ILRI Post doc. Research fellow (plant molecular breeder)

Vacancy Number: PD/PMB/BecA/03/13
Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub
Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Base salary from USD 35,000 per annum plus attractive international staff benefits package. Total salary & benefits package circa USD65, 000 (tax free*)

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works at the crossroads of livestock and poverty, bringing high-quality livestock science, communications and capacity building to bear on poverty reduction and sustainable development. ILRI is one of 15 centres supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). ILRI has campuses in Kenya (headquarters) and Ethiopia, with other offices located in other regions of Africa (Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria) as well as in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia (Laos, Thailand, Vietnam) and East Asia (China).

ILRI also manages the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub, the centre for excellence in modern plant and animal biology in Africa. BecA is an initiative developed within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)/ African Union African Biosciences initiative. It consists of a Hub based on the ILRI campus in Nairobi, Kenya and a network of regional nodes and other affiliated laboratories and organizations throughout the region. The BecA Hub facilities are world class, including a range of molecular, plant transformation, and genomics laboratories and equipment (e.g. 454 sequencing, Biosafety level 3 laboratory, plant growth facilities). The Hub hosts and conducts research in crop, microbe and livestock areas where new developments in science offer promise to address previously intractable problems constraining Africa’s development. Capacity building is a major goal of all activities. The scope covers agriculture and food security and their intersections with human health and nutrition, and the sustainable use of Africa’s natural resources. Further information is available at http://hub.africabiosciences.org/

The Position: The BecA-ILRI Hub seeks to recruit a postdoctoral research fellow whose focus will be the development and/or validation and application of marker-assisted germplasm enhancement with a focus on major constraints of importance in African agriculture.

Responsibilities

• Genetic mapping, marker validation, MAS implementation using high-throughput genotyping systems;
• Training and technical backstopping of NARS partners in the region.
• Contributing to capacity strengthening in crop research at the BecA-ILRI Hub;
• Supervise junior staff, students and visiting scientists;
• Contribute to resource mobilization efforts of BecA-ILRI hub.

Experience in any of the following areas will be considered an asset:

• Knowledge of component trait analysis;
• Application of MAS plant breeding;
• Molecular breeding simulation and decision support tools;
• Double haploid and other rapid crop improvement technologies;
• Applying biotechnologies in developing countries;
• Quantitative phenotyping of a range of agronomic traits;
• Biometric and bioinformatics analyses.

Essential Skills and Qualifications will include:

• Ph.D. degree in plant genetics, molecular biology and/or plant breeding;
• Publications record;
• Familiarity with germplasm collections and field breeding programs and a background in quantitative genetics;
• Experience in high throughput genotyping system;
• Knowledge of SSR, SNP and gene-based marker development, validation and application;
• Interest in international agricultural research and development;
• Ability to work well as part of multidisciplinary teams;
• Proficiency in spoken and written English language.

Terms of appointment: ILRI offers a competitive international benefit package. *Benefits are tax free subject to compliance with tax regulations of country of citizenship. Benefits include: – Life insurance – International medical cover for staff and dependents – Education allowance for dependent children – Housing allowance – Baggage allowance – Annual home leave travel allowance – Annual holiday entitlement of 30 days + 11 public holidays.

Applications procedure: email applications to PMB-BECA@CGIAR.ORG by 15 April, 2013. The position reference number ‘PD/PMB/BECA/03/13’ must be clearly indicated in the email subject line.

To find out more about ILRI and the BecA Hub, visit our websites at http://www.ilri.org andhttp://hub.africabiosciences.org

ILRI is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified candidates from African countries, particularly women, are encouraged to apply.