Post Doctoral Scientist - Aflatoxin Project

Vacancy Number: PD/BECA/04/11

Department: Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA)

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Duration: 2 year term appointment with possibility for renewal

Base salary from USD 35,000 plus attractive international staff benefits package

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works at the crossroads of livestock and poverty, bringing high-quality livestock science, communications and capacity building to bear on poverty reduction and sustainable development.

ILRI is one of 15 centres supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). ILRI has campuses in Kenya (headquarters) and Ethiopia, with other offices located in other regions of Africa (Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria) as well as in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia (Laos, Thailand, Vietnam) and East Asia (China).

ILRI also manages the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub at ILRI, a new centre for excellence in modern plant and animal biology in Africa. BecA is an initiative developed within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)/ African Union African Biosciences initiative.

It consists of a Hub based on the ILRI campus in Nairobi, Kenya and a network of regional nodes and other affiliated laboratories and organizations throughout the region. The BecA Hub facilities are world class, including a range of molecular, plant transformation, and genomics laboratories and equipment (e.g. 454 sequencing, Biosaftey level 3 laboratory, plant growth facilities).

The Hub hosts and conducts research in crop, microbe and livestock areas where new developments in science offer promise to address previously intractable problems constraining Africa’s development. Capacity building is a major goal of all activities. The scope covers agriculture and food security and their intersections with human health and nutrition, and the sustainable use of Africa’s natural resources.

Further information is available at http://hub.africabiosciences.org/.

The BecA-ILRI Hub seeks to recruit a Post-Doctoral Scientist whose key responsibilities will be as follows:

Responsibilities

• Play a leading role in the establishment and application of a mycotoxin diagnostics facility in Kenya;
• Liaise closely with collaborators in Kenya, Tanzania, Australia and USA;
• Conduct molecular and morphological characterization of Aspergillus species;
• Identify genetic sources of reduced susceptibility to aflatoxin accumulation in maize.

Requirements

• A PhD degree obtained no more than 5 years ago in the field of plant genetics, plant pathology and/or mycology;
• Experience working with mycotoxins and characterizing fungi;
• Experience with molecular biology, including working knowledge of standard tools for sequence characterization;
• Experience working in an advanced biotechnology research group;
• Proficiency with standard statistical analysis;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to perform in a multicultural research environment as part of a multidisciplinary team;
• Excellent written and spoken English;
• Experience in any of the following areas will be considered an asset;
• Experience with Aspergillus flavus in the context of maize;
• Experience using HPLC;
• Experience using Near Infrared Spectroscopy.

Post location: The position is based at ILRI’s Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

Terms of appointment: The position is Scientist/Research Level 4A and is on a 2 year term appointment with possibility for renewal for one year contingent upon individual performance and continued funding. ILRI offers a competitive international remuneration and benefits package which includes: – Medical insurance – Life insurance – and allowances for: – Education – Housing and baggage.

Applications: Applicants should send a cover letter explaining their interest in the position, what they can bring to the job and indicating earliest availability, curriculum vitae and the names and addresses (including telephone, fax and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to email: recruit-ilri-Ken@cgiar.org by 16 May 2011.

The position title and reference number POST DOCTORAL SCIENTIST: AFLATOXIN PROJECT:PD/BECA/04/11 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the email applications.

Due to the high volume of applications that we receive, we regret but only online applications will be considered and only short listed candidates will be contacted.

To find more about ILRI, visit our Website at www.ilri.org

ILRI is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified candidates from African countries, particularly women, are encouraged to apply.