Field Research Technician at World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)

Job Summary

This position is responsible for providing support to the Scientist, by managing the AVISA regional trial network for AVISA Crops ((g/nut, sorghum, millet, pigeon pea, Chickpea). This involves planning seed production for trials, packaging and distributing trials, ensuring trials are established in a timely manner, ship the germplasms to other testing site (in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and West Africa), trial data is collected and loaded onto a data management system, maintaining assets used for the work (vehicles, tablets for data collections, etc.)

Job Description

Planning, Packing and Distribution of trials.

• Estimate demand for trial seed production and work with AVISA Nursery and Seed Production (NSP) technician at Kiboko to coordinate production
• Maintain seed inventory and supervise short term trial seed storage at Kiboko
• Design and pack trials under the direction of crop breeding leads
• Coordinate shipment of trials to regional collaborators (Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda and other west African countries) for timely planting (obtain import permits, phyto permits, shipment quotes, SMTAs ).

Establishment Data Collection and Management of trials

• Ensure trials are established on time (timely land prep, planting, fertilizer application) at partner locations and planted according to the trial design.
• Ensure trials are well managed (irrigated, weed control, pest and disease control) and that there is frequent communication and backstopping support to trialing partners
• Manage accurate and timely data collection at different stage of the trials in the field and the nurseries.
• Ensure accuracy of data entry and consolidation for analysis be the Scientist.
• Learn and operate the Breeding Management System (BMS) or the Enterprise Breeding System (EBS) in order to manage routine operations, data upload, data curation, cleaning and preliminary analysis.
• Implement timely digital data capture using the relevant tools and software as identified by AVISA management.
• Take responsibility for increasing the accuracy and consistency of trial data across the AVISA network in ESA (Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda) and other west African countries).

Supervise casual labor

• Manage a team of casual labour at Kiboko to manage seed inventory, trial packaging, trial distribution.
• Ensure team receive the necessary training to conduct their tasks
• Maintaining of safety and hygiene standards.
• Preparing muster roll and submit to supervisor and accounts for payment processing.

Other Responsibilities

• Assist / train regional trialing partners based on their needs (data collection, standardized nomenclature, use of digitization tools) and in coordination with the supervisor
• Manage printing of packets, labels, tags and seed inventory
• Establish and maintain contacts with collaborating organizations and partners
• Participate in exhibitions, demonstrations, and field days

Requirements

• BSc or MSc in Plant Breeding, Agricultural Sciences or biotechnology
• Minimum two (2) years’ experience in managing agricultural field activities or research projects
• Good report writing skills.
• Familiarity with legumes and/or cereal crops and related research operations (pollination, data collection from trials and nurseries, running breeding and operational software, experience with genotyping sampling etc.) will be an advantage.
• Ability to drive (manual gear) and travel independently in the region to monitor the trialing network.
• Ability to manage labor, estimate labor demand, provide supervision and training to field staff to manage breeding research activities
• Ability to work independently with minimal day to day supervision and proactively solve problems
• Excellent communication and reporting skills to line manager and colleagues on station

Closing: 18 July 2022