About IRRI

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science; improving the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers; and protecting the rice-growing environment for future generations. IRRI is an independent, nonprofit, research and educational institute, founded in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations with support from the Philippine government. The institute, headquartered in Los Baños, Philippines, has offices in 17 rice-growing countries in Asia and Africa, and over 1,000 staff.

Working with in-country partners, IRRI develops advanced rice varieties that yield more grain and better withstand pests and disease as well as flooding, drought, and other harmful effects of climate change.

Job Purpose

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) with the support of the Government of Welfare has established IRRI-South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It is a regional facility that supports research collaboration, training, and service provision to institutions, scientists, farmers, and other stakeholders from India and other South Asian and African nations. Recently the government of India has accorded approval for ISARC phase 2 through MOU with IRRI to implement next phase activities up to 2027. It has three verticals: Centre of Excellence in Rice Value Addition (CERVA), Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture (CESA), and Centre of Education, Innovation, and Research for Development (CEIRD).

Under the guidance of the South Asia Breeding lead, IRRI is seeking applications forms for a dynamic and highly innovative Project Associate I will be responsible for collecting sample from diverse regions, as well as the isolation, maintenance, and pathotyping of targeted pathogens. Additionally, the individual will be responsible for phenotyping mapping populations under field screening and controlled glass house conditions, specifically focusing on the targeted traits. Furthermore, they will conduct multilocation testing of the mapping population and advanced breeding lines to evaluate their performance across different environments. By coordinating these activities, the position aims to enhance our understanding of pathogen behavior, identify promising traits, and select superior breeding lines, ultimately driving the development of improved crop varieties
Applicants will work in DBT-supported project at Varanasi.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Coordinate sample collection from different regions, isolation and maintenance and Pathotyping of all the target pathogens
• Phenotyping of mapping population under field screening and glass house conditions for the targeted traits
• Multilocation testing of the mapping population and advance breeding lines
• Phenotyping and sequencing based trait mapping for identification of genomic region associated with disease and pest.
• Actively participate in the strategic planning and research meeting of Rice Breeding Planform and Rice Breeding SA Cluster
• Coordinate closely with the IRRI HQ team (RB Platform), IRRI-SA Hub, project partners, other NAREs collaborators, to ensure smooth flow of research activities, effective genotyping and phenotyping of germplasm.
• Engage with ISARC to help build capacity in modernizing plant pathology programs and for the effective transfer of knowledge, technology and strategy.
• Verify the progress of the research activities as defined by the agreed plans and objectives
• Represent IRRI to a wide audience by presenting at conferences/meetings
• Participate/contribute to visits, meetings, workshops, farmers’ fairs, and any such events at ISARC and outside.
• Any other tasks as assigned by ISARC Director

Qualifications

Degree in Plant Pathology/Botany/Biotechnology / or degree in Engineering or Technology from a recognized University or equivalent

Skills Required

Mandatory:

Proven ability to implement Plant pathology projects
Proven ability to perform in multi-discipline and multi-cultural teams
Excellent scientific and analytical skills
Excellent interpersonal and organization skills

Preferred:

Experience in handling disease phenotyping work
Respectable publication record in peer reviewed journals

Allowances: In addition to the base salary indicated above, your will be entitled to HRA of 16% of the basic salary. IRRI also offers employee benefits package inclusive of medical insurance, life and accident insurance for self and dependents.

Join our team and be part of our story!