Research Program Director-Dryland Cereals

ICRISAT is seeking applications from persons who are dynamic and highly innovative to lead Dryland Cereals research in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team of scientists. This is an internationally recruited staff position and will be based at ICRISAT Headquarters near Greater Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The Research Program Director (RPD)-Dryland Cereals, reports to the Deputy Director General for Research (DDG-R), and serves as member of the Research Committee.

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 tropics is home to over 2 billion people, with 650 million of these being the poorest of the poor. ICRISAT and its partners help empower those living in the semi-arid tropics, especially smallholder farmers, to overcome poverty, hunger, malnutrition and a degraded environment through more efficient and profitable agriculture. ICRISAT, established in 1972, is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. For more details, see www.icrisat.org.

The Job:

• As a member of ICRISAT's Research Committee, the RPD-Dryland Cereals contributes to the planning, implementing, delivering, and reporting of research outputs and impacts as outlined in ICRISAT's Strategic Plan, Business Plan, Medium Term Plan and the CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) in which ICRISAT leads and participates.
• Ensure science quality, research excellence and internal cross-Research Program interactions and teamwork across the institute.
• Lead the development, resourcing/fundraising and reporting of relevant CRPs and bilateral research projects in coordination with the Research Committee and the Director of Strategic Marketing and Communication.

The Responsibilities Include:

• Establish, monitor and evaluate Research Program scientists’ research work plans and performance, and provide oversight of their respective Research Program budget.
• Conduct research (with a minimum of 20% to a maximum of 40% time) in an area of relevance to Research Program, CRP and area of expertise.
• Enhance capacity building of scientists and staff through technical and other developmental training in collaboration with the Learning Systems Unit and Human Resources Services.
• Provide leadership in championing of ICRISAT’s Critical Focus Areas, e.g. mainstreaming gender, monitoring and evaluating impact, promoting knowledge sharing and innovation.
• Lead the preparation of the ICRISAT Annual Research Archival Reports and other institution level reports (e.g., reports required by the CGIAR) in coordination with the Directors of Eastern and Southern Africa(ESA) and Western and Central Africa (WCA).
• Conduct public awareness and marketing activities in coordination with the Director of Strategic Marketing and Communication.
• Assist in transforming research outputs into information and knowledge products to satisfy informational, educational and training needs of ICRISAT staff, NARS partners and other stakeholders in coordination with the Global Leader of Knowledge Sharing and Innovation.

The Person:

• PhD degree in Molecular Biology/Biotechnology/Plant Biology/Plant Breeding/Genetics or other related field.
• At least 10 years and more of post-doctoral research experience in plant breeding, molecular genetics, genomics, molecular biology or marker-assisted breeding with considerable Experience as a Research Leader in a reputed international organization is highly desirable.
• A record of achievement with academic publications, development and management of research grants, and capacity building initiatives.
• Fluency in spoken and written English is essential, and knowledge of French will be an advantage.

The Reward:
This is an internationally recruited staff position with an attractive and competitive salary and benefits package payable in US dollars. The position is initially for three years, and extendable depending on performance of the incumbent and funding availability. An attractive compensation will be offered for the right candidate.

How to apply:

Applicants should apply on or before 15 August 2012 by email to: ICRISATjobs@cgiar.org, with a letter of motivation, latest Curriculum Vitae, and names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable of the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience. The reference name of the position (Research Program Director-Dryland Cereals) should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the email. Screening of applications will begin in Mid-August 2012 and will continue until the post is filled. All applications will be acknowledged, however only short listed candidates will be contacted.

ICRISAT is an equal opportunity employer and is especially interested in increasing the participation of women on its staff. ICRISAT has a flexible approach to international appointments and welcomes dual-career couples.