ICRISAT seeks applications for a Senior Assistant for The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) at its South and Central Asia Regional Office in Hyderabad, India. This is a nationally recruited position and is open for Indian nationals only.

ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. Covering 6.5 million square kilometers of land in 55 countries, the semi- arid or dryland tropics has over 2 billion people and 644 million of these are the poorest of the poor. ICRISAT and its partners help empower these disadvantaged populations to overcome poverty, hunger and a degraded environment through better agricultural production systems.

ICRISAT is headquartered at Patancheru near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and eight country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT envisions a prosperous, food-secure and resilient dryland tropics. Its mission is to reduce poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation in the dryland tropics. ICRISAT conducts research on its mandate crops of chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut, sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet in the arid and semi-arid tropics. The Institute focuses its work on the drylands and in protecting the environment. Tropical dryland areas are usually seen as resource-poor and perennially beset by shocks such as drought, thereby trapping dryland communities in poverty and hunger and making them dependent on external aid. Please visit – www.icrisat.org

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Excellent working knowledge of vegetable crops, implementing field, net house and glasshouse trials, allotting field sites, and designing and implementing a seasonal plan for all experiments and demonstrations under the supervision of the Scientific Officer.
• Ensure that all field sites especially the demonstration garden are well presented and maintained and supervise the collection and storage of seeds of all demonstration vegetables.
• Ensure the execution of field operations including cultivation, trickle irrigation, spraying and harvesting and to ensure safe operations.
• Exposure to handling a variety of evaluation trials and Good working knowledge of vegetable cultivation.
• Ensure the execution of field experiments as per the agreed plans and schedules and planted according to the trial design.
• Ensure the research trials are well managed and that there is frequent communication with the team.
• Ensure timely data collection and intervention of suitable agronomic practices at different stage of the trials in the field and the nurseries.
• Maintain seed inventory and assist in seed production.
• Ensure good pest and disease management in trials with the use of appropriate IPM practices.
• Must have knowledge on common pest and diseases and its management in vegetables.
• Assist in designing and supervising field trials, collecting data, conducting analyses and maintaining records.
• Manage printing labels, tags and seed inventory.
• Maintaining of safety and hygiene standards.

Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisor from time to time.

Requirement:

• Bachelor’s degree/Undergraduate degree with at least 4 years of working experience in projects related to vegetables.
• Familiarity with regional vegetable production practices, crop protection, seed production and managing timely field operations to ensure successful trial results.
• Ability to drive and travel independently in the region to monitor the trials.
• Ability to manage labor, estimate labor demand, and provide supervision to field staff to manage research activities.
• Ability to work independently with minimal day-to-day supervision and proactively solve problems.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Curiosity and a desire to continuously learn about science.
• Proficiency in Computer skills (MS Office).

The Reward: This is a Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) position with competitive pay and benefits. The initial appointment is for three years renewable depending on the performance of the incumbent.

The candidate we hire will embody WorldVeg’s Five Core Values:

1. Dedication to Innovation and Knowledge Sharing:

Supports the conduct of world-class science, respects ethical standards, and is committed to sharing results in a transparent manner.

2. Commitment to Impact:

Aspires to achieve positive, tangible, and lasting impact contributing to Sustainable Development Goals.

3. Commitment to Partnerships:

Believes in the value of partnerships to advance research for development.

4. Respect for People:

Respect the diversity of gender, culture, ethnic origin, religion, age, beliefs, and views.

5. Respect for the Environment:

Strives to minimize its environmental impact and to introduce greener technology and practices.

General:

This is a contractual role for a period of 36 months (3 years).

How to apply:

Applicants should apply on or before 04 October 2023, with their latest Resume, and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged; however only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

ICRISAT is an equal opportunity employer