Research Technician - Breeding- CIMMYT

Reference number: 202627

Job status: In-progress

Job category: Local Position

Duty station: Kiboko, Makueni County, Kenya

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CIFOR-ICRAF

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) envision a more equitable world where trees in all landscapes, from drylands to the humid tropics, enhance the environment and well-being for all. CIFOR and ICRAF are non-profit science institutions that build and apply evidence to today’s most pressing challenges, including energy insecurity and the climate and biodiversity crises. Over a combined total of 65 years, we have built vast knowledge on forests and trees outside of forests in agricultural landscapes (agroforestry). Using a multidisciplinary approach, we seek to improve lives and to protect and restore ecosystems. Our work focuses on innovative research, partnering for impact, and engaging with stakeholders on policies and practices to benefit people and the planet. Founded in 1993 and 1978, CIFOR and ICRAF are members of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.

CIFOR-ICRAF is looking for a

Research Technician - Breeding- CIMMYT

Overview

About our organization:

CIMMYT is a cutting edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow's problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries. For more information, visit: cimmyt.org

In Kenya, CIMMYT is hosted by World Agroforestry (ICRAF), a member of the CGIAR that is headquartered on United Nations Avenue, Nairobi, Kenya. We invite you to learn more about CIMMYT and World Agroforestry by accessing our web sites: www.cimmyt.org and www.worldagroforestry.org

CIMMYT is looking for a:

Research Technician - Breeding

CIMMYT’s Dryland Crops Program is seeking an energetic and detail‑oriented Breeding Research Technician to support the implementation of high‑quality, field‑based breeding operations and multi‑location trials for finger millet. The role requires hands‑on field work, strong skills in finger millet floral biology and pollination, practical experience in establishing and managing field trials, and the ability to consistently execute operational protocols for effective breeding outcomes in dynamic environments. The position also demands excellent organizational skills and the ability to work in a high‑performance research environment characterized by scientific excellence, efficient operations, collaboration with partners, and tight timelines.

Duties and responsibilities

1. Coordinate, execute, and manage
finger millet breeding nurseries

• Execute bi?parental crosses in pearl and finger
  millet as guided by the scientist, ensuring that resulting populations are
  properly QA/QC’d in coordination with the applied genetics team.

• Implement and coordinate Forward
  Accelerated Selfing Technique (FAST) on F2 and F3 populations, maintaining
  required population size and producing new inbred lines at the end of the FAST
  workflow.

• Work closely with the agronomist and
  station operations team to plan field maintenance, including land preparation,
  fertilizer application, irrigation scheduling, and weed and pest management for
  optimal nursery establishment.

• Oversee seasonal workers in field
  operations such as planting, pollination, rogueing, bagging, and harvesting;
  conduct training on best practices for cross?pollination, contamination avoidance,
  and teamwork; and maintain safety protocols and operational efficiency during
  peak breeding activities.

• Learn and operate the Enterprise
  Breeding System (EBS) for nursery creation and management, and ensure diligent
  and timely entry, curation, and maintenance of all nursery layouts, field
  books, and phenotypic data in EBS, and ensure nursery rows and plot are
  appropriately tagged with EBS QR codes.

2. Manage crossing work, pollination, bagging to generate new populations

• Supervise controlled pollination
  activities, including bagging of inflorescences, gametocide application, pollen
  collection from designated male parents, and meticulous hand pollinations,
  following established protocols.

• Ensure timely and efficient crossing
  by maintaining or exceeding established F1 success rates.

• Monitor crop progress and promptly
  address issues affecting the performance and integrity of breeding populations.

• Organize harvesting, post?harvest drying, threshing, cleaning,
  and mechanical grading to produce high?quality seed lots
  suitable for nurseries and trials.

• In collaboration with the scientist
  and station team, propose and implement incremental improvements in crossing,
  pollination, and seed?processing workflows
  (e.g., workflow mapping, SOP refinement, better use of digital tools) to
  increase efficiency, seed quality, and worker safety.

3. Implement and manage finger millet regional multi-location trials

• Plan and coordinate the annual
  regional trialing strategy in consultation with the scientist, including trial
  lists, site allocation, planting windows, and seed requirements for each
  collaborating location.

• Prepare, pack, and document trial seed
  kits (including checks and standards), maintain trial seed inventory, and
  coordinate shipment to national partners, ensuring that all trials are
  established on time and according to experimental designs.

• Liaise regularly with NARS partners
  and trial site staff to ensure timely land preparation, planting, agronomic
  management (fertilizer, irrigation where applicable, weed, pest and disease
  control), and adherence to agreed trial protocols and HSE standards.

• Coordinate accurate and timely
  collection of agronomic, phenotypic, and environmental data across sites using
  digital tools (e.g., tablets, field data capture apps), ensuring data quality,
  completeness, and standardized trait scoring.

• Create and manage trials in the
  Enterprise Breeding System (EBS), including loading entry lists, generating
  field books, and ensuring diligent entry, cleaning, and long?term maintenance of all multi?location trial data and metadata in
  EBS in collaboration with the data management team.

• Use trial data and partner feedback to
  identify bottlenecks and propose improvements in trial design, implementation,
  data collection, and partner support, and contribute to the refinement and
  documentation of regional testing procedures and SOPs.

• Provide backstopping to partners
  through remote support and periodic site visits (as needed), troubleshooting
  implementation challenges, reinforcing protocols, and contributing to
  continuous improvement of the regional testing network.

4. Resource management, reporting and communication

• Uphold CIMMYT’s Core Values of
  Excellence, Integrity, and Teamwork, as well as CIMMYT’s health, safety, and
  environment (HSE) standards.

• Prepare field management reports,
  trial logs, seed inventory summaries, and recommendations for improving nursery
  and trial implementation.

• Provide field training and on?the?job coaching to seasonal staff,
  students, and visiting researchers, and contribute to partner capacity?building activities as required.

Requirements

• Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Plant
  Breeding or related field

• Minimum two years’ practical
  experience in field crop research, with specific experience in pearl millet or
  hybrid seed production preferred.

• In-depth knowledge of pearl millet
  floral biology and pollination. Familiarity with digital data collection apps
  (e.g., Fieldbook, tablets)

• Ability to drive field car (pickup
  with manual or automatic gear).

• Occasional travel to partner locations.

Education, knowledge and experience

•Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Plant Breeding or related field

•Minimum two years’ practical experience in field crop research, with specific experience in pearl millet or hybrid seed production preferred.

•In-depth knowledge of pearl millet floral biology and pollination. Familiarity with digital data collection apps (e.g., Fieldbook, tablets)

•Ability to drive field car (pickup with manual or automatic gear).

•Occasional travel to partner locations.

Terms and conditions

•This is a Locally Recruited Staff (LRS) position. CIFOR-ICRAF offers a competitive remuneration package commensurate with experience and qualifications. In Kenya, employment contracts are issued under ICRAF in compliance with Kenyan labour law. Locally recruited staff are eligible for a non-contributory pension scheme, comprehensive medical insurance, paid annual and statutory leave, and learning and development opportunities in line with CIFOR-ICRAF policies.

•The appointment will be for a period of two (2) years, inclusive of a six-month probationary period, with the possibility of extension contingent upon performance, continued relevance of the position and available resources.

•The duty station will be in Kiboko, Makueni County, Kenya.

•We will acknowledge all applications but will only contact short-listed candidates.

Application process

The application deadline is 31 May 2026

We will acknowledge all applications, but will contact only short-listed candidates.