Vacancy Number: A/020/2014
International Potato Centre (CIP-Ethiopia)
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Duration: 2 years with the possibility of renewal
International Potato Centre (CIP-Ethiopia)
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Duration: 2 years with the possibility of renewal
The International Potato Center – Ethiopia (CIP) seeks to
recruit a Research Assistant IV – Potato Breeding to its CIP-SSA Breeding
Program which is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia office.
The Center: The
International Potato Centre (CIP) is an international non-profit agricultural
research organization with a global mandate to conduct research on potatoes,
sweet potatoes, Andean root and tuber crops, and sustainable management of
natural resources. CIP’s vision is to contribute from its areas of expertise to
the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular those
goals that relate to poverty, hunger, child and maternal mortality, and
sustainable development. CIP has its headquarters in Lima, Peru with staff and
activities in locations across Africa, Asia and Latin America. CIP is a member
of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, a network of
15 research centers mostly located in the developing world and supported by
more than 60 donor members.
The Region: CIP Sub-Saharan
Africa main regional office is in Nairobi, Kenya. However, the region is served
by a diverse team of scientists based throughout East, South and West Africa,
and supported by CIP scientists based elsewhere in the world. Potato and sweet
potato are growing rapidly in importance in the region. Many technological and
institutional challenges remain to be resolved at the country and regional
level in order for the crops to contribute to their full potential as a vehicle
for Africans to reach the MDGs.
Key Responsibilities:
The Research Assistant IV – Potato Breeding will be based in Addis Ababa and will be a member of the CIP-Ethiopia team. He/she will provide technical support to the CIP-SSA potato breeding program. The Research Assistant IV – Potato Breeding will be in-charge of implementing potato breeding activities: crossing, tuber family generation, clonal selection and evaluation both under field and screen house, organize the production of in-vitro and minitubers as requested by public and private partner institutions, and maintenance of progenitors and working collections. He/she should be committed to using research for development in a complex cooperative environment of research and development partners and work in close collaboration with national researchers and research system. The work may require travels within Ethiopia to federal and regional research stations and farmers field.
The Research Assistant IV – Potato Breeding will be based in Addis Ababa and will be a member of the CIP-Ethiopia team. He/she will provide technical support to the CIP-SSA potato breeding program. The Research Assistant IV – Potato Breeding will be in-charge of implementing potato breeding activities: crossing, tuber family generation, clonal selection and evaluation both under field and screen house, organize the production of in-vitro and minitubers as requested by public and private partner institutions, and maintenance of progenitors and working collections. He/she should be committed to using research for development in a complex cooperative environment of research and development partners and work in close collaboration with national researchers and research system. The work may require travels within Ethiopia to federal and regional research stations and farmers field.
- Assists
in breeding of high yielding, stress tolerant, nutrient dense potato
cultivars to the resource-poor farmers in SSA, in active collaboration
with the existing research systems in Ethiopia;
- Conducts
the development and execution of screen-house and field-based research to
develop potato populations and advanced clones through clonal breeding;
- Assists
in the designing and implement crossing block, tuber family generation,
clonal selection and field experiments including nursery and trial
planting material preparation, and management.
- Assists
in selecting best families and clones from different types of crosses,
improves population, conducts across location trials and maintain
progenitors and breeding stocks;
- Distributes
germplasm to partners and maintain record of distribution in the region;
- Analyses
data using appropriate software, prepare field book using data collector,
stacks data and imports into CIP data management system;
- Supports
national program staff and students in field trial management, data
management and analysis;
- Document
of germplasm evaluation, publication of research findings and prepare
report;
- Perform
other duties as required
Skills and
Competencies
- Applied
knowledge in crop breeding and genetics, experimental design, crossing,
screen house nursery and field trial management;
- Excellent
knowledge of data management and statistical software programs;
- Experience
or good knowledge of working screen house, tissue-culture laboratories,
aeroponics or hydroponics in terms of construction, technical maintenance
and crop management;
- Demonstrated
success in working with multi-disciplinary teams and partnerships in
research or project implementation;
- Excellent
social skills, collaborative style, and ability to multi-task effectively;
- Proactive,
innovative and creative attitudes;
- Excellent
written and verbal communication skills in English are required;
- Willingness
to travel within the country;
- Ability
to write scientific publications;
Education and
Experience:
- At
least a relevant Master of Science degree or a relevant BSc degree plus a
relevant post graduate qualification
- At
least 2 years of relevant work experience in crop improvement research
preferably with clonally propagated crops or potatoes
Duty Station: Addis
Ababa
Grade: 2D
Minimum Base: Birr 15,262 (Negotiable, depending on
experience, skill and salary history of the candidate)
Terms of appointment:
This is a 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 provide a cover letter and curriculum vitae; names and
addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are
knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work
experience to be included in the curriculum vitae. The position and reference
number: REF: A/020/14 should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the
cover letter. All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment portal: http://ilri.simplicant.com on
or before 11 April 2014. We do not encourage CVs and credentials to be mailed
to our postal address.
To find more about CIP, visit our Website at
http://www.cip.cgiar.org
Suitably qualified women are particularly encouraged to
apply.
To find out more about ILRI, visit our websites at
http://www.ilri.org
To find out more about working at ILRI visit our website
at http://www.ilri.org/ilricrowd/
