Senior Research Supervisor 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: Senior Research Supervisor

Location: Abuja
Job Type: Full-time

Description

• Support identification of traits in yam breeding lines and germplasm that are desirable for recycling as parent and advancement, such as disease resistance, increased yield, or improved food quality.
• Participate in the execution of breeding trials in different growing conditions to determine how well they perform in nature.
• Assist in monitoring and identifying yam diseases and creating strategies to prevent them from spreading to other plants.
• Support the development of new yam varieties that meet specific criteria, such as increased productivity or improved taste, color, and food quality.
• Participate in the selection of the best yam clones to breed based on desired traits and characteristics.
• Participate in the development of breeding strategies to produce yam varieties with the desired characteristics, including selecting parents with desired traits that can be passed on to offspring.
• Participate in the multiplication of planting materials for breeding trials and delivery.
• Coordinate breeding testing networks with partners including preparation of SOP, trial design, distribution of germplasm for testing networks, retrieving data, and ensure data entry to the database.
• Coordinate on-farm testing and demand creation network with producers, marketers, development practitioners, and consumers.
• Ensure timely availability of germplasm inventory reports.
• Conduct and collect necessary data for advanced breeding lines in both greenhouses and field locations.
• Maintain breeder work collections in the field, analyze data and report to the Supervisor on time.
• Supervise daily casual laborers and other subordinate staff.
• Perform any other job-related duties as may be assigned by the Supervisor.

Requirements
Qualifications:

• B.Sc / HND in Agriculture or related field with a minimum of four (4) years experience performing similar role in a well-structured environment
• Experience in clonal breeding program and on-farm testing will be an added advantage.

Competencies:
The ideal candidate must:

• Be competent in farmer participatory activities/evaluation
• Have ability to communicate effectively with partners and farmers.
• Have ability to work under pressure and deliver quality job.
• Have excellent team work capability.
• Be competent in data analysis and report writing.

Benefits

• We offer highly competitive salaries with equally attractive benefits and excellent working conditions in a pleasant campus environment.

Application Closing Date
28th July, 2023.