Head – Digital Agriculture

ICRISAT seeks applications from motivated professionals for a global position of Head – Digital Agriculture to lead, coordinate and support landscape management research portfolio under Global Research Program on Resilient Farming Systems (RFS) at ICRISAT.  The Head - Digital Agriculture will provide the vision, technical competence and operational capacity to design and implement a catalytic strategy for digital inclusion and service industrialization at the nexus of  agriculture, finance, and technology. The incumbent will be based at the Headquarters in Hyderabad, Telangana.

ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. Covering 6.5 million square kilometers of land in 55 countries, the semi - arid or dryland tropics has over 2 billion people and 644 million of these are the poorest of the poor. ICRISAT and its partners help empower these disadvantaged populations to overcome poverty, hunger and a degraded environment through better agricultural production systems.

ICRISAT is headquartered at Patancheru near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and eight country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT envisions a prosperous, food-secure and resilient dryland tropics. Its mission is to reduce poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation in the dryland tropics. ICRISAT conducts research on its mandate crops of chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut, sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet in the arid and semi-arid tropics. The Institute focuses its work on the drylands and in protecting the environment. Tropical dryland areas are usually seen as resource-poor and perennially beset by shocks such as drought, thereby trapping dryland communities in poverty and hunger and making them dependent on external aid. Please visit – www.icrisat.org

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Provide strategic, disciplinary leadership for the Digital Agriculture unit, ensuring continuous review and adaptive management of the program’s vision, outcomes, theory of change, and structure to meet defined goals and optimize impact.

• Lead ICRISAT’s science and organizational digital transformation mission—shaping policy and integrating advanced digital technologies (AI, ML, big data, EO, IoT) into programs, systems, and processes in collaboration with Centers/Alliance, business functions, and stakeholders.

• Bridge research and practical applications to advance innovation across food, land, and water systems, ensuring inclusivity and alignment with organizational goals.

• Lead data-driven prioritization exercises with programs, accelerators, and centers to identify the highest-opportunity digital investments.

• Create strategies for sourcing a sustained funding pipeline to support digital transformation across ICRISAT and other Centers.

• Set the strategic direction of System Organization (SO) Digital Transformation, ensuring alignment with organizational vision, mission, and priorities.

• Stay abreast of emerging trends in digital and data and share insights to inform decision-making across centers and partner ecosystems.

• Lead drafting, negotiation, and approval for execution of subgrant agreements with partners; ensure effective grants/contracts management across their lifecycle.

• Facilitate cross-departmental collaboration so that grants and contracts functions effectively support ICRISAT’s portfolio; ensure compliance with Health & Safety policies regionally and within country programs.

B. Engagement & Partnerships

• Drive coordinated science and innovation leadership across the portfolio as an active member of the Research Team to achieve collective impact.

• Develop and oversee a leadership team comprising Area of Work (AoW) Leads, Co-Leads, and Center delegates; foster collaboration, innovation, and shared accountability. Lead the SO Digital Transformation professional team.

• Build networks and with external partners to identify and address digital gaps, enhance efficiency, and scale impactful solutions across programs.

• Advance ICRISAT’s presence globally as a leader in digital transformation for sustainable agrifood systems.

• Mobilize resources and raise funds for prioritized ICRISAT Digital Transformation activities.

C. Delivery & Performance Management

• Develop, monitor, and adaptively manage annual workplans and budgets for Digital Transformation activities; foster integration and alignment with high-level outputs and theory of change.

• Oversee delivery and quality of science outputs; assume accountability for use of funds under the Program and for quality services delivered per agreed workplans and budgets.

• Lead performance and results management of Digital Agriculture, including technical and financial reporting and pause-and-reflect processes.

• Drive prioritized, scalable digital solutions bridging research and practice; promote adoption of cutting-edge technologies aligned with the 2030 Research & Innovation Strategy.

• Utilize Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) frameworks to set performance standards and refine strategies to drive systemic change, ensuring alignment with CGIAR’s digital transformation goals.

D. Digital Development

• Provide guidance and oversight to the digital development unit covering infrastructure, software development, cybersecurity, and user support—integrating AI where applicable.

• Ensure robustness, security, and scalability of systems and platforms, leveraging AI for predictive maintenance and proactive optimization.

• Identify needs and strategies for enabling shared services (e.g., commercial datasets, licensed software) to enhance digital capabilities.

E. Data Science & Analytics

• Lead the Digital Agriculture unit supporting science and operations: collect, manage, analyze, and interpret data; harness AI algorithms for insights and evidence-based decisions.

• Develop a comprehensive data strategy to effectively leverage data assets for AI applications and organizational goals.

• Update and maintain data governance policies ensuring integrity, confidentiality, and ethical use; ensure compliance with F.A.I.R. (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles.

• Collaborate with researchers and stakeholders to identify opportunities, design data-driven experiments, and translate findings into tangible outcomes.

F. Digital Agriculture & Farmer-Centered Innovation

• Scope the digital agriculture-to-extension ecosystem; recommend strategic partnerships in content dissemination and service provision.

• Develop targeted content for smallholder farmers and extension agents using digital tools.

• Design digital agriculture products and services targeting smallholders and extension systems using human-centric design methods.

• Engage government and development partners to establish scale-up pathways for high-potential digital innovations.

• Facilitate human-centric design activities focused on digital farmer services with key stakeholders.

• Establish partnerships with digital agriculture platforms for content hosting and service promotion.

• Conduct farmer needs assessments; design responsive mechanisms and sustainable business models to ensure post-project service continuity.

• Conduct project pilots and impact evaluations for content dissemination and service provision; document activity reports and lessons learned.

• Support concept notes and resource mobilization (grants and private investment) for related activities.

G. Scientific Leadership & Program Integration

• Provide scientific leadership on inclusive risk management for smallholder agriculture and food systems.

• Offer technical guidance on Earth Observation, IoT, AI, value chain and cropping systems models for profitable, sustainable smallholder participation in structured markets.

• Contribute to research programs in Resilient Farming Systems (RFS) across climate information services, nutrient management, agricultural insurance, adaptation and resilience, and systems design and transformation.

• Collaborate across ICRISAT, NARES, development partners, regional organizations, CGIAR Centers, universities, and the private sector; co-manage R&D projects globally.

Qualification:

• PhD degree with experience between 10-15 years in agriculture, agro-ecology, applied remote sensing or similar applied to systems research 

• Experience in the design and implementation of agricultural R&D projects involving the use of digital tools such as crop models, satellite imagery, participatory action research to support decision making across scales.

• Demonstrated track record of successful and innovative fundraising from international donors.

• Solid understanding of development pathways, emerging ICT trends, and the role and challenges of the service marketplace (financial, etc.) in de-risking smallholder production systems.

• Excellent publication record, as evidenced by senior authored research papers in international refereed journals.

• Experience in working with a wide range of stakeholders and interest to work in a transdisciplinary team.

• Excellent proficiency in English; working knowledge of French would be an asset.

General:

This is a contractual position for a period of 36 months. 

How to apply:

The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified. Shortlisting will start from February 2026.  All Applicants should apply with their latest Resume, and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged; however, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

ICRISAT is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing diversity and maintaining a progressive and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or whether they have a disability.