Deadline: Open until filled
African Plant Nutrition Institute is looking for Senior Scientist – Research & Development (SSRD) to be based at APNI’s West Africa regional office in Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire, with regular travel to APNI’s headquarters and other regional offices.This new position offers the opportunity to join a rapidly growing team dedicated to improving farmer livelihood through proper crop nutrition.
The SSRD position will support the Director of Research and Development in coordinating and supporting APNI’s institutional portfolio of R&D initiatives and will have the additional responsibility of developing and leading new projects in West Africa. The position will work closely with internal teams to coordinate project planning, implementation, reporting and monitoring, and evaluation. The SSDR will also contribute to resource mobilization and develop and foster partnerships with APNI’s extensive network of external collaborating institutions, including International Agricultural Research Centers, National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems, private sector, and development organizations, to deliver high-quality and impact-oriented research outputs.
- Responsibilities:
The main responsibilities will include the following:
- Support the coordination of APNI’s R&D initiatives to ensure effective planning and implementation to deliver high-quality research outputs in line with APNI strategy;
- Provide technical support to ensure the implementation of R&D initiatives in line with institutional guidelines, priorities, and standard operating procedures;
- Support data management for APNI trials, including collecting, organizing, storing, and analysing data.
- Lead the development and/or implementation of R&D projects in West Africa;
- Support the design and implementation of farmer-centric and transdisciplinary research processes that enhance the adoption of improved nutrient management practices;
- Support R&D internal and external teams in using research outputs to generate high-quality peer-reviewed journal articles, technical publications, and other knowledge and communication products.
- Contribute to APNI’s capacity-building efforts for students, interns, trainees, and partners;
- Active participation in resource mobilization activities, including contribution to the development of proposals and liaison with funding agencies;
- Develop and operationalize APNI’s internal project review and progress reporting systems and coordinate the timely delivery of high-quality reports to external stakeholders.
- Undertake any other duties as required by the needs of APNI.
II. Requirements
The suitable candidate for the position should possess the following:
- Ph.D. degree in soil science, agronomy, or related fields.
- 10 years of proven experience in designing and implementing participatory and large-scale research trials on nutrient management, including management and analyses of generated trial data.
- Experience in farmer-centric research and/or supply chain-inclusive research approaches related to soil health and climate-smart agriculture.
- Project management skills demonstrated through the leadership of multi-actor, regional agricultural, or environmental projects.
- Demonstrated ability to write and successfully publish high-quality scientific publications.
- Excellent communication skills in English, both oral and written. Working knowledge of French is an advantage
III. How To Apply?
- Qualified candidates should send all application materials in English, including a detailed CV, an application letter, and the email addresses of three professional references to [email protected], with the position name (Senior Scientist – Research & Development) mentioned in the subject line.
- This posting will remain open until a suitable candidate has been found. Only pre-selected candidates for the interview will be contacted.
- The position is full-time, subject to the completion of a satisfactory probation period of 3 months.
About the African Plant Nutrition Institute
Launched in 2019, the African Plant Nutrition Institute is a not-for-profit research and development institute based in Benguérir, Morocco. The institute works to develop and promote sustainable plant nutrition management practices and innovation through research, education, and outreach. It has active research projects in East, West, and North Africa. It currently has four offices across Africa.For more information, please refer to APNI website
