Crop Scientist – Bioversity International

ICRISAT seeks applications from qualified Candidates to serve as a Crop Scientist based in New Delhi, India. The position will be part of the Information Services and Seed Supplies team, led by a Senior Scientist. The Crop Scientist will support the development of the approach in India and embed it in national and local institutions that support agricultural research and rural extension.

Bioversity International is a global research-for-development organization, with a vision that agricultural biodiversity nourishes people and sustains the planet. Bioversity has developed the Seeds for Needs approach to deploy crop genetic diversity for climate adaptation. In India, strong evidence for the effectiveness of this approach is now available, and the approach is being taken forward for a broad range of crops in several agroecologies. The citizen science approach at the core of Seeds for Needs has potential to transform the way in which crop research is organized.

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. ICRISAT and its partners help empower those living in the semi-arid tropics, especially smallholder farmers, to overcome poverty, hunger, malnutrition and a degraded environment through more efficient and profitable agriculture.

ICRISAT is headquartered in Patancheru near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and five country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT, established in 1972, is a member of the CGIAR Consortium.

Key Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the Senior Scientist, the Crop Scientist will:

• Support the creation of training materials, experimental design, and data analysis of farmer-participatory crop variety testing
• Give trainings and guidance on farmer-participatory crop variety testing
• Document learning and progress in farmer-participatory crop variety testing in reports and publications aimed at different audiences
• Engage with different organizations in India to mainstream the tricot citizen science approach into crop research and extension
• Collaborate in the development of proposals to fund research on crop variety testing
• Contribute to other organizational and programmatic activities as and when required 

Qualifications and competencies:

• A PhD in Agriculture, Environmental Sciences, Biology or related fields; or alternatively a Master degree in the same fields plus at least 10 years’ experience
• A good publication record
• Experience in statistics and other types of quantitative analysis
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively interact with people at all levels and build consensus in a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environment
• Strong skills in interdisciplinary and solution-oriented thinking
• Experience of working and living in developing countries
• Drive and entrepreneurship to pursue opportunities to garner additional support for research

Desirables:

• Working knowledge of Hindi and/or other languages spoken in India
• Expertise and field experience in plant sciences
• Skills and field experience in rural extension
• Skills in using scientific programming languages, especially R or Python
• Familiarity with the CGIAR system

General:

This is a position in the Scientist and Managerial (SMG) cadre. The initial contract will be for a period of 1 year and is renewable based on performance and availability of funds. The remuneration package includes a competitive salary, leave provisions, medical and accident insurance.

How to apply:

Applicants should apply on or before 29 January 2020, with latest Curriculum Vitae, and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable about your professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged; however only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

“ICRISAT is an equal opportunity employer”