Capacity Building Research Scientist

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a research scientist to build the biosciences research capacity of scientists and graduate students in the east and central Africa region, in particular to support the many regional researchers who come to the BecA-ILRI Hub to conduct their own agricultural biosciences research projects.

ILRI works with partners worldwide to enhance the roles that livestock play in food security and poverty alleviation, principally in Africa and Asia. The outcomes of these research partnerships help people in developing countries keep their farm animals’ alive and productive, increase and sustain their livestock and farm productivity, find profitable markets for their animal products, and reduce the risk of livestock-related diseases. www.ilri.org

ILRI is a not-for-profit institution with a staff of about 700 and in 2014, an operating budget of about USD83 million. A member of the CGIAR Consortium working for a food-secure future, ILRI has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, a principal campus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and offices in other countries in East, West and Southern Africa and in South, Southeast and East Asia. www.cgiar.org

ILRI also manages the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub at ILRI, the 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 and Illumina next generation 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 athttp://hub.africabiosciences.org

 Responsibilities:

• Building the research capacity of scientists and postgraduate students from regional National Agricultural Research Institutes and universities.
• Manage multiple research projects at the BecA-ILRI Hub that are conducted by visiting regional scientists and postgraduate students.
• Developing and conducting individual and group biosciences training.
• Managing the BecA-ILRI Hub’s capacity building laboratory.
• Developing and fostering close relationships and linkages with key institutions to enhance regional biosciences research capacity.
• Facilitate biosciences training programs for internal staff.
• Support the BecA-ILRI Hub Director in developing strategies and policies for biosciences capacity building.
• Actively promote BecA-ILRI Hub research and training facilities within the region.
• Resource mobilisation for capacity building activities by the BecA-ILRI Hub.

Requirements:

• PhD in biological sciences (preferably in molecular biology, biotechnology or genomic sciences) with broad and solid laboratory-based experience and interest in biosciences research.
• In-depth knowledge and experience of a wide range of bioscience technologies broadly and specifically molecular methods and their applications in a wide range of biological systems.
• Extensive experience of the technology transfer/ capacity building in developing countries and ability to implement and adapt novel technologies to facilitate research.
• Record of scientific achievement in biosciences, including publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Proven skills in mentoring, training and supervising scientists, postgraduate students and technicians.
• Very strong organizational skills with demonstrated ability to develop, coordinate and facilitate bioscience capacity building programs.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to maintain excellent working relations with project leaders, scientists and technical staff.
• Strong technical science writing and communication skills.

 Post location: The position is based at ILRI’s Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya with extensive travel to other countries.

Position level: The position is Senior Scientist level dependent on qualifications and experience.

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

Benefits: ILRI offers a competitive international salary and benefits package which includes 15% Pension, Medical insurance, Life insurance and allowances for: Education, Housing, Relocation, Home leave, Annual holiday entitlement of 30 days + public holidays.

*Benefits are tax free subject to compliance with tax regulations of country of citizenship.

Applications: Applicants should provide a cover letter and curriculum vitae: a list of publications and names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience should be included in the curriculum vitae. The position title and reference number:CBRS/BecA/08/14 should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter.

All applications should be submitted through our recruitment portal, http://ilri.simplicant.com by 19 September 2014.

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

To find out more about working at ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org/ilricrowd/

ILRI is an equal opportunity employer. Suitably qualified women and citizens of developing countries, with experience of working internationally, are particularly encouraged to apply.

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