Scientist - Plant Pathologist, Kenya

 Closing Date: Sunday, 06 January 2013
ILRI Nairobi Campus

Vacancy Number: SPP/BECA/12/12
Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA)
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Duration: 3 years, with the possibility of renewal

Base salary dependent on experience – starting from USD 50,000 per annum. Total salary & international benefits package circa USD 93, 000 per annum (tax free*)

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 is one of 15 Centres of the CGIAR Consortium. ILRI has campuses in Kenya (headquarters) and Ethiopia, with offices located in other regions of Africa (Mali, Mozambique, and Nigeria) as well as in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia (Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam) and East Asia (China).

ILRI also manages the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub at ILRI, a new centre for excellence in modern plant and animal biology in Africa. BecA is an initiative developed within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)/ African Union African Biosciences initiative. It consists of a Hub based on the ILRI campus in Nairobi, Kenya and a network of regional nodes and other affiliated laboratories and organizations throughout the region. The BecA Hub facilities are world class, including a range of molecular, plant transformation, and genomics laboratories and equipment (e.g. 454 sequencing, Biosafety level 3 laboratory, plant growth facilities). The Hub hosts and conducts research in crop, microbe and livestock areas where new developments in science offer promise to address previously intractable problems constraining Africa’s development.  Capacity building is a major goal of all activities. The scope covers agriculture and food security and their intersections with human health and nutrition, and the sustainable use of Africa’s natural resources.  Further information is available at http://hub.africabiosciences.org/.

ILRI seeks to recruit a Plant Pathologist to lead research activities in collaboration with partners for a new program funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The Scientist will be expected to work closely with the Program Coordinator and conduct, supervise and report on high quality research on endophytes in Brachiaria grasses.

Key responsibilities

    Leading the research activities on isolation and characterization of endophytes in Brachiaria;
    Developing inoculation systems for endophytes in Brachiaria;
    Contributing to research on testing the role of endophytes in improving adaptation of Brachiaria grasses to drought stress under greenhouse conditions to identify the most promising Brachiaria grasses for testing under field conditions;
    Using genomics and metagenomics approaches to study the soil microbial composition in the context of evaluating the impact of endophytes on biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission from Brachiaria grasses;
    Working in collaboration with partners in Kenya, Rwanda and Colombia to evaluate other soil and plant factors that contribute to the adaptation of Brachiaria grasses to different agroecological zones;
    Contributing to capacity strengthening in plant protection research;
    Supervising junior staff, students and visiting scientists;
    Contributing to resource mobilization efforts of BecA-ILRI hub.

Requirements

    Ph.D. degree in plant pathology/mycology or related field but with strong interest and expertise in plant pathology;
    Minimum of 5-7 years post-doctoral experience;
    Extensive experience conducting research for development;
    Published record in plant pathology and in general plant research;
    Experience in working in or collaborating with scientists in African research institutions and universities;
    Track record in resource mobilization;
    Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to perform in a multicultural research environment and as part of a multidisciplinary team;
    Excellent written and spoken English.

Experience in the following areas will be considered an asset:

    Applying biotechnologies in developing countries;
    Capacity strengthening;
    Interest in international agricultural research and development;
    Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team;
    Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Post location: The position is based at ILRI’s Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya with extensive travel within the region and internationally.

Duration: 3 years, with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and continued funding.

Position level: The position is equivalent to Scientist/Research Level 2, dependent on qualifications and experience.

Benefits: ILRI offers a competitive international remuneration and benefits package which includes: – 15% Pension – Medical insurance for staff and dependents – Life insurance – Education allowance for children – Housing allowance – Relocation Allowance – Annual Home leave – Annual holiday entitlement of 30 days+public holidays.
*Benefits are tax free subject to compliance with tax regulations of country of citizenship.

Applicants should address a cover letter and CV to Human Resources Director explaining their interest in the position, what they can bring to the job and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience. Email your application to SPP-BECA@cgiar.org by 6 January 2013. The position title and reference number: SPP/BECA/12/12 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the online application. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

To find out more about ILRI and the BecA-ILRI Hub, visit our websites at http://www.ilri.org and http://hub.africabiosciences.org

To find out more about working at ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org/ilricrowd/
Suitably qualified women and citizens of developing countries, with experience of working internationally, are particularly encouraged to apply.