Jobs
New Jobs at The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), August 27th 2016
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding
solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Its award-winning
research-for-development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs
of tropical countries. IITA works
with partners to enhance crop quality
and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate
wealth from agriculture. IITA is a non-profit organization founded in
1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA works on the
following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and
maize. It is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research
partnership for a food secure future.
IITA is recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Research Supervisor (Cassava Seed Health)
Ref No: IITA-HR-NRS2016-041
Location: Ibadan, Oyo
Recruitment Type: National (2-year renewable contract)
Responsibilities
Successful candidate will among other things perform the following duties:
- Assist in the inspection surveys for cassava pest and disease
incidence in the seed multiplication plots in the fields and under
screenhouse conditions;
- Assist in collection of samples for health assessment and indexing;
- Assist in testing of field grown and in vitro cassava for
pathogens (mainly viruses and bacteria) using ELISA, PCR, LAMP and other
diagnostic methods;
- Assist in the selection of healthy planting material for propagation;
- Involves in organizing and monitoring of cassava seed degeneration trial;
- Assist in providing technical backstopping to seed quality inspections;
- Assist in collection and analyzing of field and laboratory data including preparation of quality technical reports.
Qualifications
- BSc/HND in Plant Science, Crop production, Agricultural
Extension, Biochemistry, Breeding/Agronomy, or related disciplines with 2
years’ experience performing similar role.
Competencies
The ideal candidate must have:
- Very good knowledge on plant pathology; theory and application
of diagnostic methods (such as ELISA and PCR); vegetative propagation of
crops; concepts of plant disease control; production of healthy
planting material; and seed quality certification.
- Demonstrable supervisory experience (lab/field).
- Working experience (desired) on application of ELISA and
PCR-based methods / propagation of clonally propagated crops (such as
cassava) / conducting field surveys / managing experiments in the
screenhouse or fields/indexing and seed quality testing.
- Passion and commitment for academic excellence.
- Computer literacy, data organization and analysis skills
- Good capability and readiness to travel independently within Nigeria, and work in the fields.
- Good coping skills heavy intermittent workloads extending beyond office hours and during weekends
- Ability to learn new skills, quickly adapt and apply new methods.
- Ability to interpret data and prepare good technical reports.
- Very good interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to work harmoniously in an interdisciplinary team with an international and intercultural background.
Job Title: Research Supervisor (Seed Multiplication)
Ref.: IITA-HR-NRS2016-041
Location: Ibadan, Oyo
Responsibilities
Successful candidate will among other things perform the following duties:
- Assist in multiplication of virus-free cassava planting material using several different rapid multiplication methods;
- Assist in testing of treatments to improve multiplication rate
and reduce cost of rapid multiplication systems in the laboratory and
field;
- Assist in planting, maintenance, data collection, harvesting and
post-harvest handling of roots and stems from variety trials on-station
and on-farm;
- Assist with stem sales of pre-basic seed include keeping records
of sales and facilitating payment and deposit of revenue from stem
sales;
- Participate in training of technicians and partners on methods of cassava stem multiplication;
- Assist in supervising subordinate staff on field, laboratory and screenhouse activities;
- Assist in providing technical backstopping to cassava seed multipliers,
- Assist in collection and analyses of field and lab data including preparation of quality technical reports;
- Perform any other duty as may be assigned by the supervisor.
Qualifications
- HND/B.Sc Degree in Plant Breeding, Crop Production, Agricultural
Extension, Plant Science, Biochemistry, or related disciplines with 2
years’ experience performing similar role.
Competencies
The ideal candidate must have:
- Very good knowledge of plant breeding and seed production of vegetative propagated crops
- Demonstrable supervisory experience (lab/field).
- At least three years of experience in a similar position with
experience in propagation of clonally propagated crops (such as
cassava), conducting field trials, working in the laboratory and
screenhouse settings, managing experiments including data collection and
analysis.
- Passion and commitment for academic excellence.
- Computer literacy, data organization and analysis skills
- Good capability and readiness to travel independently within Nigeria, and work in the fields.
- Good coping skills with heavy workloads extending beyond office hours and during weekends
- Ability to learn new skills, quickly adapt and apply new methods.
- Ability to interpret data and prepare good technical reports.
- Very good interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to work harmoniously in an interdisciplinary team with an international and intercultural background.
Job Title: International Trials Manager II
Ref No: IITA-HR-NRS2016-041
Location: Ibadan, Oyo
Recruitment Type: National (2-year renewable contract)
Responsibilities
Successful candidate will among other things perform the following duties:
- Serve as a manager for the support of project building and sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed Systems in Nigeria (BASICS);
- Contribute in designing, planning and implementing of project
activities for the breeders seed and quality seed components including
multiplication of pre-basic seed, design and running on-station and
on-farm demand create trials as well as on-station experiments to
demonstrate the benefits of using clean cassava stems;
- Contribute to the development, data collection, curation and
analysis of all data of IITA’s involvement in the BASCIS project
including multiplication production, inventory and cost information,
certification and stem sales records, and experiments to improve
multiplication methods;
- Assist with publishing research output in peer-reviewed international journal articles;
- Implement the SAH rapid multiplication system for cassava in
Nigeria at IITA and backstop its implementation with other partners
including NRCRI and a private processor;
- Implement and ensure quality seed production and seed
certification for cassava with national partners including associated
record keeping;
- Track seed flows in all stages of multiplication from pre-basic, basic and commercial seed stages;
- Organize commercial stem transactions at all stages including pricing, payment and accounting of transactions;
- Contribute to project monitoring and evaluation;
- Provide technical support to National Agricultural Research and
Extension System and commercial seed producers the regions of project
operations;
- Contribute in the development and dissemination of training
documents (flyers, newsletters, posters, training and extension manual
etc.);
- Liaise between other projects with similar objectives to ensure the coordination of related activities;
- Facilitate hosting of RTB staff at IITA;
- Perform other duties as needed and requested by the supervisor.
Qualifications
- M.Sc. in Agronomy, Plant Breeding, Crop Production or related
discipline. Minimum of 12 years relevant experience performing similar
role. Agricultural economics or agric business management experience
will be an added advantage.
Competencies
The ideal candidate must have:
- Excellent entrepreneurial drive to develop profitable cassava stem businesses
- Demonstrable supervisory and management skills.
- Experience in propagation of clonally propagated crops (such as
cassava), conducting field trials, working in the laboratory and
screenhouse settings, managing experiments including data collection and
analysis.
- Passion and commitment for academic excellence.
- Able to cope with heavy workloads extending beyond office hours and during weekends
- Ability to innovate, quickly adapt and apply new methods.
- Ability to organize, analyse data and prepare excellent technical reports and publications.
- Very good leadership, interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to work harmoniously in an interdisciplinary team with an international and intercultural background.
Remuneration
We offer highly competitive salary with equally attractive benefits and
excellent working conditions in a pleasant campus environment.
How to Apply
Interested applicant should forward their Applications include covering
letter which should address how the candidate’s background/experience
relates to the specific duties of the position applied for,
curriculum vitae, names and addresses of three professional referees
(which must include either the Head of the applicant’s current or
previous organization or applicant’s direct Supervisor/Superior at
his/her present or former place of work).
Click here to apply
Note: IITA is an equal opportunity employer and is
committed to increasing diversity and inclusion in the workforce,
therefore female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.
Application Deadline 9th September, 2016.
