Are you a development economist passionate about climate adaptation and food security in sub-Saharan Africa? This post-doctoral position offers a rare opportunity to contribute to an ambitious, policy-relevant research program at the frontier of agricultural development and environmental sustainability.
Rainwater harvesting (RWH) techniques can reverse land degradation, improve soil quality, and increase incomes for smallholder farmers in the Sahel — yet adoption on private land remains below 10% in many countries, such as Niger. Our consortium has spent a decade uncovering why. Building on a randomized control trial between 2018 and 2022 showing that a single half-day training dramatically increased adoption (Aker and Jack 2025), this project now seeks to scale those insights across other regions of Niger, as well as pilot interventions in Mali and Nigeria.
Based at WUR and embedded in an international, inter-disciplinary consortium — spanning economists, soil scientists, agronomists, remote sensing specialists, and Sahelian research partners — this post-doc position will help to lead the cross-cutting work package that co-develops, implements, analyses, and communicates findings from pilots and RCTs across three countries. This position will work closely with PIs Jenny Aker and Erwin Bulte, ICRISAT, the University of Diffa, Sahel Consulting Group, and the Niger Ministry of Environment.
This position will involve a significant amount of travel within West Africa, and will be responsible for helping to organize stakeholder workshops, co-develop and implement pilots, co-organize data collection, assist with analysis and contribute to policy. The position suits a researcher who combines rigorous quantitative skills, especially in the area of randomized control trials, with experience with complex development challenges.
Your duties and responsibilities include:
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Coordination across consortium and work packages Serve as the day-to-day research coordinator across work packages, liaising with consortium partners at WUR, ICRISAT, the University of Diffa, Sahel Consulting Group, and the Ministry of Environment. Support the project management structure led by PIs Aker and Bulte, including preparation of progress reports, meeting documentation, and monitoring and evaluation against the project's impact pathway indicators.
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Quantitative data management and impact evaluation support Design and oversee data management protocols for large-scale survey datasets collected across ±600 villages and up to 10,000 households in Niger. Contribute to the analysis of RCT results, including estimation of treatment effects on RWH adoption, soil quality, agricultural production, and farmer revenues, disaggregated by gender and agro-ecological zone.
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Cross-country synthesis and comparative analysis Systematically compile and analyze results from pilot interventions and RCTs conducted across Niger and feasibility studies in Mali and Nigeria. Produce comparative analyses that identify what works, for whom, and under what conditions, drawing on survey data, earth observation outputs, and qualitative inquiry from all consortium partners.
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Mentorship and capacity strengthening Contribute to the supervision and mentoring of PhD and MSc students affiliated with the project at WUR and the University of Diffa. Participate in capacity-building workshops for local stakeholders — including training in the Eight Question Method (8QM) and impact evaluation methods — helping to strengthen research design and policy evaluation skills among government partners and local research staff.
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Research dissemination and knowledge translation Prepare peer-reviewed publications, policy briefs, and working papers synthesizing project findings for academic and practitioner audiences. Present results at dissemination workshops with governments, NGOs, and communities in Niger, Mali, and Nigeria, and contribute to the project's strategic communications to ensure evidence reaches and influences relevant policymakers and scaling actors.
The team is comprised of PIs Jenny C. Aker (Cornell) and Erwin Bulte (WUR), researchers at the University of Diffa (Malam Assane Maigari), ICRISAT (Kidia Gelaye and Bouba Traore) and the Sahel Consulting Group (Adamou Hamadou and Mounkaila Kindo Boubacar), as well as partner staff at the Ministry of Environment and other NGO stakeholders. The position will be based in Wageningen, the Netherlands, with frequent travel to Niger, Mali and Nigeria.
This position will be based at the Development Economics Group at Wageningen University and Research (WUR).
This position is part of the Academic Career Framework (ACF) at Wageningen University & Research.
This position requires someone who is able to work well in multidisciplinary teams, and is able to multitask across multistakeholder meetings, project development and rigorous econometric research, such as randomized control trials (RCTs).
You also possess:
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a PhD in economics or agricultural economics;
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work experience in Sub-Saharan Africa, preferably West Africa;
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excellent spoken and written command of French as well as English.
This position requires a language level C1 in both French and English.
Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:
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sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
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working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
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there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
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a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
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excellent pension scheme.
In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.546,- and € 5.538,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended on good performance, for the duration of the project (34 months).
We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help.
You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment.
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.
Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.
For more information about the position, please contact Jenny Aker, Project PI, via email: [email protected] or [email protected] .
Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Noorien Abbas, Corporate Recruiter, via [email protected] .
Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.
You can apply up to and including 25 July 2026. The first interviews are scheduled in August 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before 4 July 2026.
Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure
Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.
Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!
We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.
