Field Research Technician – Nursery and Seed Production

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, known by its Spanish acronym, CIMMYT® (www.cimmyt.org), is a not-for-profit research and training organization with partners in over 100 countries, and through offices in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Through strong science and effective partnerships, we create, share, and use knowledge and agricultural technologies to increase food security, improve the productivity and profitability of farming systems, and sustain natural resources in developing countries. We participate in an extensive global network of people and organizations who share similar research and development goals, including the public and private sector, non-governmental and civil society organizations, farmers, and the development assistance community.

CIMMYT is hosted by World Agroforestry (ICRAF), a member of the CGIAR that is headquartered on United Nations Avenue, Nairobi, Kenya. We invite you to learn more about CIMMYT and World Agroforestry by accessing our web sites: www.cimmyt.org and www.worldagroforestry.or

CIMMYT is looking for a Field Research Technician – Nursery and Seed Production. This position is responsible for managing AVISA crops (g/nut, sorghum, millet, pigeon pea) nursery and seed production activities at the KALRO Kiboko field station.

Specific duties:

• Prepare and manage nurseries including seed preparation, preparation of field maps, oversee planting, pollination and data collection as instructed by the breeder, oversee harvest, processing of seed
• Coordinate genotyping sampling and shipment
• Prepare and manage seed multiplication activities as guided by the breeder
• Learn and operate the Breeding Management System (BMS) or the Enterprise Breeding System (EBS) in order to manage routine operations, data upload, data curation and cleaning and preliminary analysis
• Manage seed inventory and storage
• Implement timely digital data capture using the relevant tools and software as identified by AVISA management
• Develop and map out process flows for AVISA crop nursery operations
• Assist partners based on their needs and in coordination with the supervisor
• Perform any other duties as agreed with the supervisor

Required background, skills and attitudes:

• BSc or MSc in Plant Breeding, Agricultural Sciences or biotechnology
• Minimum two (2) years experience in managing agricultural field activities or research projects
• Good writing records, computing software and other IT materials
• Familiarity with legumes and/or cereal crops and related research operations (pollination, data collection from trials and nurseries, running breeding and operational software, experience with genotyping sampling etc.) will be an advantage.
• Ability to manage labor, estimate labor demand, provide supervision and training to field staff to manage breeding research activities
• Ability to work independently with minimal day to day supervision and proactively solve problems
• Excellent communication and reporting skills to line manager and colleagues on station
• The selected candidate must exhibit the following competencies: Communication, Critical Thinking, Teamwork and Client Orientation

This is a Locally Recruited position. CIFOR-ICRAF offers competitive remuneration in local currency commensurate with skills and experience. The initial appointment will be for two (2) years, inclusive of a three-month probationary period, with the possibility of extension contingent upon performance, continued relevance of the position and available resources. The duty station will be Kiboko.

Candidates must apply here. The application deadline is 18 July 2022. CV and Cover Letter should be in PDF and Labelled with the applicants First and Second Names. We will acknowledge all applications but will only contact short-listed candidates.

CIFOR-ICRAF is an equal opportunity employer. Staff diversity contributes to
excellence.