Key skills
cereal breeding
varietal development and screening
varietal maintenance
hybrid selection
modern and conventional breeding
Additional/Preferred Skills
technology out-scaling • seed and varietal testing
seed sector development
facilitation of public private partnerships
seed production
Preferred Qualifications
pearl millet breeder
Scientist – Peal Millet Breeder
ICRISAT seeks applications from highly motivated and qualified research professionals for the national position of Scientist to support the Pearl millet breeding program under the Global Research Program Accelerated Crop Improvement to not only implement and coordinate activities related to varietal development and screening, on stations, on farm and multi-location trials, strengthen NARS technicians capacity in seed production and variety maintenance but also develop inclusive strategies for scaling the adoption of new climate-resilient, farmer-and market-preferred varieties in partnership with other national research institutes. The position is based in Niamey, Niger.
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 kilometres of land in 55 countries, the semi- arid or dryland tropics have 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 one regional hub and eight country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT envisions 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 mandated crops of chickpea, pigeon pea, groundnut, sorghum, pearl millet, and finger millet in the arid and semi-arid tropics. The Institute focuses its work on drylands and on 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
Responsibilities:
- Conduct research activities toward developing new varieties and work with national seed systems to design and implement resilient seed delivery systems
- Assist the breeding program in product development and dissemination
- Lead ICRISAT Niamey seed unit
- Engage with project partners and government institutions to disseminate project outputs through meetings and feedback workshops.
- Work with national and international partners including local farmers and Niger government entities
- Build strong national strategic alliances related to strengthening seed and delivery systems for improved adoption of new varieties and breeding activities.
- Support the capacity development of the NARS partners and the seed producers in Niger in themes related to seed systems development and breeding.
- Lead project Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning activities
- Plan and organize seed systems research and provide scientific and technical advice on the development of protocols for seed systems processes in Niger.
- Assist relevant research to optimize processes that facilitate fast-tracking of delivery and adoption of ICRISAT mandate crops and knowledge in Niger.
- Write technical reports, briefs, and other communication materials.
- Participate in the preparation and publication of research results/reports.
- Assist in organizing workshops, training, or field work as required.
Requirements
- Ph.D in breeding/agronomy with experience in pearl millet breeding, variety maintenance, technology out-scaling, particularly seed and varietal testing and dissemination
- Demonstrated skills in seed sector development and facilitation of public private partnerships
- Ability to work in multi-stakeholder, multi-cultural, and multi-disciplinary teams and processes
- Fluency in spoken and written French and English, a publication record is an added advantage
Experience
- At least 3 years of experience in breeding/agronomy and information dissemination
- Proven knowledge and experience in seed systems and managing donor funded projects related to the seed sector in Niger.
- Experience with applied research related to innovations in the seed sector would be an added advantage
Desired skills
- Aptitude and skills to carry out project activities in Niger
- Ability to work with different nationalities and disciplines in a diverse and multi-cultural environment.
- Experience in leading and managing project-related activities
- Demonstrate a high level of initiative and be innovative
General:
This is a contractual position for a period of 02 years. The contract can be extended based on the availability of funds.
How to apply:
The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified. All Applicants should apply with their latest Resume by 14 September 2026, along with the names and contact information of three references who 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 and is committed to increasing diversity and maintaining a progressive and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or whether they have a disability.