Director, Digital Transformation Accelerator

Reports to: CGIAR Chief Scientist

Location: The duty station for this position will be in a CGIAR hub located in the Global South, with significant CGIAR operations. While Montpellier is listed as a default system setting, it is not the confirmed location. Potential duty stations include Abidjan, Lima, Cairo, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Mexico City and Colombo.

Grade: SO8 / CG13

Date Published: 23 September 2025

Closing Date for Applications: 15 October 2025 at 16:00 CEST.

About CGIAR

CGIAR has an ambitious agenda to deliver science and innovation and advance the transformation of food, land, and water systems to deliver diverse, healthy, safe, sufficient, and affordable diets, and ensure improved livelihoods and greater social equality. CGIAR operates as a matrix with each Center having its own governance and leadership structure operating alongside the integrated governance and leadership arrangements of CGIAR as a whole. 

This organizational unit operates within the Science and Innovation portfolio, encompassing eight Science Programs, a Scaling for Impact Program and four accelerators. The portfolio is designed to harness CGIAR’s collective capabilities to address the world’s most pressing global challenges. It aims to foster deeper and broader programmatic integration across centers and disciplines, enabling science and innovation at a greater scale with enhanced reach and impact.

About the position

The Digital Transformation Accelerator Director will provide strategic leadership to foster collaboration, align digital innovation with CGIAR’s impact areas, and scale transformative solutions, advancing digital innovation and transformation across CGIAR. The Digital Transformation Accelerator will drive CGIAR’s mission by leveraging advanced digital technologies such as AI, machine learning, and big data to address challenges in food, land, and water systems. It aims to enhance decision-making, strengthen resilience, and promote sustainability through inclusive, scalable, and ethical digital solutions. The role will also lead on developing and implementing CGIAR’s digital strategy ensuring digital transformation delivers value across the whole organization.

Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose

• Provide disciplinary and strategic leadership for the Accelerator, ensuring continuous review and adaptive management of the program’s vision, outcome, theory of change and structure to ensure delivery against defined goals, optimize impact, and ensure relevance and efficiency in support of science delivery.
• Lead CGIAR’s science and organizational digital transformation mission, shape policy and integrate advanced digital technologies into CGIAR programs, systems and processes, in close collaboration with CGIAR Centers/Alliance, CGIAR business functions and other relevant 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 science programs, accelerators and centers to identify the highest opportunity digital investments.
• Create strategies for sourcing a funding pipeline to sustain digital transformation across the CGIAR and individual Centers.
• Lead the strategic direction of the CGIAR System Organization (SO) Digital Transformation, ensuring alignment with the organization's vision, mission and strategic priorities.

Engagement

• Drive coordinated science and innovation leadership across the portfolio to achieve collective impact as an active member of CGIAR’s Global Science team.
• Develop and oversee a leadership team comprising of Area of Work (AoW) Leads and Co-Leads and Center delegates contributing to the Digital Transformation Accelerator, creating an enabling environment for innovation fostering collaboration and shared accountability. Lead a team of Digital Transformation professionals at the SO.
• Develop networks and connections across the CGIAR and external partners to identify and address digital gaps, enhance efficiency, and scale impactful solutions across programs.
• Advance CGIAR’s presence on the global stage as a leader in digital transformation for sustainable agrifood systems.
• Raise funds in support of prioritized CGIAR Digital Transformation activities.

Delivery

• Develop, monitor and adaptively manage annual workplans and budgets for Accelerator and Digital Transformation assigned activites, as well as fostering integration and alignment of relevant other work with the Accelerator’s high-level outputs and theory of change.
• Oversees the delivery and quality of science of assigned activities and outputs and assume overall accountability for the use of such funds for their intended purpose under the Program Accelerator and  the delivery of quality services in line with the agreed work plan and budget.
• Lead performance and results management of the Accelerator, including the development of technical and financial reporting and the implementation of regular pause and reflect processes.
• Drive prioritized scalable digital solutions that bridge research and practical applications, advancing innovation across food, land, and water systems.
• Promote the adoption of high-value, cutting-edge digital technologies in alignment with CGIAR’s 2030 Research and Innovation Strategy.
• Utilize Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) frameworks to develop performance standards and refine strategies, ensuring outcomes drive systemic change and align with CGIAR’s digital transformation goals.

Education and Experience

• Advanced degree (PhD or equivalent) in agricultural, data and digital innovation, information systems, computer science or related aspects of agricultural sciences
• Advanced experience in applying digital solutions to advance science and sustainable development in food systems,  of which at least 5 years  of managerial experience.
• Experience in leading collaborative and interdisciplinary programs that integrate advanced digital technologies, fostering collaboration among multilateral partners to address systemic challenges in food, land and water systems.
• Experience in designing and implementing digital transformation strategies, ensuring supportive digital foundations further leveraging digital innovations like AI, machine learning, and big data to co-create innovative, inclusive, and scalable solutions.
• Track record in delivering scaled and value-adding digital innovation in research and development arenas.
• Experience in resource mobilization and building equitable partnerships
• Experience in managing complex, multi-stakeholder programs to maximize impact and align with strategic priorities.

Key Competences

• Ability to navigate complex systems to align resources, priorities, and strategies.
• Ability to align program goals with CGIAR’s mission to advance digital innovation, inclusivity and sustainability across food, land and water systems.
• Ability to apply systems thinking to integrate digital tools and approaches, fostering collaboration and delivering impactful, scalable interventions across diverse contexts.
• Communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including research partners, donors, policymakers, and private sector stakeholders, to articulate a compelling vision and drive engagement.
• Foster and engage collaboration and consensus, navigating diverse perspectives and influencing decision-making across multidisciplinary teams and multi-stakeholder networks to achieve shared objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate, inspire and develop multidisciplinary teams and manage talent, with a strong commitment to promote diversity, knowledge sharing, and staff development.
• Uphold the highest ethical standards, fostering inclusivity, mutual respect and trust in all interactions.

Languages

• Fluency in English is essential to communicate in writing and speaking.
• Knowledge of a second language is desirable.

The selected staff member will be offered terms and conditions commensurate with the grade of the position, qualifications and experience.

Submitting Your Application

If you face challenges in submitting your application, please email recruitment@cgiar.org with the position title in the subject line.