ILRI Vacancy – Field Research Officer/Data Management Specialist

Vacancy Number: A/074/2013
Department: Animal Science and Sustainable Productivity Program (ASSP)
Duration: 2 years

General: 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 has campuses in Kenya (headquarters) and Ethiopia, with other offices located in Africa (Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda) as well as Asia (China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka).

The position:   ILRI would like to recruit Field Research Officer/Data Management Specialist position who will be a member of the Animal Science and Sustainable Productivity Program (ASSP).

Main Duties:

• Liaises frequently with national partners to ensure timely establishment of field trials and data collection
• In collaboration with national partners collects soil and plant samples, and data on crop management and yields, socio-economics and farmers’ perceptions in N2Africa’s dissemination trials.
• Processes soil and plant samples from the field.
• Organizes the establishment of nutrient input trials on non-responsive soils.
• Enters data in entry forms in Excel and manipulates data to produce data summaries.
• Reports on activities and results to the wider N2Africa project.

Minimum Requirements:
Education:

•    MSc in Agriculture, Legume Agronomy, Soil Science or a related field from a highly recognized university.

Experience:
•    At least 5 (Five) years of hands-on expertise in above areas

Core Competencies:

• Experience with and proven skills in the accurate collection of soil and other agronomic and socio-economic data in field trials are an absolute requirement
• Commitment to ILRI’s mission and core values

Skills:
•    Skills to interact with partners and farmers and to engage farmers in data collection where possible
•    Good communication skills in English as well as the language(s) commonly used by farmers in the study area
•    Data entry and manipulation skills in Excel
•    A valid driving license
•    Ability to work independently in a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, and multi-cultural environment

Duty Station:  Addis Ababa with considerable time spent at project field/sites

Grade:  2D.

Minimum
Base Salary:   Birr 15,262 per month (Negotiable, depending on experience, skill and salary history of the candidate)

Terms of appointment:  This is Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) position, initial appointment is fixed term for two years with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and the availability of funding. The ILRI remuneration package for nationally recruited staff in Ethiopia includes very competitive salary and benefits such as life and medical insurance, offshore pension plan, etc.

The ILRI campus is set in a secure, attractive campus on the outskirts of Addis Ababa.  Dining and sports facilities are located on site.

Applications

Applicants should send a cover letter and CV (3 pages maximum) explaining their interest in the position, relevant documents and testimonials and the names and addresses (telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to the Human Resources Office, ILRI, P.O.Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Telephone: (251-11)-617-20-00; Fax (251-11) 646 46-45 or 617 20-01 name and reference number of the position for which the application is made should be clearly marked on the envelopes if mailed or fax applications.  Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Closing date:    January 15, 2013.