About IRRI

Job Purpose

Under the minimal direction of the line manager, the Specialist-Stewardship and Admin Support manage the overall research support operations relating to the stewardship of the non-conventional breeding technology at IRRI. Develop the Institute-wide stewardship plans and/or programs, new policies and procedures, and monitor the implementation of a stewardship program in order to secure and retain the Excellence through Stewardship certification. Finalize reports for submission to supervisor and stakeholders. Support the administrative support to Bio-Innovation Center member activities and co-ordinations. Good stake holders management as per the advice of Line manager as needed.

The Specialist, Stewardship and Quality Management is the focal point for interactions and coordination between the Biosafety Officer, the IBC, the Transgenic Development committee, IRRI’s Host Country and Community Relations Office (HCCRO), researchers involved in research on transgenic organisms, the Plant Quarantine Services of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI-PQS) and with the Seed Health Unit (SHU). Oversee and implement training and implementation related to stewardship standards, including the stewardship components of planning, preparation, conduct, reporting, and termination of regulated research projects, the handling of regulated materials and the status, maintenance, and operation of transgenic facilities.

This position is crucial to implement the ETS standards of stewardship (60%) across the research projects of transgenic, gene editing and native traits etc. This is above the bio safety standards which are country requirements but as a global institute, need to follow the global standards that comes from Stewardship/ ETS standards. Also as admin support (40%) person this role to support the SRIOR function head and BIC members OCS and payment reimbursement related activities.

This position will be based at the IRRI Headquarters, Los Baños, Philippines and may only be filled by permanent citizens of the Philippines.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Implementation of IRRI’s Institutional Stewardship Program with research projects on day to day basis
• Create awareness of the ETS across the projects via trainings and meetings
• Analyze and review existing processes, policies, strategies and guidelines related to non-conventional breeding technology stewardship
• Monitor the ongoing performance of the IRRI Stewardship program at HQ, with a particular focus on the potential for contamination of non-GM materials with non-approved GM events
• Ensure proponents’ applications comply with IRRI Stewardship program requirements, providing assistance to proponents on IRRI’s stewardship program
• Analyze the latest developments in regard to IRRI Stewardship and provide recommendation for possible implementation steps
• Notify the line manager of any issues that should be drawn to the attention of the Transgenic Development Committee or IBC
• Oversee the implementation of risk management procedures and controls related to Stewardship
• Monitor activities during the conduct of Confined Field Trials (CFTs) and contained regulated research in the field, screen houses and laboratories, with or without prior warning to the proponents
• Support the function head and others on the administrative matters as needed.
• Organise and facilitate the visitors of BIC and research infrastructure through Comms team and independently.
• Raise the OCS requests of the required services and products as needed by the members
• Work with finance on the cost recovery models of the BIC members and facilitate the process
• Coordinate between Internal stakeholders and external stake holders
• Support line manager on all required areas of the function activities IRRI stewardship policies and procedures implementation across the institute
• Develop and sustain partnerships with relevant stakeholders and coordinate activities related to Stewardship
• Coordinate Stewardship specific undertakings with collaborators and partners to achieve defined objectives
• Coordinate Stewardship activities and requirements with IRRI researchers
• Provide administrative and/or technical advice to ensure appropriate communication with stakeholders including the development and maintenance of appropriate content on web pages on IRRI’s intranet, including all SOPs, information, updated application and reporting forms required for Stewardship
• Provide advice to IRRI researchers on Stewardship requirements in Confined Field Trials contained research, and non-contained research settings
• Support the BIC members to raise the WOs in OCS and related payment processing etc
• Facilitate the visitors to organize the research lab tours and meetings with function head and researchers
• Organize and document the Stewardship Implementation Team meetings on monthly basis
• Implement the regular and ETS audit areas of improvements
• Maintain full records and calendar of scheduled events
• Write progress and final reports intended for submission to supervisor
• Allocate the Stewardship budget and evaluate expenditure
• Monitor expenditures and disbursements to avoid overspending
• Prepare Stewardship training materials and organize routine training and certification training modules based on the project research and with coordination from training unit and other subject matter experts develop the module
• Raise the OCS request of the BIC members to the concerned units of IRRI for the required support.
• Extend the admin support related activities to SRIOR unit team and BIC members
• Organise the meetings and visits of the BIC members as directed by LM
• Provide all the required admin support for smooth operations of the function

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Biological Science and minimum 5 years of relevant work experience in Research and Development; or
• Master’s degree in Biological Sciences and minimum 3 years of relevant work experience in Research and Development

Skills Required

Mandatory

• Has experience implementing and monitoring strategies and establishing
  long-term partnerships
• Has excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills
• Has good leadership skills
• Has strong decision-making skills
• Has sound knowledge of principles of good stewardship and good laboratory practice, quality assurance

Preferred

• Has worked in an international organization;
• Has Biosafety expertise and knowledge of Philippines biosafety standards
  and procedures;
• Has experience in operating in the context of “Excellence through
  Stewardship; and Detail-oriented

IRRI offers a highly extensive employee benefits package inclusive of globally-covered medical insurance, retirement plan, life and accident insurance and other allowances.

Join our team and be part of our story!

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
This position will remain open until filled.