AN OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN A CGIAR CROSS-COMMODITY PLATFORM THAT AIMS TO MODERNIZE BREEDING PROGRAMS, TARGETING THE DEVELOPING WORLD FOR GREATER IMPACT ON FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY, CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION, AND DEVELOPMENT
The CGIAR Excellence in Breeding Platform (EiB) (www.excellenceinbreeding.org) is a cross-commodity platform that supports the modernization of breeding programs targeting Africa, Asia, and Latin America for greater impact on food and nutrition security, climate change adaptation and development. By providing important outcomes to under-resourced peoples, the CGIAR centers help realize the founding mission of the CGIAR system – they target low-and-middle-income countries for greater impact on food and nutrition security, climate change adaptation and development.
The Platform is part of the new CGIAR portfolio of research programs and platforms (www.cgiar.org/our-strategy), and is led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, known by its Spanish acronym, CIMMYT®, a not-for-profit research and training organization with partners in over 100 countries (www.cimmyt.org).
End Use Quality and Nutrition Phenotyping Coordinator
The CGIAR Excellence in Breeding Platform (EiB) is recruiting an End Use Quality and Nutrition Phenotyping Coordinator to help developing world breeders achieve higher rates of genetic gain and extract maximum value from new and proven technologies.
The End Use Quality and Nutrition Phenotyping Coordinator will coordinate the development of a CGIAR/EiB quality and nutrition phenotyping strategy, a set of common standards and an updated set of providers of common services. His/her priority goal is to guarantee that CGIAR and NARS breeding programs will have access to high quality, cost effective and standardized services for phenotyping of quality and nutritional traits. The successful candidate will have strong communication skills, capable of working with EiB breeding program partners to advise, define and implement short, mid and long term CGIAR quality and nutrition phenotyping solutions at best prices.
The position will need to work closely with breeding programs in defined priority traits by EiB Product Development and Breeding Scheme Optimization modules. They will arrange cost efficient service providers and develop logistic and quality assurance protocols. He/she will need to work closely with breeding leaders to guarantee that breeding programs access the offered service with a positive cost benefit analysis.
EiB is headquartered at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), with access to state-of-the art facilities at one of the largest CGIAR centers and well-connected among the 14 sister centers, all known for their high impact on agriculture in developing countries. EiB draws from innovations in CGIAR centers, advanced research institutes and the private sector, providing access to cutting-edge tools, services and best practices, application-oriented training and practical advice.
The position will be based at CIMMYT office in Nairobi, Kenya. It will involve significant international travel. He/she will report to EiB Breeding Operation and Phenotyping module leader.
Specific duties:
The EiB End Use Quality and Nutrition Phenotyping Coordinator will:
- Develop the End Use Quality and Nutrition Phenotyping Platform for CGIAR and NARS breeding programs. This will include:
- Service providers – Identifying key service providers (labs) with regional and global scope that provide the most economical prices at highest quality
- Quality assurance protocols – Assuring that the assays and protocols adopted by the defined service provider meet the needs of breeding programs, meet a defined set of minimum QC criteria, produce interchangeable reliable results according with standard protocols defined at world level, and are cost effective and time efficient.
- Breeding team logistic protocols – Defining, with the support of breeding, biometrics and breeding informatics teams, logistic protocols from the field to the lab, considering sampling strategies, sample tracing, phytosanitary and other relevant needs according with already standardized and country approved protocols.
- Data sharing sampling protocols – Assuring that information and data flow between breeding programs and labs is efficient and effective, following proper channels of communications to reduce errors and lead time.
- Legal agreements – where needed, liaise with CGIAR institutional procurement and legal bodies to support the development of framework agreements for service provision.
- Develop business cases for service adoption.
- Create, in partnership with the EiB communication team, relevant communication materials including website content, training resources and adoption campaign content.
Required academic qualifications, skills, and attributes:
- Bachelor in agronomy, food science, chemistry, or related field with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience
- Demonstrated experience coordinating appropriate, efficient and effective analytical services.
- Demonstrated experience of defining and monitoring standards and KPIs.
- Proven, in-depth understanding of quality and nutritional phenotyping.
- Experience in business case development and presentation.
- Experience working with diverse multidisciplinary teams, particularly in the African continent context.
EiB offers:
- A great opportunity for technical and professional development by teaming up with a wide range of experts from CGIAR, NARS and private industry.
- Competitive compensation comparable to private industry, including attractive benefits and excellent career opportunities in an international organization.
- World-class medical insurance coverage (including dependents), among other benefits.
- A friendly, humble environment full of people passionate for what they do and interested in helping people around the world.
EiB seeks candidates who embrace diversity in the broadest sense. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. CGIAR has a deep and profound commitment to diversity both as an end in itself but, also as a valuable means for eliminating health disparities. We promote excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.
Applications must include covering letter which should address how the candidate’s background/experience relates to the specific duties of the position applied for, curriculum vitae, names, and addresses of three professional referees (which must include either the Head of the applicant’s current or previous organization or applicant’s direct Supervisor/Superior at his/her present or former place of work).
The application should be addressed to Ms. Auree de Carbon by email at: adecarbon@carrhure.com no later than 23th of February at 18:00 CET. Please indicate in the ‘Subject’ of the email the title ‘application for the post of ‘End-Use Quality and Nutrition Phenotyping Coordinator’.
The deadline has been extended until March 12th. If you have already applied, you don’t need to resend your candidature.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.
