Senior Researcher

Vacancy Announcement for Senior Researcher

ForestAction Nepal is accepting applications from qualified candidates for the position of ‘Senior Researcher’. The Senior Researcher will primarily be based in Kathmandu office, and will need to travel to the research sites, when necessary.

Established in 2000, ForestAction is a Nepal-based non-governmental organization focused on research, policy dialogue, capacity building and stakeholder engagement to achieve an economically productive, environmentally sustainable and socially equitable society. Working with the research community/academia, local community, civil society groups and government agencies, ForestAction adopts an interactive approach to policy research and development to build a deliberative and collaborative natural resource/forest policy and practice.

Duties and responsibilities

The Senior Researcher will work as a full-time staff member of the organization and is expected to support/manage research projects pertinent to forestry and natural resources management. The scope of the position is to accomplish good results by providing strategic leadership/team management and professional expertise in research design, analysis and write up, and engagement with stakeholders.

The responsibilities of the Senior Researcher are as follows:

·       Lead the development of research design, data collection protocol, field guides and other related materials and approaches relevant to the research work.

·       Conduct data collection adopting appropriate research methods including participatory approaches, with frequent field visits and working closely with community as well as other stakeholders

·       Lead/support in developing project proposals/concept note

·       Engage in trainings and capacity building events as part of the project deliverables

·       Provide overall guidance/mentoring to the team members to ensure effective execution of research activities

·       Get involved in research-policy interface through engagement with key government agencies, academia, and civil society

·       Coordinate and liaise with project partners and stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of project activities

·       Ensure timely and quality science products, as well as field level, outputs/delivery. That may include both project related deliverables as well as additional outputs like journal articles, blogs, media articles, and policy briefs, among others.

·       Undertake any other task as required by the organization

·       Sound knowledge on research in related fields (forestry, NRM)

·       Sound knowledge and understanding of gender, social inclusion, and climate change related issues

·       Collaborate effectively with the project team and stakeholders

·       Conduct, facilitate workshops and meetings

·       Willing to spend substantive time in the field with frequent travel across the project sites

·       Exhibits cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

·       Good inter-personal skills

·       Clear writing and communication skills (English and Nepali)

·       Treats all people fairly without bias

·       Promotes sharing of knowledge when and wherever needed

·       Passion in deeper understanding and writing

Required skills

Education and experience

·       PhD in forestry, natural resources, or environmental science with five years of experience in the related field, or Masters in Forestry, NRM, or environmental science with at least 10 years of experience in research in the relevant field.

·       A good understanding and experience of application of various research and analysis methods.

·       A good track record of research and peer reviewed publications (preferred)

·       Sound knowledge and understanding of government agencies, community forestry institutions, NGOs/CBOs, and local communities.

·       A good communication and coordination skills with relevant stakeholders, government organizations and within the team.

Language requirement and other skills

·       Strong command in Nepali and English, both writing and speaking

       Skilled in developing and disseminating communication materials in diverse formats in Nepali and English language

       Excellent translation/transcribing skills (Nepali to English, and vice-versa)

       Good knowledge of computer applications such as word, excel, power point

• The duration of the tenure will initially be one year initially with possibility of extension based on performance
• Salary will be as per the rules of the organization

The applicants should include the following:

• Curriculum Vitae with two referees (with their contact address, email, and number)

Interested candidates must submit their updated CV along with a cover letter to
by 20 October 2023. Only shortlisted candidates
will be contacted for interview.

The selection will be solely based on individual's qualification, professional experience and performance of the candidate during the interview. ForestAction reserves the right to accept/reject the applications.