Lead, Science of Scaling & Head, MELIA at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Lead, Science of Scaling & Head, MELIA

Ref No: DDG-R4D/LSS/HMELIA/02/26
Location: Ibadan, Oyo

Description

• The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for the internationally recruited position of Lead Science of Scaling & Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Impact Assessment (MELIA)
• The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation.
• Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food-secure future. Please visit for more information on IITA.
• The successful candidate will provide leadership in institutionalizing the Science of Scaling at IITA, focusing on addressing key research questions related to the scaling of the Institute's innovations. This includes documenting and sharing data and lessons learned on scaling & delivery activities.
• The candidate will also provide strong leadership for establishing and nurturing a strong, integrated, and effective institutional Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (ME&L) framework for IITA.

Position Responsibilities
Science of Scaling (50%):

• Lead the design and development of a Science of Scaling framework (e.g., research questions regarding the effectiveness of different scaling pathways being used) to implement the Science of Scaling across IITA projects and programs in collaboration with the R4D and P4D Directorates.
• Provide strategic leadership in advancing the Science of Scaling aimed at generating evidence and lessons from IITA’s scaling and delivery efforts to inform the co-design and implementation of effective scaling interventions tailored to African agriculture.
• Provide guidance in identifying and assembling key components of the Science of Scaling in collaboration with the R4D and P4D Directorates.
• Identify potential scalable innovations, evaluate their readiness for scaling, and develop strategies for scaling following the Innovation Packages and Scaling Readiness (IPSR) framework of the CGIAR.
• Mainstream the Science of Scaling framework in the overall ME&L activities of projects, programs, and the overall institutional ME&L framework, including processes and tools for verifiable data generation in order to document scaling pathways and resulting outputs and outcomes
• Synthesize the data and lessons learned from implementing the Science of Scaling framework to support the overall IITA KPIs and as input into the P4D strategic plan.
• Develop staff capacity to conduct ME&L to support the science of scaling across hubs, country offices, and programs/projects.
• Lead or contribute to publication of research results in international, peer-reviewed journals (Thompson-indexed journals with impact factor).
• Lead or contribute to the development of research proposals and other fundraising activities.
• Lead a team of scientists conducting both strategic and action research on innovation scaling.

Institutional MELIA (50%):

• Develop an institutional ME&L framework and related infrastructure that supports data collection and analysis across IITA’s programs and projects, with a focus on data related to the Institute’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Lead the alignment of IITA's Institutional KPIs and the CGIAR System Level Strategic Outcomes for overall performance and contributions of IITA to the CGIAR.
• Collaborate with the impact assessment team to streamline methodologies for measuring results and collate/aggregate impact assessment results to provide a broad picture of IITA’s progress toward its KPIs.
• Review progress on achieving institutional objectives and provide IITA Management with information about important lessons learned.
• Coordinate the institute-wide ME&L Community of Practice (ME&L COP) that includes ME&L professionals and focal persons of projects both at HQ and in hubs.
• Represent IITA on the CGIAR ME&L groups, and regional ME&L communities of practice and maintain/develop ME&L-related collaborative relationships with strategic partners on behalf of IITA.
• Prepare, publish, and share communication materials documenting research outcomes and impacts and lessons learned across IITA, CGIAR Programs, and projects.
• Support Program/project teams in the development and implementation of ME&L systems that satisfy institutional and donor standards, which include:
• MEL plans with a clearly-defined results framework (addressing institutional and donor needs) and reflecting causal models.
• Procedures for data collection, collation, analysis, reporting, & use for decision-making.
• Monitoring, documentation, and learning approaches that are integrated, aligned, and mainstreamed into project activities and coordinated with stakeholders.
• Plans for evaluation studies on outcome and impact-level achievements

Requirements
Educational Qualifications:

• The candidate should hold a Ph.D. degree from a reputable university in agricultural innovation systems, agricultural extension, agricultural economics, development economics, or related fields.

Core Competencies:

• At least 10 years of relevant work experience in scaling science, adoption and impact assessment, innovation systems analysis, or broader socioeconomics research.
• Excellent track record of scaling research as demonstrated in scientific publications relevant to the work.
• Experience in developing and implementing institutional and project-level ME&L frameworks.
• Experience in grant proposal writing and resource mobilisation.
• Proven leadership skills and providing guidance to a team of staff across Science Areas.
• Excellent communication skills as evidenced by the capacity to prepare and deliver clear and concise presentations.
• Work experience within multicultural teams and international organizations or companies, and highly knowledgeable of Africa’s social, agricultural, and rural development and economic development issues, questions, and challenges.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, and French will be an advantage.

Application Closing Date
10th March, 2026.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online