Assistant Research Officer - Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence)

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center, is seeking a motivated and talented professional to join its headquarters in Battaramulla, Sri Lanka as an Assistant Research Officer – Generative AI.

The Assistant Research Officer – Generative AI will be part of the the “Water Futures Data and Analytics” Research Group and will contribute to the Limpopo River Basin (LRB) Digital Twin project and the development of a “Water Copilot,” an AI-driven interface to enhance water management and stakeholder decision-making.

The incumbent will support research on integrating AI and advanced analytics with environmental datasets for sustainable water management. Responsibilities include developing AI-driven tools, such as chatbots and decision-support systems like the Water Copilot, to extract insights from complex data. The role also focuses on improving the accessibility and inclusivity of digital tools for diverse stakeholders in the LRB and beyond.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Research & Development of Large Language Models (LLMs) for Water Management,

• Support research on how LLMs (e.g., BART, Grok, Microsoft Copilot) can be applied to analyze environmental and water-related datasets.
• Explore innovative uses of LLMs for querying and extracting insights from climate and hydrological data.
• Document key findings, including model performance, integration challenges, and areas for improvement.

Evaluating and Fine-Tuning LLMs,

• Benchmark various LLMs for their effectiveness in answering water / domain-specific questions (e.g., “What’s the rainfall trend near savannahs?”).
• Experiment with techniques such as Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to enhance the quality of AI-generated responses using external datasets.
• Evaluate models for accuracy, scalability, and energy efficiency to inform selection and optimization strategies.

Developing AI-Powered Water Management Tools,

• Assist in building and testing AI-driven chatbots using platforms such as Microsoft Copilot Studio and Azure AI for water management applications.
• Contribute to integrating voice and multilingual support features (e.g., Whisper for local languages) into AI solutions.
• Support the design of interactive dashboards for data visualization to enhance decision-making based on AI insights.

Supporting AI Implementation & User Research,

• Participate in user testing activities to refine AI tools for diverse users, including researchers, policymakers, and farmers.
• Assist in developing case studies to demonstrate the practical impact of AI applications on sustainable water management.

Requirements

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Essential,

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, AI, Environmental Science, or a related field
• At least 01 year of research experience in machine learning, with a focus on generative AI, LLMs, computer vision, or Microsoft Copilot.

Desirable

• Familiarity with cloud platforms (preferably Azure) and vector databases.
• Experience with environmental data analysis is an advantage.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

Essential

• Expertise in Python, PyTorch/TensorFlow, Azure AI tools, and Copilot Studio.
• Knowledge of multimodal AI (e.g., CLIP, LLaVA), RAG, and Vision Transformers.
• Proficiency in leveraging Microsoft Copilot for research tasks (e.g., querying, coding, visualization).
• Strong analytical and scientific writing skills for environmental applications. Ability to collaborate in stakeholder-driven, co-creative workflows.
• Excellent oral and written language skills in English, including effective listening and strong verbal and written communication abilities.

Benefits

This is a nationally recruited position and only Sri Lankan nationals will be considered. IWMI offers a competitive salary and benefits package, inclusive of health insurance, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, and long-term disability coverage. The duration of the contract will initially be for a period of one year with the possibility of extension.

HOW TO APPLY: Apply for the position by following the application instructions at www.iwmi.org/jobs. We will be accepting applications through 24:00 (IST) on April 22, 2025 (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis). Your application must include a CV, cover letter, and three (3) references, which may be contacted if you are shortlisted. Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

IWMI believes that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary working environment. We are consciously creating an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and our commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.