Research Associate 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: Research Associate

Location: Ibadan, Oyo
Job type: Contract
Duration: 2-year renewable contract      

Duties

• Liaise with different national partners for the effective implementation and collection of quality data of the tricot/1000farms on farm trials and sparse testing for genomic prediction.
• Provide support for proper designing, management and data collection of multi-location trials on IITA stations.
• Provide support to the national partners and supervise the effective implementation of multi-location trials management and data collection.
• Assist in the effective implementation of Rapid Generation Advance (speed breeding).
• Assist the soybean breeding program in transitioning from Breeding Management System (BMS) to Enterprise Breeding System (EBS) software for soybean germplasm database management, designing trials, data management and statistical analysis.
• Work closely with the breeder in the field evaluation and selection of superior genotypes and breeding lines for advancement.
• Support in data curation, data analysis and preparing summary tables.
• Assist the centralization of the breeding operations.
• Support post graduate students in designing their thesis research experiments, trial management and data collection.
• Assist in preparing regular (monthly or quarterly) or annual reports.
• Assist in the preparation and shipment of seeds of trials to the different partners.
• Assist in sample collection, sample shipment for genotyping services.
• Prepare seasonal experimental land requirement plan and submit the request to Farm Unit and follow-up the proper allocation.
• Perform any other job-related duties as may be assigned by the Supervisor.·     

Requirements

• Master's Degree in Plant Breeding or related field with a minimum of four (4) years’ experience in plant breeding program or a similar role in a well-structured environment.

Competencies:
The ideal candidate must have:

• Previous experience in managing plant breeding trials.
• Experience in statistical analyses, and database softwares.
• Experience in data analysis and interpretation.
• Experience in managing or coordinating on farm trials.
• Knowledge of speed breeding and tricot 1000farms on farm trailing.
• Knowledge of molecular breeding techniques.
• Experience working with different national partners.

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

Application Closing Date
5th April, 2024.