Post Doctoral Scientist – Molecular Diagnostics

Vacancy Number: PDMD/BECA/04/2013
BecA-ILRI Hub
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Duration: 2 years with the possibility of renewal

Base salary dependent on skills and experience – from USD 35,000 per annum with an attractive international benefits package (tax free*).

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works to enhance the roles livestock play in pathways out of poverty in developing countries. ILRI is a member of the CGIAR Consortium, a global research partnership of 15 centres working with many partners for a food-secure future. ILRI has two main campuses in East Africa and other hubs in East, West and southern Africa and South, Southeast and East Asia. www.ilri.org.

CGIAR is a global agricultural research partnership for a food-secure future. Its science is carried out by 15 research centres that are members of the CGIAR Consortium in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations. www.cgiar.org.

ILRI also manages the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub at ILRI, the 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. Illumina and 454 next-generation sequencing, Biosafety 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 athttp://hub.africabiosciences.org/ .

The Position: The BecA-ILRI Hub seeks to recruit a postdoctoral research fellow whose focus will be the development and/or validation and application of molecular diagnostics tools with a focus on animal and plant viruses that create major constraints in African agriculture. This is an international appointment reporting to a senior scientist.

Responsibilities:

• Adaptation and development of molecular diagnostics tools for use in African context;
• Training and technical backstopping of NARS partners in the region;
• Contributing to capacity strengthening in virus discovery and molecular diagnostics research at the BecA-ILRI Hub;
• Supervise students and visiting scientists

Essential Skills and Qualifications will include:

• A PhD degree obtained in the field of molecular biology, virology or related areas;
• Experience with molecular biology, including working knowledge of bioinformatic tools for sequence characterization;
• Adaptation or development of molecular diagnostic tools;
• Track record of publishing in peer-reviewed articles;
• Interest in international agricultural research and development;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team;
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Experience in the following areas will be considered an asset:

• Experience in molecular diagnostics of plant or animal disease;
• Knowledge of next-generation sequencing strategies;
• Solid working knowledge of various bioinformatics packages used for genome data analysis;
• Capacity strengthening.

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

Position level: Post-doctoral Scientist (4A).

Duration: 2 years with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and continued funding.

Terms of appointment: ILRI offers a competitive international remuneration and benefits package which includes: Medical insurance for staff and dependents, Life insurance, Education allowance for children, Housing allowance, Baggage Allowance, Home leave, Annual holiday entitlement of 30 days+public holidays.

*Benefits and salary are tax free subject to compliance with tax regulations of country of citizenship.

Applications:

Applicants should address a cover letter and CV with full list of publications to the Human Resources Office explaining their interest in the position, what they can bring to the job and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience. Email your application to ilri-PDMDBECA@cgiar.org on or before 31 May 2013. The position title and reference number: PDMD/BECA/04/2013 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the online application.

To find out more about ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org

To find out more about working at ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org/ilricrowd/

ILRI is an equal opportunity employer.