Job offer

The OR-ALIM project (Observation and Research on Food) aims to produce quantitative and qualitative data for monitoring, forecasting, and intervention regarding the social, cultural, economic, nutritional, and environmental dimensions of food, with a focus on sustainability and food system governance. This project prefigures the establishment of a support system for transitions. It is led by the IRD in collaboration with researchers from INRAE, CIRAD, and the University of Réunion Island. The project will identify levers and barriers for implementing more sustainable food systems, both in terms of consumption and food production. Within this framework, the study will assess the impact of strategies to improve the school catering food supply in Réunion Island across three dimensions of sustainability: nutritional, environmental, and economic. Based on existing database of menus, we require additional data regarding product costs, geographical origins, and characteristics in relation to the Egalim Act in order to characterize the menus and the food items they contain.

• An attractive mission

The successful candidate will be responsible for designing, organizing, and implementing a data collection protocol, as well as preparing and structuring the data for statistical processing.

Under the supervision of co-scientific coordinator Caroline Méjean and Pascaline Rollet, your activities will include:

• Ensuring data collection for school catering

• Designing and planning the data collection protocol in line with the project objectives

• Ensuring data collection: correspondence, follow-up, monitoring

• Managing the database

• Implementing and optimizing the entry of collected data

• Checking the consistency, quality, and reliability of the collected data
• Writing and updating data-related documentation

• Conducting a review of existing data characterizing the environmental impact of locally produced food through life cycle assessments

• Exploring existing environmental impact indicator data (particularly Agribalyse for French Overseas Territories), their limitations, and the possibilities for matching different information sources

• Identifying missing data (LCA data, technical itineraries) and sources to complete database
• Your future team

You will be joining a team of 7 people, based in Sainte Clotilde. The team consists of the scientific coordinator, a data manager/statistician, a statistical and data production assistant, a research engineer, a web designer/graphic designer, a project manager, and an assistant engineer.

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• The Profile We Are Looking

Profile: Agronomist, Master’s degree in Food Systems, Master’s degree in Agricultural Sciences, Food Science, Environmental Science, or equivalent

You have developed the following skills:

• Data collection and conducting quantitative surveys (in-depth knowledge)
• Database management and descriptive statistics
• Proficiency in collaborative tools (collaborative workspaces, online meeting calendars, mailing lists, etc.)
• Ability to describe technical food production pathways
• Knowledge of environmental assessment through life cycle analysis

You demonstrate the following interpersonal skills:

• Organizational skills
• Strong communication skills, ability to interact with various stakeholders
• Teamwork
• Intellectual curiosity and interest in issues related to food sustainability
• Autonomy and rigor

You hold a Level 7 degree in one of the following fields: agronomy, food systems, agricultural science, food science, or environmental science or equivalent.

The position involves several field missions in Réunion for data collection, with a frequency of 3 to 4 days per week during the survey rollout.

The French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) is a multidisciplinary, internationally recognized public institution under the dual supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The IRD promotes an original approach to research, expertise, training, and knowledge sharing for the benefit of territories and countries that prioritize science and innovation as key drivers of development.

The IRD established its presence in Réunion Island in 1987 with its first program monitoring the marine environment linked to the development of French tuna fishing in the Indian Ocean. The Delegated Representation ensures scientific and institutional representation of the IRD in its geographic zone, engaging with local, national, European, international, and non-state actors. It upholds the principle of equitable partnership and positions the IRD as a leading provider of French research and training in its areas of expertise. The Representation contributes to implementing the IRD’s Strategic Orientation Plan and adapting it to regional and territorial strategies

• The Organization You Will Join.

For this mission, you will be attached to the MoISA Joint Research Unit (UMR), which studies transitions in various agri-food systems worldwide and proposes solutions for desirable transitions, particularly in the Mediterranean Basin, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, and French Overseas Territories. You will be based in Sainte-Clotilde, Réunion Island.