Position announcement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Center on Food Security and the Environment, Graduate School of Business, and Department of Earth Systems Science, Stanford University
The new Global Development and Poverty (GDP) initiative on Poverty Alleviation through Sustainable Palm Oil Production is hiring a post-doctoral fellow to contribute to the research and coordination of the project, take a leading role in various aspects of field research, and participate in team meetings, publications, and outreach. The successful candidate will advance research and publications within the project related to the post-doc’s personal academic interests, but also facilitate the project by working directly with all team members to ensure integration of project components.
The project focuses on private and public sector strategies for promoting sustainable palm oil, with sustainability defined by environmental, social, and economic objectives. The main goals are: i) to identify operational nodes within the palm oil value chain that can be modified to enhance rural incomes, alleviate poverty, and reduce tropical deforestation; and ii) to build capacity in palm oil producing countries through government, NGO, and private sector partnerships to help ensure a steady transition toward smallholder participation and minimal deforestation. The project will focus on three countries where oil palm is a dominant commercial crop or a rapidly emerging commercial crop: Indonesia, Ghana, and Cameroon.
Required qualifications:
· Completion of a PhD or MBA degree
· Significant field work experience in a developing country, preferably in SE Asia or West Africa
· Demonstrated experience and interest in areas related to economic development, poverty, and environment
· Comfortable in foreign settings and willingness to travel frequently
Other qualifications for consideration:
· Graduate training in one or more of the following areas: development economics, operations management, industrial engineering, value chain analysis, public finance, or other relevant areas of business
· Knowledge of the palm oil sector
· Language skills (Bahasa Indonesian or French preferred)
Applications are due on September 30, 2015.
The starting date will be November 1, 2015, or as soon as possible thereafter. The term of the position is two years, with a possible extension for a third year depending on funding availability and performance.
The appointment will be made at a competitive salary with health and other university benefits specified by Stanford University’s Post-Doctoral Fellow guidelines.
Stanford University is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer, committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce. It welcomes applications from women, members of minority groups, veterans, persons with disabilities, and others who would bring additional dimensions to the university's research and teaching mission.
Interested applicants should send a cover letter and CV to:
Laura Seaman, (lseaman@stanford.edu)
Communications and External Relations Manager
Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University