The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a Post-Doctoral Scientist – Evidence Synthesis to lead and shape high-quality evidence syntheses (evidence gap maps, systematic reviews, meta-analyses) in support of ILRI’s research programmes and global livestock development agenda.

ILRI works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centres dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. www.ilri.org

About the position

The role aims to generate robust, actionable evidence, translate it into compelling outputs for policy, investment and practice, and strengthen ILRI’s capacity in evidence-synthesis methodologies and data-driven decision-making. The position will focus particularly on climate change impacts on livestock and overall agrifood systems. This position will be a part of ILRI’s Livestock, Climate and Environment (LCE) Program.

Key Responsibilities

Research & Evidence Synthesis

  • Design, conduct and oversee evidence syntheses (evidence gap maps, scoping reviews systematic reviews, meta-analyses,) on topics relevant to livestock systems, food systems, climate change, environmental or health impacts.
  • Formulate research questions, develop protocols (e.g., adhering to PRISMA / ROSES/ other industry standards), carry out systematic literature searches, screen and extract data, assess risk of bias and methodological quality, synthesise results and interpret findings for stakeholders.
  • Adapt or develop advanced synthesis methods (e.g., network meta-analysis, mixed methods synthesis, AI-assisted screening, living review frameworks) as relevant to complex interventions in agriculture, livestock/food systems.
  • Contribute to or lead the development of new synthesis tools, workflows or software packages to increase efficiency and rigour of evidence synthesis.

Publication and Dissemination

  • Lead the writing of high-impact journal manuscripts (first or co-first author) from synthesis projects and present findings at international conferences, workshops and stakeholder fora.
  • Develop and disseminate research outputs beyond journals: policy briefs, research briefs, stakeholder summaries, infographics, data-visualisations, webinars.
  • Work with ILRI’s communications, outreach and knowledge-management teams to ensure effective translation of evidence for non-academic audiences.

Collaboration, Project Management & Capacity-Building

  • Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across ILRI’s programmes, and with external academic, policy and development partners.
  • Manage synthesis projects: timelines, budgets, deliverables, data management, quality assurance and reporting.
  • Mentor and train ILRI and CGIAR scientists, junior researchers and staff in evidence-synthesis methodologies, screening tools (e.g., Covidence, Rayyan, EPPI-Reviewer, SysRev, PROSPERO), meta-analysis software (e.g., RevMan, R, STATA), and best practices in systematic reviewing.
  • Substantially contribute to identifying funding opportunities, preparing grant proposals and building partnerships to sustain future evidence-synthesis work.

Professional Development & Strategic Engagement

  • Engage in relevant professional development: workshops, networks, methods training to deepen skills in evidence-synthesis innovation and research translation.
  • Stay abreast of emerging methodologies, technologies (e.g., machine-learning assisted screening, natural-language-processing in reviews) and global trends in evidence synthesis, food systems research and livestock development.
  • Contribute to institutional strategy on evidence-synthesis, data-driven communication and impact-oriented research uptake.

Requirements

  • PhD in economics, epidemiology, public health, social sciences, agriculture, veterinary science, food systems with deep expertise in evidence-synthesis methodology or a related field.
  • Demonstrated prior experience leading or substantially contributing to systematic reviews, meta-analyses (or scoping reviews, evidence gap maps), especially in the development domain (agri-food systems, livestock, public health, gender, environment).
  • Strong publication record (ideally at least two first-author peer-reviewed publications on systematic reviews or meta-analysis) and familiarity with academic publishing processes.
  • Proficiency in statistical analysis software and languages (e.g., R, STATA, SPSS, Python) including systematic review and meta-analysis packages and scripting.
  • Experience with evidence-synthesis workflows and specialised tools (e.g., Covidence, RevMan, Rayyan, SysRev, EPPI-Reviewer). Training or hands-on experience in advanced or emerging methods—such as meta-analysis, network meta-analysis, scoping reviews, or AI-assisted evidence synthesis (e.g., ASReview, RobotAnalyst)—will be an added advantage.
  • Capability to manage and analyse large datasets, documentation of protocols, screening logs, risk of bias assessments and reporting results transparently.
  • Strong skills in visualising and communicating synthesis findings: data-visualisation, forest plots, network graphs, infographic creation.
  • Excellent analytical, critical-thinking, writing and editing skills; comfortable translating technical evidence into narratives for multiple audiences (scientific, policy, practice).
  • Strong interpersonal skills for collaboration, mentoring, negotiation and capacity-building; ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary, multicultural teams.
  • Ability to work with autonomy yet collaboratively, manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines under pressure, and deliver high-quality outputs.
  • Prior experience working in low- and middle-income country contexts, particularly in Africa or Asia.
  • Familiarity with livestock systems, food systems, climate or environmental research.
  • Experience or interest in applying new technologies (machine learning, text-mining) in evidence synthesis.

Terms of Appointment

Post location: The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya

How to Apply

This position is at job level HG 16 and a two (2) year contract, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding. ILRI offers a competitive international salary and benefits package which includes pension, medical insurance, life insurance and allowances for: education, housing, security, relocation, and home leave.

Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, and what they can bring to the job to the Head of People and Culture through our recruitment portal by clicking on "Apply Now" on or before 22 February 2026. The position title and reference number REF: PD/2070/01/26 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.

To find out more about ILRI, visit our websites at http://www.ilri.org/ 

 

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