THE ORGANIZATION

The Alliance of Bioversity International (www.bioversityinternational.org) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) (www.ciat.cgiar.org) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.

With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people in a climate crisis.

The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future.

About The Position

The Research Associate – Laboratory Services position is responsible for enhancing team field operations and coordination, ensuring an organized and efficient work environment. The individual will work closely with project leaders and project scientists to manage both office and field activities for ongoing projects in Kenya. This role includes overseeing soil analysis through spectroscopy, as well as the analysis of plants, fertilizer, and manure. Additionally, the Research Associate will be responsible for scheduling maintenance for all laboratory equipment, ensuring that all tools and instruments are in optimal working condition to support research activities.

• Ensuring the lab and all lab equipment are in working status including availability of required re-agents.
• Coordinating and or receiving, documenting and processing of samples delivered to the lab.
• Conducting and overseeing soil and plant analyses following established/appropriate lab procedures and protocols.
• Keeping records of samples, re-agents and analyses data.
• Maintaining cleanliness and organization of laboratory spaces and ensuring compliance with laboratory safety protocols and regulations and ethical standards.
• Developing protocols, supporting establishment and management of field trials and demonstrations of the MFL within CGIAR Scaling for Impact Accelerator.
• Undertaking field data and sample collection related to the field/demonstration trials
• Participating in other field activities such as field days, farmer mobilization, capacity building or any others assigned by the supervisor.

Requirements

Required Education Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Soil Science, or Environmental Science, Analytical Chemistry, Applied Biology, Agronomy or related field.
• Master of Science (M.Sc.) in any of the above is an added advantage
• Experience in soil spectroscopy equipment and methods
• Knowledge of field sampling techniques and data collection methods
• Knowledge in writing soil analysis recommendation reports.
• Familiarity with project management, prior experience with the management of specific projects would be considered an asset.
• Strong organizational and detail-oriented skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and familiarity with online collaboration tools (Microsoft Teams; Teams).
• Knowledge of records management

Terms Of Employment

This is a nationally recruited position based in Nairobi, Kenya. The initial contract will be for one

year subject to a probation period of three months and is renewable depending on performance

and availability of resources. 

This position is graded at BG6 level, with a minimum basic salary of KES 168,838.00 in a scale of

BG01 to BG14 (BG14 being the highest level according to the Alliance job classification framework

policy). We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits including but not limited to

insurance, retirement plan, staff training and development, paid time off and flexible working

arrangements.

The Alliance Bioversity-CIAT offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits. We are an equal opportunity employer, and strive for

gender, diversity and inclusion in our staff, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic.

Applications

Applicants are invited to visit  https://www.bioversityinternational.org/jobs/ to get full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST include reference number REF: RFP300144- RESEARCH ASSOCIATE – LABORATORY SERVICES, KENYA  as the position applied for. Application and CV should be saved as one document using the candidate’s last name and first name for ease of sorting.

Note: The Alliance does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). The Alliance also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

Applications Closing Date: 1^st  January 2025

Please note that email applications will not be considered.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

We invite you to learn more about us at:

http://alliancebioversityciat.org

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements