POSITION OVERVIEW
Reporting To: Country Director, Turkana Basin Institute
Position Location: Kenya: Nairobi Support Office & Turkana Basin Institute Turkwel and Ileret Campuses
Direct Reports: Research Support & Compliance Officer, Collections Manager and Curators
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Chief Scientific Officer (CSO)provides leadership and supports the development and implementation of a strategic vision for all the scientific aspects of the Turkana Basin Institute (TBI) in Kenya. The CSO will provide oversight, leadership and support for scientific staff and science partners, collections and stakeholders who work with the Turkana Basin Institute primarily in Kenya and regionally.
The CSO will lead a small team based both in the Nairobi Support Office and at the Turkwel and Ileret Campuses that provide day-to-day liaison with scientists, collections management and engage directly with visiting scientists, fellows, principal investigators and graduate students. This role will work closely with the international and Kenyan leadership of the institute in implementing programs, providing support to scientists and scholars, develop and steward scientific relationships and support advocacy around TBI’s science with government and other key stakeholders.
The CSO will guide, lead and oversee all TBI’s scientific functions in Kenya, including research grants and projects, as well as the development of new initiatives and collaborations. This position will support and connect with fundamental research into questions around human origins and evolution, and broadly across the paleo-sciences and other disciplines that intersect with the fields of evolution and ecology.
This is a new position for the Turkana Basin Institute, and as such there will be opportunities for the CSO to guide, grow and shape the role in both the current disciplines that are the core function of research and scholarship as well as new scientific frontiers that connect human evolution with sustainability, climate, health and livelihoods in Africa.
Specific Duties of the Chief Scientific Officer
1. Science Leadership and Scientific Strategic Development
• Lead the development of a comprehensive programmes strategy in consultation with the TBI Stony Brook and Kenya leadership in proactively generating, identifying and pursuing opportunities in priority areas for TBI’s scientific mission.
• Create and implement best practice vision, strategy, policies, processes and procedures to support scientists and scholars who make use of TBI’s campuses, facilities and resources.
• Engage with scientists on scientific and technological advances, oversight research and analysis across the core disciplines at TBI and in news areas of scholarship as they develop.
• Support regular communication around science at TBI with key partners/stakeholders.
2. Partnerships and Collaboration, Grant, Collections and Project Oversight
• Lead and proactively develop and support both existing and new partnerships, projects and grants at TBI through building beneficial relationships with the institute’s scientific partners and stakeholders.
• Support and engage with the Country Director and Kenyan leadership to build and diversify the science, science support and funding, including identifying new areas for science and research funding and resource mobilisation.
• Actively build networks with a range of scientists and scholars at all levels in Kenya, regionally and internationally and help identify new partners or collaborations in consultation with the Country Director and executive leadership in Kenya.
• Steward, deepen and ensure that existing relationships with science teams, projects and key national partners, including the National Museums of Kenya, are maintained.
• Represent TBI ably and articulately in scientific forums, both locally and internationally and through specific, bespoke visits to key institutional partnerships, conferences and scientific meetings/gatherings.
• Oversee the stewardship and collections management in liaison with the collections staff and NMK. Develop and implement best practices around collections management and access, including databasing and access protocols.
3. Science Team Leadership and Management
• The CSO will lead the core science team in providing support, guidance and implementation of key science parameters for all TBI scientists and scholars in Kenya and regionally as new scientific partnerships develop.
• Actively supervise and ensure implementation of programs, activities, planning and performance around research and research support for scientists.
• Build and engage in collaborations with the range of TBI Stakeholders to ensure that science and research are supported across the organisation.
• Provide day-to-day scientific management and leadership for the core team in compliance, collections management and field research staff to ensure productivity, staff training and development and performance management/reviews.
• Serve as a first point for technical advice and liaison to the team and to the executive leadership in Kenya, and actively build and maintain networks to improve aspects of TBI’s scientific performance.
• Provide regular support, team-building and motivation through training, discussion of science and discoveries for the research teams on the campuses and in Nairobi.
• Support the Country Director in compiling and communication around science to the TBI.
• Kenya Board, national stakeholders including the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) and the National Museums of Kenya (NMK), as well as other international partners where relevant.
• Work closely with the leadership team in Kenya to ensure development and implementation of standards and policies on risk management related to research across TBI science activities and partnerships.
ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
The Chief Scientific Officer will be a driven, talented and highly motivated person who has the following skills and qualifications:
• A Doctoral-level degree, such as a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or equivalent in relevant scientific areas including palaeontology, human evolution, geosciences, evolutionary biology.
• Experience of working directly in research, research management and public or private sector research, including managing grants and projects with international donors.
• A robust track record of research and scientific scholarship including in authoring and co-authoring of publications, serving as reviewer and grant writing.
• Clear knowledge of scientific programme development and implementation, training and field-based research experience.
• Experience in leading, managing and supervising complex teams, fieldwork in remote areas and working directly with students and scientists.
• Ability to work with a range of cultures, in a multi-cultural setting and across timezones.
• Experience in training and building capacity for researchers and students, especially in the African region.
• Proven ability to work with a senior leadership team and manage communications, budgets and performance with mobile, distributed teams and partners.
• Experience in building relationships in the sciences, including with international and regional partners, and a broad range of stakeholders.
• Knowledge of scientific methods, relevant statistics, analytical and computational skills.
• Understanding and sensitivity to developing research and science in remote settings, especially in collaboration with local communities and national partners.
Interested and qualified candidates should send their application with a copy of their CV to [email protected] before 15th December 2024.
All applications must be sent through the above email address. Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
