The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) is a nonprofit, autonomous international agricultural research center with headquarters in Taiwan and regional offices around the globe. WorldVeg conducts research and development programs that contribute to improved incomes and diets in the developing world through increased production and consumption of nutritious and health-promoting vegetables. For more information about World Vegetable Center, please visit our website: www.worldveg.org.
WorldVeg holds the largest public sector vegetable germplasm collection in its genebanks in Taiwan and Tanzania and conducts breeding for tomato, pepper, cucurbits, legumes, okra, and traditional African vegetables such as African eggplant, amaranth, and nightshade.
The developed materials are scaled to farmers through public and private partners.
WorldVeg seeks to recruit a Vegetable Breeder based at WorldVeg's Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa (WorldVeg-ESA) located in Arusha, Tanzania, to join the African Traditional Vegetable Improvement Program to breed improved vegetable and grain amaranth varieties and other traditional African vegetables.
Key Responsibilities:
• Perform research on farmer- and consumer-preferred traits and develop product profiles for traditional African vegetables, especially for amaranth
• Design and implement efficient and cost-effective breeding strategies for addressing disease and pest resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, taste, storage life, processing, and nutritional attributes of traditional African vegetables
• Apply farmer-assisted selection and other participative selection methods to identify high-performing, farmer- and consumer-preferred cultivars
• Promote vegetable research, breeding, and variety development in East Africa by collaborating with public and private sectors and with the African Vegetable Breeding Consortium, and by actively participating in workshops, field days, and other events
• Work with WorldVeg scientists and partners to develop and promote sound horticultural vegetable crop management practices
• Provide training in plant breeding and genetics to junior breeders in-house and for public and private sector partners
• Lead resource mobilization for developing improved vegetable varieties through the development of concept notes and proposals in strategic research areas
• Compile, analyze, document, and publish research results in journals, book chapters, magazines, and newsletters
• Represent the WorldVeg Vegetable Diversity and Improvement Team at conferences, project meetings, and other events
• Supervise farm operations and assist in establishing, upgrading, and maintaining the breeding and seed production infrastructure at WorldVeg-ESA
• Perform any other duties as required by the needs of the Center and as directed by the supervisor
Note: WorldVeg reserves the right to revise job profiles at any time based on changes to the required job responsibilities.
Required Qualifications:
- PhD in genetics, plant breeding, or in a related discipline
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in field breeding of vegetables with a strong publication record
- Demonstrated capacity in implementing participatory breeding methods
- Proficiency in breeding data management and statistical analysis, experience in using breeding data management software
- Demonstrated experience in fund raising, project management and reporting
- Fluent in English, knowledge of Kiswahili is a plus
- Experience in farm management and supervising a team of field workers
The Reward: This is an Internationally Recruited Staff (IRS) position with competitive pay and benefits. The initial appointment is for three years, renewable depending on the performance of the incumbent.
The candidate we hire will embody WorldVeg's Five Core Values:
1. Dedication to Innovation and Knowledge Sharing Supports the conduct of world-class science, respects ethical standards, and is committed to sharing results in a transparent manner.
2. Commitment to Impact Aspires to achieve positive, tangible, and lasting impact contributing to Sustainable Development Goals.
3. Commitment to Partnerships Believes in the value of partnerships to advance research for development.
4. Respect for People Respect the diversity of gender, culture, ethnic origin, religion, age, beliefs, and views.
5. Respect for the Environment Strives to minimize its environmental impact and to introduce greener technology and practices.
How to Apply: Applicants should submit a letter of application explaining their suitability for and interest in the position along with an updated curriculum vitae, a recent passport-size photograph, names, and addresses (including telephone/fax/e-mail) of three referees, and date of availability to human.resources@worldveg.org. The submission deadline is before 15 October 2024. Please mention the position title in the subject line.