Location: Rabat, Morocco

Closing date: This position is open until filled.

Reporting to: Research Team Leader – Genetic Resources, Conservation, Characterization and Use (GRS) and Legume Breeder

About ICARDA

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR. ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development and capacity development that take into account gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organization, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org

All CGIAR Centers are currently engaged into a reform process (“One CGIAR’”) that will help ICARDA and CGIAR achieve better impact through more strategically integrated research, unified governance, an integrated structure and new research modalities across participating Research Centers. This transformation is supported by CGIAR donors who have committed to increased funding as a result of these reforms.

Main purpose of position

ICARDA holds the global mandate for the collection, conservation and use of food legumes (chickpea, faba bean, lathyrus, lentil, pea) and forages (Vicia, Pisum, etc.) genetic diversity, and it conducts major breeding activities on these legume crops. At present, two H2020 projects (INCREASE and BELIS) focusing on the improvement of chickpea and lentil have been added to the portfolio of investments, which already included the Crop Trust support for the exploitation of wild relatives in grasspea, two major efforts by the One CGIAR agenda: the Genebank Platform, and the Accelerate Breeding Initiative. To deliver across this array of initiatives, ICARDA is seeking a motivated scientist capable of supporting the pre-breeding effort for food legume crops (chickpea, faba bean, lentil and grass pea) and forages, strengthening the linkage between genebank characterization of diversity and its breeding use.

Main responsibilities

• Assist in the characterization and evaluation of ICARDA’s Genebank legumes (Chickpea, lentil, faba bean and Grasspea and forage legumes) germplasm for various traits related to yield, nutritional content, and environmental adaptation.
• Develop a pipeline for the identification, cloning and use of new genes of interest from landraces and wild relatives of the four legumes crops.
• Perform gene introgression, population advancement and selection of best lines to be transferred to the four breeding programs.
• Develop and implement collaborative research, building up networks and capacity.
• Establish/maintain/expand collaboration with Global Research Centers of Excellence.
• Support the delivery and development of research proposals.
• Supervision of students and technical staff.
• Provide comprehensive project reporting mechanisms to effectively communicate milestones and outcomes.
• Publish scientific articles.
• Represent ICARDA at national and international fora.

Requirements

Education, qualifications, and experience

• Recent PhD in plant breeding, plant genetics or related discipline.
• Good knowledge of quantitative genetics applied to plant breeding.
• Demonstrated ability to design, implement and analyse field trials.
• Demonstrated expertise in forage qualitative and quantitative trait evaluation and selection.
• Demonstrated knowledge in latest genetics and genomics techniques, including fine-mapping, gene cloning, and rapid allele introgression.
• Demonstrated experience with wild relatives and inter-specific populations.
• Knowledge of cytogenetics and associated techniques will be an advantage.
• Experience in physiology evaluation of breeding relevant traits.
• Strong skills in bioinformatics including Big Data analysis and proficiency in the use of R software.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate relevant research results at national and international fora
• Proven record in research through ISI peer-reviewed publications.
• Good reporting skills to adeptly format and synthesize information into a cohesive report.
• Fluency in English language both spoken and written.
• Good inter-personal skills and an ability to work with multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams.

Demonstrated expertise in forage trait evaluation, selection, and genetic improvement.

Desirable qualifications and competencies

• Knowledge of a second language (French or Arabic) would be an advantage.
• A Valid driving license.

Benefits

Terms of appointment, salary, and benefits

This is an internationally recruited position for which ICARDA offers an attractive compensation package including a competitive salary, medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, five months’ maternity leave, 15 days’ paternity leave.

The successful candidate will be offered an initial contract of 2 years, of which the first year will be a probationary period. With a possibility of extension for a maximum of 1 year. Subsequent employment is determined based on the performance, the availability of funds and continued need for the position.

Please note that this is a re-advertisement, and candidates who applied previously need not apply.

Selection for the position will take place on a rolling basis until the position is filled. To ensure that your application is considered, please submit it as soon as possible.

ICARDA is committed to increasing women representation in its workforce and strongly encourages applications from women.

Applications will be acknowledged, but due to the high number of applications we apologise in advance as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.