Research Assistant

Landscape Alliance transforms science into action, unlocking the power of trees, forests and agroforestry landscapes to advance planetary health and human well-being. Landscape Alliance is the operating name of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the International Centre for Research on Agroforestry (ICRAF). CIFOR and ICRAF are independent International Organizations and CGIAR Research Centers.

The main aim of this position is to support the implementation of Clean Cooking and Agroforestry project in Kiambu County.

1. Build and maintain trust-based relationships with community members, local leaders, and project participants.
2. Support community mobilisation and sensitisation around project objectives and activities.
3. Facilitate community meetings, focus group discussions, and participatory workshops, ensuring inclusive participation of women, youth, and marginalised groups.
4. Liaise with local government, extension services, and NGOs to coordinate field activities and build local partnerships.
5. Act as a key point of contact between the project team and field communities, ensuring feedback is captured and reported
6. Coordinate data collection in field sites, including household surveys, interviews, and observational assessments on cooking energy use, dietary practices, and agroforestry.
7. Ensure data quality and adherence to ethical protocols throughout all data collection.
8. Support data entry, cleaning, and basic analysis, and contribute to field reports and research outputs.
9. Maintain accurate and organized field records and documentation.
10. Support the planning and coordination of field activities, including training sessions, demonstration plots, and cooking energy trials.
11. Conduct regular monitoring and recording of indoor air pollutants in selected kitchens across participating households in Kiambu County, specifically measuring Carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, Particulate matter (PM 2.5) levels, Black carbon.
12. Operate, calibrate, maintain and ensure safety of the air quality monitoring equipment and computers as per project protocol.
13. Monitor field activities against workplans and report on progress, challenges, and lessons learned.

1. A bachelor’s degree in forestry, Management of Agroecosystems and Environment (MAE), Environmental science, Natural resource management or a related field.
2. At least 5 years of experience in field-based research or project implementation, preferably in food systems, agroforestry, or energy access contexts
3. Experience in primary data collection using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
4. Familiarity with mobile data collection tools (e.g. KoBoToolbox, ODK)
5. Strong community engagement and facilitation skills
6. Ability to work independently in the field, manage time effectively, and meet deadlines