Consultant as Agriculture Specialist

Program Overview

Launched in early 2014, WRI Indonesia builds on WRI’s 10-year history in the country and strengthens our impact on the ground. In the short-to-medium term, WRI Indonesia aims to expand its presence and portfolio to include projects in the climate, energy, as well as city and transportation programs. WRI’s current Indonesia portfolio consists of projects housed within the climate, energy, forests, cities, and ocean programs which clustered into works on 1) Food, Land, and Water ; and 2) Climate, Energy, Cities and the Ocean.

Food, Land, and Water (FLW) within the World Resources Institute (WRI) work to contribute in reversing and halting tropical forest loss to achieve net sink emission from Agriculture, Forestry, and other Land Use (AFOLU) Sector by 2030, while maintaining steady growth of local economy, improving livelihood for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, catalyzing high-quality NbS projects, mainstreaming sustainable food, and promoting prudent use of water and effective control of its consumption supported by NbS-related water bonds.

To effectively safeguard the remaining forest and peatland, WRI Indonesia champions the use of technology solutions such as our cutting-edge Global Forest Watch platform to strengthen forest monitoring through publicly-accessible and actionable forest data and insights. We also focuses on supporting the combat against illegal logging and other forest-related crimes through research and policy advocacy that aims to improve accountability of land use and forest-related data, and strengthen the use of existing legal framework to enforce laws on forest protection.

Job Highlight

The Agriculture Specialist will provide technical support to agricultural commodities, such as rice and other local commodities relevant with the area of interest. Specifically, the Agriculture Specialist will support the monitoring of permanent agricultural land designated for rice cultivation—areas that are legally protected from conversion to non-agricultural uses—to help safeguard long-term national food security. The Specialist will provide agronomic insights on rice cultivation cycles and other relevant aspects of rice production, including crop management and field practices.

Key responsibilities include conducting robust desktop research, field assessments, and carrying out both quantitative and qualitative data analyses to support the development of monitoring tools for these protected areas, and what food and energy crops might be suitable biophysically, culturally, and economically for the degraded lands Additionally, this position will also conduct policy analysis and recommendations to support national food and energy sovereignty programs.

The Agriculture Specialist will report to the Research Lead for Peatland Monitoring and coordinate closely with the Peat and Forest Monitoring Senior Manager, as well as other relevant teams across programs—particularly the Sustainable Food System (SFS) and Papua Regional team. This position is based in Jakarta, with flexible office-work arrangement and travel requirements as needed. In alignment with WRI’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), the specialist is expected to actively contribute to collaborative efforts by integrating equity considerations into their work, the workplace, and the organization’s culture

What You Will Do

Research (60%)

• Collaborate with the Peat and Forest Monitoring sub-cluster team to conduct desktop studies on permanent agricultural land designated for rice cultivation, including cultivation cycles and other relevant agronomic or policy issues.
• Conduct analysis on suitable food crops based on biophysical, socio-cultural, and economic aspects to support national food and sovereignty program.
• Conduct secondary data collection related to the mentioned issues, including designated agricultural land area (both based on regulation and remaining actual area), regulatory frameworks, and other relevant data.
• Review and synthesize existing literature, research studies, and news articles concerning the protection and management of permanent agricultural land designated for rice cultivation.
• Review existing and/or potential tools to monitor permanent agricultural land designated for rice cultivation, including remote sensing, databases, and policy instruments.

Publications (30%)

• Contribute to the development of concept notes or technical documents related to monitoring tools for permanent agricultural land designated for rice cultivation.
• Produce communication products—such as blog posts, articles—on the above and other agriculture-related issues, in coordination with the line manager and the communications team.

Coordination (10%)

• Support coordination with relevant partners to develop monitoring tools for permanent agricultural land designated for rice cultivation—primarily with the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN – Kementerian Agraria dan Tata Ruang/Badan Pertanahan Nasional).
• Provide support for coordination, group discussion, and workshops with local experts who may contribute to analysis and policy recommendations.

What You Will Need

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, agronomy, environmental science, or a related field. (Master’s degree is preferred)
• Minimum 5 (five) years of professional experience in agriculture commodities system, and/or cultivation systems and agricultural monitoring.
• Strong understanding of rice cultivation system, crop suitability analysis, and biophysical and socio-economic drivers of agricultural practices. Having knowledge in local food crops is an asset. 
• Ability to support discrete element of research project with limited manager guidance e.g. systematically reviewing, analyzing and synthesizing existing literature; collecting, cleaning, organizing, and visualizing data.
• Strong writing abilities, capable of producing publications (such as journals and policy briefs) and assisting in the creation of reports and communication materials for external distribution (e.g., the science community, policymakers) in both English and Indonesian.
• Strong skills in data analysis (both quantitative and qualitative) relevant to agriculture commodities
• Experience in analyzing national agricultural policies or spatial regulation in Indonesia
• Familiarity with land monitoring tools, including GIS, remote sensing, etc.
• Ability to communicate research approach and findings effectively to technical audiences, using compelling presentation skills.
• Strong team player with the ability to work across institutional departments and programs.
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and highly organized, with the ability to manage competing priorities and work under tight deadlines.
• Willingness and ability to travel to remote areas across Indonesia.
• Legally able to work in Indonesia.

Deliverables

1. Concept notes or technical documents proposing the development of monitoring tools for permanent rice cultivation areas are prepared and delivered in a timely and satisfactory manner
2. Relevant data and references related to permanent agricultural land designated for rice cultivation are collected, compiled, and provided in a timely and satisfactory manner
3. A summary report on desktop study findings, including rice cultivation cycles and relevant agronomic and policy insights, is developed and submitted in a timely and satisfactory manner.
4. A technical brief assessing existing and/or potential monitoring tools (e.g., remote sensing platforms, spatial databases, policy instruments) is completed and delivered.
5. At least one communication product (e.g., blog post) highlighting key findings or relevant agriculture-related issues is developed and delivered in a timely and satisfactory manner, in coordination with the communications team and in line with WRI’s publication standards.

Duration

1 August 2025 – 31 January 2026

Terms of Payment

Daily rate consultant with a maximum of 60 (sixty) working days for the whole contract period or 10 (ten) working days per month on average.

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Contract Arrangement

Individual consultancy contract (Part-time, limited term)

What we offer

• Consultant rate that is commensurate with experience and skills
• Travel insurance for both domestic and international for any travel duty as assigned by WRI Indonesia
• Access to the WRI global network
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work

Must have authorization to work in Indonesia to be eligible for this position.

Final candidates might be required to take a writing test and to produce two writing samples when needed.

How to apply: In order to be formally considered, please submit an updated resume and cover letter through WRI career portal . 

Application close: 1700 (DKI Jakarta local time), 23 July 2024. We will close the advert earlier when the best candidates are identified at earlier dates. 

This is a locally engaged position; Indonesian nationals are encouraged to apply.

About Us

Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.  

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Impact, Integrity, Independence, Partnership, and Care 

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, we embrace all diversity and encourage women, gender diverse communities, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

WRI Indonesia is national entity (Yayasan) associated with the World Resources Institute (WRI), a global environmental research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. WRI work with various stakeholders in the natural resources sector to support policy and management that are both profitable and sustainable. WRI work with leaders in more than 50 countries for more than 30 years, with offices in Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States.

Launched in early 2014, WRI Indonesia builds on WRI’s 10-year history in the country, and strengthens our impact on the ground. In the short-to-medium term, WRI Indonesia aims to expand its presence and portfolio to include projects in the climate, energy, as well as city and transportation programs.