Jobs at Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International

THE ROLE:

The Post-doctoral fellow will work closely with a research group (team) as well as relevant stakeholders in planning and conducting basic and applied research targeted at developing an integrated pest management approach (IPM) for crop pathogens and pests of interest to CABI and its regional stakeholders with the general aim of improving plant health.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Take a lead in managing project activities related to the management of plant health problems in Plantwise plus focal countries;
• Perform diagnosis of plant diseases and develop/implement a plant pathology program for their management;
• Conduct surveys to identify pathogenic bacteria, fungi and viruses of emerging pests and vectors of plant disease, and laboratory and field trials to establish their potential role in control strategies as a component of an IPM approach;
• Test novel commercial and locally available low-risk plant protection products for their effectiveness and explore options for their wider use by small-holder farmers to manage plant health problems;
• Contribute to documenting an evidence base on the impacts of priority pests and diseases on crop productivity, food security and livelihoods in the region;
• Contribute to building capacity of partners through the identification and co-supervision or mentoring of graduate students on specific research topics in the field of pathology;
• Publish research outcomes in peer-reviewed journals, as well as contribute to the dissemination of research findings to stakeholders through presentations, media and other outreach materials;
• Contribute to proposal development to secure funding in the field of crop and insect pathology;
• Collaborate with other scientists, contributing broad-based skills in entomology, crop and insect pathology, experimental design, and statistical analysis;
• Any other duties as may be required from time to time in support of the Plantwise programme.

ABOUT YOU:

• PhD in crop protection (pathology/entomology) from a recognised university, with a good understanding of plant–pest–natural enemy interactions and plant/arthropod pathology at both basic and applied levels;
• Applicants will be expected to have been awarded or defended their PhD theses not more than 5 years;
• Good track record of research demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications in renowned journals;
• Demonstrated oral and written English communication skills.
• Experience in coordinating research projects and farmer field outreach activities on novel IPM technologies
• Ability to design and run scientific experiments in the laboratory and screen house settings, and conduct field experiments involving crop pests and diseases and their naturally occurring biological agents;
• Good knowledge of a wide range of emerging crop pests and diseases and their impacts to crops, humans and the environment;
• Experience of biological control with natural enemies of pests including parasitoids, predators and pathogens and IPM in general;
• Proficiency in use of statistical tools and other related statistical software.
• Ability to diagnose plant disease problems and determine appropriate course of action for their management
• Ability to supervise and mentor technical staff and students and demonstrate leadership skills;
• An effective, innovative, and energetic team player;
• Ability to work in multidisciplinary, multi-institutional and multicultural environment;
• Eager to learn new techniques and work with minimal supervision;
• Commitment to pursuing a research career in Africa, and engaging policy makers and the public in their research work.

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THE ROLE:

Oversee the successful implementation of PlantwisePlus activities in particular those aimed at enabling farmers to meet production standards, in order to ensure production and supply of safer food for domestic markets.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Undertake market assessments to identify appropriate agricultural value chains for applying existing or developing new voluntary production standards for local niche markets;
• Undertake farmer group study to identify farmer groups for participation in voluntary production standards, discuss objectives and partnership agreements;
• Undertake assessment to understand behavioural insights of smallholders’, and their willingness to adopt standards, contributing towards formulating sustainable intervention strategies
• Develop standards assessment tool to assess the adoption rate of standards among smallholders;
• Develop or link achievable voluntary production standards that describe expected production, harvesting, storage and processing practices for farmers;
• Develop farmer-friendly training materials and guidance documents to support compliance with voluntary standards, and implement training programs for technical staff and farmers to, including standards compliance monitoring and technical backstopping
• Ensure effective networking, collaboration and communication with national partners, especially those working on food safety and standards;
• Closely collaborate and coordinate activities with PlantwisePlus task managers and global team leaders;
• Support and link with other PlantwisePlus thematic areas and other CABI Initiatives like SPS, One health and seizing opportunities for synergies.

ABOUT YOU:

• PhD in agriculture or horticulture required, preferably with specialisation in agronomy;
• Less than 5 years post PhD.
• Experience in applied research and development particularly in developing countries is essential;
• Experience in value chain analysis and design, and implementation of successful agribusiness models in vegetables, fruits, and other food crops for farmers and farmer groups.
• Experience of farmer group training in agricultural production, management, marketing, food safety, produce certification/standards;
• Experience developing training manuals/ materials;
• Experience in the development and implementation of various developmental projects involving fruits and vegetables;
• Experience carrying out audit in GlobalGAP certification for Fruits and Vegetables is an added advantage;
• Ability to help manage and motivate staff, build effective teams and encourage individual development and growth;
• Ability to work both persuasively and diplomatically in a team-based environment with a high degree of complexity and ambiguity;
• Hands-on problem-solver with strong analytical abilities and end-product focus;
• Self-motivated, adaptable, well organized and able to work with minimal supervision;
• Results focus in work planning, execution of tasks and reporting;
• Capacity to build effective relationships with programme stakeholders;
• Ability to work with diverse nationalities in a multi-cultural environment.