The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) is looking for an innovative, results-oriented scientist to join a team of scientists aiming to buffer maize production in sub-Saharan Africa against the likely negative impacts of climate change. As a member of the CIMMYT Global Maize Program (GMP), the major responsibility of the incumbent Post-doctoral fellow or Associate Scientist will be to establish phenotyping facilities and protocols for heat stress phenotyping, and for combined heat and drought stress screening, thereby supporting development and delivery of climate change-resilient maize cultivars in sub-Saharan Africa. Additional responsibilities include training of national partners in stress phenotyping. As a member of GMP, the selected scientist will also work closely with CIMMYT’s research teams in the region, as well as partners in advanced research institutes, national research programs, seed companies, and scientists from CCAFS (CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security) and DTMA (Drought Tolerance Maize for Africa) projects, for enhancing the adaptation of maize to climate change, and to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the developing world. The position will be based at CIMMYT-Harare, Zimbabwe, but will involve frequent travel, including to other CIMMYT field sites in Africa, besides active collaboration with public and private seed enterprises, and local and international partners.
Primary responsibilities include:
• Establishment of precision phenotyping facilities and protocols at key sites in Eastern and Southern Africa.
• Phenotype maize germplasm under drought and heat stress, in partnership with other CIMMYT scientists and national partners in the region
• Develop appropriate selection strategies, identify novel donors, and contribute to development and delivery of improved, stress resilient maize germplasm
• Train national partners in drought and heat stress phenotyping
• Contribute to collaborative maize breeding, research and capacity building activities in the framework of CIMMYT’s overall project agenda
• Contribute to the visibility of CIMMYT’s research, partnerships and impacts
We are seeking candidates with the following qualifications:
• Ph.D. in Crop Physiology or a closely related subject, preferably with emphasis on maize and abiotic stresses
• Enthusiasm for field based research, particularly in phenotyping for abiotic stresses
• Practical skills in statistics (SAS, R, or other statistical software)
• Experience in managing large datasets from field trials
• Track record in scientific refereed publications
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Strong self motivation and innovative skills, coupled with interest in international agricultural research and development
• Demonstrated ability to work collegially and collaboratively in diverse, multicultural partnerships.
• Demonstrated good communication and organizational skills and ability to work under pressure
CIMMYT is a non-profit agricultural research institute committed to ensuring food security and reducing poverty in developing countries. Through strong science and effective partnerships, CIMMYT creates, uses and shares knowledge and technology to improve the productivity and profitability of wheat and maize farming systems and to sustain natural resources.
While relatively small with a budget of less than US$100 million and 800 employees, CIMMYT has had enormous impact in the developing world. It is the center of excellence for work on two of the three most important food crops in the developing world. Its most famous employee, Dr. Norman Borlaug, is credited by many with saving more lives than any other individual in the history of the world. Borlaug’s work dramatically increased yields of wheat in the Indo-Gangetic plains in the 1960s and 1970s, staving off starvation for hundreds of millions. For this work, Borlaug received the Nobel Prize in 1970. Scores of other CIMMYT efforts have saved or enriched millions of lives, from releasing disease-resistant varieties and varieties resistant to drought and heat and soil deficiencies, to dispersing techniques to reduce farmer costs and post-harvest losses. In developing countries, wheat varieties developed by CIMMYT and its partners cover 75% of the area planted to modern wheat varieties.
The position is initially available for three years and may lead to a career path position. CIMMYT offers an attractive remuneration package paid in US dollars, with a range of benefits including housing allowance, life and health insurance, education allowance (to Grade 12), home leave, and relocation shipping assistance.
CIMMYT is an equal-opportunity employer and strives for staff diversity in gender and nationality.
Apply online no later than December 22th, 2011.
At www.cimmyt.org, click on “About us – Job Opportunities- 2011/26 Position” Please complete the online application, including your cover letter, competencies and experience for the position, and a detailed CV/resume.
For further information, contact Dr. B.M. Prasanna, Director, Global Maize Program b.m.prasanna@cgiar.org or the Human Resources Office, jobs-cimmyt@cgiar.org. Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
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