to sharing results in a transparent manner.
● Commitment to Impact: Aspires to achieve positive, tangible, and lasting impact contributing to Sustainable Development Goals.
● Commitment to Partnerships: Believes in the value of partnerships to advance research for development.
● Respect for People: Respect the diversity of gender, culture, ethnic origin, religion, age, beliefs, and views.
● Respect for the Environment- Strives to minimize its environmental impact and to introduce greener technology and practices.
How to Apply: Applicants should submit 1) a letter of application explaining their suitability for and interest in the position, 2) a curriculum vitae including publications, 3) names and addresses (including telephone and e-mail) of three referees, and 4) date of availability, to human.resources@worldveg.org before 15 September 2023. Please mention the position title in the subject line.