Coordinator, N2Africa at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

IITA is an international non-profit agricultural research-for-development (R4D) organization established in 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and a member of the CGIAR Consortium. Our R4D approach is anchored on the development needs of the tropics. We work with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. We have more than 100 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.

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture seeks suitable Nigerian Nationals for the position of:

Job Title: Coordinator, N2Africa, Borno

Ref: DDG-R4D/CNA/08/14
Location: Borno, NG

Job Description
The successful candidate will report to the R4D Director on Natural Resource Management and the R4D Director for West Africa. More specifically the Borno State Coordinator will:

• Lead the implementation of all project activities.
• Constitute in-State teams with the required expertise for specific action plans.
• Facilitate partnerships with dissemination and market partners.
• Lead technical and financial reporting to the project leadership.
• Oversee the science of N2Africa within the State.
• Represent N2Africa within Borno State to various stakeholder groups.
• Engage with the N2Africa, Nigeria team to ensure that project activities are implemented efficiently in Borno.
• Engage with the M&E specialist to ensure that M&E tools are administered in a timely manner.
• Engage with the Senior Business Development Officer to explore opportunities for partnerships for developing input and output market for the target legumes within the State.
• Participate in and/or organize technical meetings, conference calls and consultations of experts from stakeholder and partner organizations as required in liaison with the Project Coordinator as required.
• Co-supervise of MSc and PhD projects.

Minimum Qualification, Experience and Skills

• The candidate should have a PhD in agronomy, soil microbiology, or a related field and have demonstrated expertise (at least 5 years) in research for/or development within African smallholder farming systems.

Skills & Abilities:

• Proven expertise with facilitating networks of partners across the research to development continuum.
• Excellent knowledge of legume agronomy and the role legumes play in relation to rural livelihoods.
• Excellent knowledge of the essential components and bottlenecks in legume input supply and output market value chains.
• Ability to manage own workload without close supervision and work independently, making decisions and solving problems on routine and complex problems.
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic team environment, in a flexible office environment with periods of high pressure activity.
• Team player with personality traits that enable him/her to motivate and communicate with all levels of the professional and support staff.
• Reputation of integrity, high intelligence, creativity and the ability to exercise good judgment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to establish rapport and credibility with people at all organizational levels, forming strong relationships, both internally and externally. Committed to transparency and continuous improvement in a cooperative atmosphere of constructive evaluation and learning.
• Willingness to travel extensively.
• Excellent spoken and written English.
• Duty Station: Kano, Nigeria

Terms & Conditions:

• Initial appointment is for two years. IITA offers a competitive remuneration package paid in US dollars.

Application Closing Date
29th August, 2014.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified applicants should:
Click here to apply online

Click here for more information

Note: Applications must include covering letter which should address how the candidate's background/experience relates to the specific duties of the position applied for, curriculum vitae, names and addresses of three professional referees (which must include either the Head of the applicant's current or previous organization or applicant's direct Supervisor/Superior at his/her present or former place of work). The application should be addressed to the Head, Human Resources Service. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.