New Job Vacancy - Plant Breeder – Groundnut, Eastern and Southern Africa

The
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) as a member of CGIAR
and pursuing its mission to apply science to sustainably increase crop
production and improve livelihoods, is establishing a breeding program for
groundnut in Eastern and Southern Africa. This program will be designed and
implemented in close association with national programs and other partners.

The
objective of this position is to enable truly collaborative CGIAR-NARS breeding
programs that accelerate the rate of genetic gain and increase the varietal
turnover rate of groundnut in the target region. The scientist will work with
NARS, CGIAR initiatives, such as Excellence in Breeding (EiB), and other
stakeholders to develop modern and effective breeding, and variety deployment
strategies. The successful candidate must be committed to developing and
enabling CGIAR-NARS coordinated breeding networks, which will include other
value chain partners and collaborators. This position will report to the
Breeding Pipeline Modernization Expert.

The
duty post will be Nairobi, Kenya or a mutually agreed location within the
target region.

Specific
duties:

→
Establish and lead the breeding activities for the CGIAR component of the
CGIAR-NARS network.

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Design and implement an effective collaborative breeding strategy to develop
elite breeding material, and a product advancement process to identify
candidate new varieties for targeted market segments and product profiles. o With NARS and selected other partners, identify,
obtain, and develop appropriate germplasm to sustain breeding programs.

o In
association with multidisciplinary network scientist & staff, EiB, and
partners, develop modern population improvement and testing strategies.

o Co-ordinate
the development of a stage-wise multi-environment product performance testing
strategy, data analysis and advancement process, which is aligned with crop
market segments, TPEs or agroecologies.

o Ensure cost
effective breeding operations, and standard operating procedures that deliver
agreed quality and performance indicators.

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Develop strong partnerships with national public breeding programs to
collaboratively identify critical germplasm, product needs and define
complementary breeding objectives.

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Enable and actively support the regional crop network to collaboratively plan
and implement breeding activities that balance the development of individual
and shared network germplasm products, and builds capacity to share knowledge,
best practices, training, etc.

→
Support and contribute to product profile development and seed system
activities in the region.

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Contribute to or lead the development of research proposals and other
fundraising activities.

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Lead or contribute to publication of research results in international,
refereed journals.

Required
qualifications, skills, and attitudes:

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PhD in Plant Breeding/ Genetics/ Quantitative genetics with a minimum of 5
years of public or private sector breeding.

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Experience in applying quantitative genetics principles to breeding.

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Demonstrated successful experience as a groundnut breeder is highly desired.

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Knowledge and experience using genomics and latest breeding technologies is
highly desired.

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Strong networking and facilitating skills, with focus on enabling and
empowering others to succeed.

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Demonstrated ability to work in multicultural and diverse environments.

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Successful experience and commitment to inclusive research design and
implementation.

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Other requirements: o
Fluency in verbal and written English is essential.

o Must be
willing to travel frequently both internationally and domestically.

o Experience of managing staff and budget is
desirable.

→ The selected
candidate must exhibit the following competencies: Problem Solving and Decision
Making, Critical Thinking, Client Orientation, Communication and Team
Leadership.

The position is for an initial
fixed-term of three (3) years, after which further employment is subject to
performance and the continued availability of funds. CIMMYT’s internationally
competitive salary and benefits include housing allowance, car, comprehensive
health and life insurance, assistance for children’s education, paid vacation,
annual home travel airfare, contribution to a retirement plan, and generous
assistance with relocation shipment.

Candidates must apply to to IRS23131_
Plant Breeder - Groundnut, Eastern and Southern Africa

For internal applications, please
follow this link.

For easy reference on how to apply
please review the internal application guide.

Screening and follow up of
applications will begin on Monday, July 24th, 2023. Applications
must include a CV and a cover letter. Incomplete applications will not be taken
into consideration.

For further information on the
selection process, please contact Ariadna Espinosa, at a.espinosa@cgiar.org

Please note that only short-listed
candidates will be contacted.

This position will remain open until
filled.

CIMMYT is an equal opportunity
employer. It fosters a multicultural work environment that values gender
equality, teamwork, and respect for diversity. Women are encouraged to apply.