Postdoctoral Fellow at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Postdoctoral Fellow in Pathology/Aflasafe Unit

Ref No: DDG-R4D/PDF/P/A/04/17
Location: Ibadan, Oyo

Position Responsibilities
The tasks will include:

• Assist in providing stewardship and technical backstopping for various Aflasafe projects in West Africa.
• Support project managers for coordination of sample collection, testing, and analysis. 
• Prepare quarterly and annual technical reports.
• Organize training events for users of Aflasafe. 
• Coordinate the monitoring of training events.
• Provide technical support to specialists developing aflasafe-related businesses.
• Conduct field and laboratory activities to continue to demonstrate the efficacy of biocontrol on a product marketing setting. Prepare grant proposals.
• Help in designing experiments aimed at helping the various aflasafe projects to meet its milestones.
• Assist country coordinators in designing research questions to address research objectives.
• Together with country coordinators, plan meetings and activities within project countries to enable commencement of the project activities, particularly in sample collection/strain identification
• Together with country coordinators, lead sensitization efforts on biocontrol and other aflatoxin management efforts in all project countries.
• Together with country coordinators, lead out-scaling of biocontrol and country wide mapping of Aspergillus flavus.
• Together with country coordinators, publish research outcomes from in-country research activities.
• Assist the country coordinators in developing project activities and a budget commensurate with the activities.
• Together with project members, closely monitor growth stages of field experiments to ensure that critical stages of treating maize and peanuts and sampling are done in a timely and optimal manner.
• Together with the country coordinators ensure project activities meet required regulatory guidelines.
• Train staff from national partnering institutions who will be attached to the laboratory on microbiological and chemistry techniques applied in bio control as well as assist students who will be attached to the laboratory.
• Maintain and update sampling protocols and laboratory procedures.
• Together with the country coordinators, compile and analyze data from various efficacy and safety studies.

Educational Qualifications

• The candidate should have earned a PhD in Plant Pathology or closely related area, during the last 2 years.
• Experience in mycotoxin research is desirable. 

Core Competencies:

• Experience in use of molecular biology and statistical tools to study pathogen diversity and ecology 
• Strong oral and written communication skills and a demonstrated ability to interact effectively with multidisciplinary teams, national agriculture Research Systems, farmers, special interest groups, government officials, and consumers
• Demonstrated experience in seeking grants and management of large-scale projects
• Demonstrated ability to write and publish journal articles
• Ability to work independently in a multidisciplinary and multi-cultural environment.  

General Information

• The contract will be for an initial period of two years.
• IITA offers internationally competitive remuneration package paid in U.S. Dollars
  

Application Closing Date
4th May, 2017

Method of Application
Interested and qualified applicants should complete the online application attaching detailed curriculum vitae saved with their names in Microsoft word format, the application must include the names and e-mail addresses of three professional referees which must include the applicant's current or previous direct Supervisor, professional colleague and evidence of current remuneration package.

Click here to apply online

Click here for more information (PDF)