Research Associate – Agronomist and Nursery at International Potato Center

The Position: The Research Associate will be expected to support in leading field activities with partners to support potato seed system development and potato production. Focus areas include apical cuttings and new varieties of potato, and technically backstopping nurseries and seed business producing and using apical cuttings, respectively. The Research Associate is to have expertise in potato agronomy, seed production and nursery management to produce apical cuttings. Maintaining partnerships in all activities is key applying to all responsibilities.

This position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya and report to the Senior Scientist.

Key responsibilities:

• Coordinate field activities for potato seed system development with focus on apical cuttings and new varieties
• Conduct capacity building interventions for seed multipliers, farmers, partners, private sector enterprises;
• Coordinate and support planning and delivery of field days and training sites managed by partners.
• Provide technical backstopping to nursery operators producing apical cuttings and seed producers producing seed from cuttings
• Work with partner to coordinate and monitor activities, such as extension training of trainers followed by farmer training, and monitor collection of all event and field data.
• Produce progress report of the field activities including maintaining database of monitoring data and managing and analyzing technical and economic data.

Requirements

• Minimum MSc degree in Agronomy, Agribusiness, Agricultural Development, or a related field;
• At least six years’ experience in agriculture in general of which 3 years working with potato, of which at least 2 years with differing classes of seed potato.
• Excellent skills in managing partnerships with senior level officials to farmers
• Excellent knowledge and experience in supporting nurseries to produce apical cuttings of potato
• Excellent knowledge and experience in supporting seed businesses to produce seed potato from apical cuttings
• Excellent skills in coordinating and monitoring large scale agricultural training programs with several partners
• Collecting diverse kinds of data form all activities
• Excellent data analysis, synthesis and report writing skills
• Advanced level of MS Office. 
• Advanced written and oral communication skills in English.
• Fluent in Kiswahili.

Benefits

Why should you consider this opportunity?

• CIP is a global and reputable international organization that has a strong, state-of-the-art R&D background, and is a recent World Food Price Winner and awarded with the Al-Sumait Award for our Orange Flesh Sweet Potato work in Africa. 
• CIP is dedicated to achieving food security, improved nutrition and well-being, and gender equality for poor people in root and tuber farming and food systems of the developing world.
• CIP is a member of the CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.

What are the conditions?

The position is Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) position limited to Kenya nationals and permanent residents only. The employment contract will be for 5 months (with a 3-month probation period), possibility of renewal, subject to availability of funding. Any offer made with regards to this vacancy is conditional to the formal award of the grant.