Arbetsbeskrivning

Department of Urban and Rural Development We are looking for a person who is interested in conducting research and teaching within the Division of Rural Development, with expertise in gender equality and social inclusion in agricultural development in East and Southern Africa. About the position The duties included in this position are divided between research and teaching. As a researcher, you will be part of two teams conducting research on gender equality, social inclusion, and rural livelihoods. One project (‘Goat Power’) is investigating on the relationship between intensification of small-scale goat production in Zambia and women’s empowerment in livestock production. The other project (‘Include2Restore’) is investigating the co-creation of socially sustainable rangeland management solutions via innovative knowledge-sharing hubs (‘Livestock Cafes’) in the Karamoja border region of Uganda and Kenya. In your role as a researcher within both projects, you will be responsible for focusing on issues of gender equality and social inclusion and contributing expertise on feminist approaches to rural development. Duties within these projects will include study design, data collection (including extended travel to rural field sites), data analysis, writing of scientific publications, and dissemination of results via conferences and workshops. As a teacher, you will be expected to serve as vice course leader on courses within the Master’s programs in Rural Development and Natural Resource Management, and in Sustainable Development. This includes delivering lectures, grading coursework, and some administrative duties. You are also expected to supervise and examine Master’s student theses. You will also be expected to contribute guest lectures to other courses/programs as needed. In both your research and teaching roles you will be expected to be able to initiate and complete tasks independently while also maintaining good communication and productive collaborations with your colleagues.      Your profile For this researcher position in Rural Development a doctoral degree in a social science discipline, such as rural studies, social and economic geography, gender studies and sociology, and at least 2 years postdoctoral research experience is required. You must have both a solid understanding of theory and methods in critical social sciences (e.g., feminist political ecology and ‘science and technology studies’) as well as some training in and familiarity with agricultural sciences (such as agronomy, animal health, or soil sciences). You must have interdisciplinary training, which should include a proven ability to work well within multidisciplinary projects (experience working alongside experts in veterinary science and rangeland management is especially preferred). Preferably you should also have experience of integrating gender in rural/agricultural development projects, for example having worked as a gender focal point or GESI officer. In addition to collaborating in transdisciplinary projects, a demonstrated ability to work independently is expected. Experience conducting research (including both quantitative and qualitative data collection) in rural areas of East and Southern Africa is required. This must include experience planning study design and recruiting/leading data collection teams (e.g., enumerators and interpreters). Candidates must also have experience implementing and analyzing variations of the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index. In addition to research experience, teaching experience at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level is required (preferably at least 2 years, with training and experience in using active learning approaches). Experience in teaching the following subject areas within rural development is especially advantageous: rurality, livelihoods, gender, and interdisciplinary methods. Prior experience supervising Master’s students and a demonstrated ability to adapt lectures to meet the needs of diverse programs/courses/audiences are also advantageous. In order to fulfill the gender expertise required for this position, you must have experience in at least some of the following areas (preferably several): gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) in program/project planning and monitoring, gender transformative approaches (GTA), participatory methods, social dimensions of sustainability, and training management and experience in capacity building relating to gender/ GESI. You must have excellent writing and communication skills in English. Preferably you should have published scientific papers. About us At the Department of Urban and Rural Development, we conduct undergraduate education, doctoral education, research, and collaboration across five divisions: Agrarian History, Landscape Architecture, Rural Development, Environmental Communication and the Division of Political Science and Natural Resource Management. This division includes Sida's Helpdesk for Environment and Climate Change and the SLU Swedish Biodiversity Centre (CBM). Additionally, we house the SLU Center for Nature Interpretation (CNV). As the largest department within the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) for social sciences, humanities, and design, our focus lies on questions related to the sustainable use of natural resources and landscapes in our research, teaching, and collaborative efforts. The department is comprised of approximately 180 dedicated individuals. For more information about the department or division visit: https://www.slu.se/en/departments/urban-rural-development/ Read more about our benefits and working at SLU by visiting: https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/ Location: Uppsala Form of employment: Indefinite-term employment.   Scope: 100% Start date: January 1st, 2025 Application: Please submit your application before deadline 9 December 2024. You can submit your application by clicking the button below. Union representatives: https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/