SAS-Senior Research Technician

ICRISAT seeks applications from dynamic, self-motivated, and service-oriented professional for the position of Senior Research Technician. This position will support on-going research activities in Malawi, Zambia and collaborating projects in the Southern Africa region as needed. The incumbent will work under the supervision of scientists and scientific officers in implementing the Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) project and play an important role in participating in demonstration establishment, backstopping, field surveys, data collection and data analysis.

AID-I is a Feed the Future (FtF) Activity jointly implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Department of State (DOS). It targets farming communities in vulnerable regions and expanding partnerships where USAID and last-mile partners already work. Managed by USAID/Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS), the AID-I Activity aims to address the global food and fertilizer price crisis by bringing together existing networks of last-mile partners, including governments, research organizations, private sector businesses, and development NGOs to coordinate rapid action and enhance market-led delivery channels to reach millions of smallholder farmers quickly with demand-driven innovations and information.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

·          Support the implementation of the AID-I in Malawi and Zambia including planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating demo establishment, farm surveys, data collection, analysis of results

·          Training of partners on various technical aspects of legume and cereal agronomy and seed production as appropriate

·          Select demonstration sites for impact (considering farmer and field appropriateness) and potential for popularization of technologies,

·          Support procurement, packaging and delivery of inputs

·          Conduct preliminary data analysis with support of designated scientific officers.

·          Coordinate students, casual labour and project teams

·          Lead and coordinate field activities including field layout, demo establishment, log books and records maintenance and data collection to a high standard

·          Conduct cross country field monitoring visits as required

·          Assist in organizing field days, workshops, and other scaling platforms.

Place of Performance

The position is based at CIMMYT's hosted office in Lilongwe, Malawi. Travel will be expected to other locations on a need basis.

Professional and Academic, Attributes and Competencies

·          A diploma in agriculture or a closely related field

·          At least 10 years of practical agriculture experience in research for development in smallholder production systems in Malawi or Zambia.

·          Experience with using participatory research methodologies and adapting agricultural practices to local biophysical and socioeconomic conditions.

·          Commitment to advances in farm productivity, food security and poverty reduction in the developing world.

·          Computer literacy, with proficiency in the common software packages.

·          Willingness to travel to rural villages and to spend considerable time away from home.

·          Experience working in multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams in international research for development setting.

·          Demonstrated ability to work within deadlines and deliver quality products.

·          Advanced written and oral communication skills in English.

·          Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills

The selected candidate must exhibit the following competencies: Critical Thinking, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Communication, Teamwork and Client Orientation.

How to apply:

Applicants should apply on or before 24 July 2023, 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