JOB DESCRIPTION

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is an international non-profit research-for-development (R4D) organization created in 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Our R4D is anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We develop agricultural solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty by reducing producer and consumer risks, enhancing crop quality and productivity, and generating wealth from agriculture. We have more than 200 internationally recruited scientists from about 35 countries and 900 nationally recruited staff based in various stations across Africa. Please visit http://www.iita.org/ for more information on IITA.

IITA is inviting applications from suitable Malawian nationals to fill the position of Research Associate – Plant Breeding

Job Responsibilities

In support of the legume breeding program, the primary responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to:

Assist breeding program in field trial design, planting, trial evaluation, data collection and seed harvest

Manage many aspects of breeding database including data entry, trial creation, and critical seed health and plant pathology data

Work closely with the Administrative staff to effectively comply with all regulatory phytosanitary certifications and international seed shipment protocols

Manage and periodically update seed inventory

Manage screen house projects including sowing, labelling, pollinating instructions and harvest

Receive and distribute seeds for basic seed production, variety trials, product development and deployment

Travel to off-site stations to assist with planting, thinning and product evaluation

Recruit and manage all temporary workers as needed.

Ensure compliance with all Health & Safety and regulatory standards.

Co-ordinate all pesticide, herbicide and irrigation applications to nursery and trial plots

Perform any other duties as may be assigned in relation to the activities of organization.

Requirements

MSc in in Plant Breeding/Genetics/Biotechnology or related discipline

Minimum experience of one year in agriculture research focusing on plant improvement

Good communication skills (written and spoken) in English,

Innovative, ability to work with minimal supervision in a multi-disciplinary team

Ability to perform multiple tasks and work under pressure

Excellent computer skills – Microsoft Office packages

Excellent communication skills

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Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements