Principal Scientist – I - Cell and Molecular Biology and Trait Engineering

ICRISAT seeks applications from dynamic and motivated Global Professionals for the position of Principal Scientist – I and Group Leader under the Trait Discovery and Delivery Theme within the Global Research Program – Accelerated Crop Improvement. The position is based in the Headquarters in Patancheru, Hyderabad, Telangana.

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 kilometers of land in 55 countries, the semi- arid or dryland tropics has 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 two regional hubs and eight country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT envisions a 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 mandate crops of chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut, sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet in the arid and semi-arid tropics. The Institute focuses its work on the drylands and in 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

Aspirational Targets and Development Outcomes:

ICRISAT has set four bold targets in the next ten years that will enormously benefit the well-being of the drylands’ poorest people:

ICRISAT, with an annual budget of over USD 40 Million, has a global workforce of over 3000 individuals in Asia and Africa.

Position Overview:

ICRISAT has a compelling mission to fight poverty and improve the lives of people living in the drylands around the world. The drylands are harsh environments with some of the highest levels of poverty and malnutrition, impacted strongly by climate change and battling water shortages and environmental degradation. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be met unless we are persistent in escalating efforts towards finding solutions in these most challenged landscapes.

This is an exceptional opportunity to become a part of a modern and innovative agricultural research team. ICRISAT has three global research programs which are implemented in its international centres in Asia and Africa. To implement its research for the development agenda, ICRISAT is looking for a dynamic, experienced, exceptional, multi-talented candidate for the position of ‘Principal Scientist-1 who would lead ICRISAT effort on cell biology and transformation with a particular focus on gene editing as part of the Trait Discovery and Delivery Theme in the Global Research Program “Accelerated Crop Improvement”.

70% Research and 30% Administrative responsibilities, the incumbent will lead a vibrant multi-disciplinary team and provide scientific leadership by combining multiple platforms to develop and test new biotechnological approaches to develop ICRISAT mandate crops to support the demand for increased yield and overall agricultural productivity.

The position will report to the Head of Trait Discovery and Delivery, within the ACI program. This position will be hired through a Globally Competitive Recruitment process on a contract for a period of three years with an attractive compensation and benefits package payable in US dollars. A new contract may be offered at the end of the present tenure based on the performance of the incumbent, funding availability and the lnstitute’s continuing need for the position. The suitable candidate will need to be able to act fast, engage professionally and build relationships across multiple cultures, besides working closely with the lnstitute’s Leadership Team and scientists across all our locations in Asia and Africa.

Primary Responsibilities:

Qualifications and Core Competencies:

The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of the following skills, knowledge, experience, and personal characteristics:

Skills and Knowledge:

General:

This is a contractual role for a period of 36 months (3 years).

How to apply:

The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified. Shortlisting will start from 28 October 2025. All Applicants should apply with their latest Resume, and the names and contact information of three references that 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.

Key Skills

Additional/Preferred Skills

Preferred Qualifications

Why ICRISAT?

ICRISAT offers a rewarding career opportunity in dryland agricultural research to have a lasting impact on millions of lives and communities. The state of the art research infrastructure with high performance culture, ICRISAT provides global exposure and learning. For more details, visit www.icrisat.org Apply Now