Research Associate – CIMMYT

Duties and responsibilities

ENABLE activities.

• Support the ENABLE team, CGIAR centers, and partners in the implementation ofc Breakthrough projects in East and Southern Africa, and, where relevant, in West and Central Africa (WCA)
• Provide technical support to CGIAR–NARES breeding networks in East and Southern Africa, and, when required, to West and Central Africa (WCA), for the improvement of breeding operations, in coordination with the supervisors
• Support priority CGIAR–NARES breeding networks in costing of their breeding operations, in coordination with the thematic leader
• Support the organization and implementation of Product Advancement and Planning Meetings (PAPMs) at national and regional levels.
• Support NARES and CGIAR partners in uploading, updating, and maintaining Target Product Profiles (TPPs) and related data in the Breeding Portal.
• Contribute to coordination, documentation, and reporting across breeding networks and ENABLE-supported activities.

  On farm validation trials.

• Coordinate and support the implementation of On-Farm Validation (OFV) trials across locations, including planning, trial setup, and monitoring of activities
• Ensure proper tracking of entries, locations, and performance data across OFV sites
• Support centralized OFV logistics, including coordination of seed multiplication, packaging and labeling of entries, and distribution of trial materials to partners across multiple locations and projects.

Requirements

• BSc or MSc in Plant Breeding, Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology or Statistics
• At least two (2) years of industry or academic experience in the management of agricultural activities or research projects.
• Basic understanding of plant breeding, experimental design, seed systems, breeding operations and applied research.
• Driving License and ability to travel independently in East Africa.

Education, knowledge and experience

• BSc or MSc in Plant Breeding, Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology or Statistics
• At least two (2) years of industry or academic experience in the management of agricultural activities or research projects.
• Basic understanding of plant breeding, experimental design, seed systems, breeding operations and applied research.
• Driving License and ability to travel independently in East Africa.

Terms and conditions

• This is a Locally Recruited Staff (LRS) position. CIFOR-ICRAF offers a competitive remuneration package commensurate with experience and qualifications. In Kenya, employment contracts are issued under ICRAF in compliance with Kenyan labour law. Locally recruited staff are eligible for a non-contributory pension scheme, comprehensive medical insurance, paid annual and statutory leave, and learning and development opportunities in line with CIFOR-ICRAF policies.
• The appointment will be for a period of two (2) years, inclusive of a six-month probationary period, with the possibility of extension contingent upon performance, continued relevance of the position and available resources.
• The duty station will be in Nairobi, Kenya.
• We will acknowledge all applications but will only contact short-listed candidates.

End Date: 14th June 2026