Research Supervisor (Post-Harvest) at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Research Supervisor (Post-Harvest)

Ref: IITA-HR-NRS2020-021
Location: Ibadan, Oyo
Recruitment Type: National (2-year renewable contract)

Duties

Receive, sort, and record samples received from on-station and off-station field trials.
Manage pre-processing of roots samples (cleaning, peeling, and weighing).
Process roots samples to determine dry matter and starch content.
Convert fresh cassava roots into processed products (mainly gari and odorless fufu).
Determine product yield per standardized unit of fresh roots.
Liaise with Food Science lab to evaluate quality traits on processed products and fresh roots.
Ensure all data are digitally recorded using PhenoApps
Responsible in collating, curating, and uploading all post-harvest phenotyping data to cloud storage (cassavabase).
Liaise with supervisors to plan and ensure procurement of supplies for laboratory analysis
Assist in training of collaborators, students, trainees/interns and NYSC members
Supervise junior staff and daily rated staff.
Perform all job-related duties as may be assigned by supervisor

Qualifications

BSc/HND in Agriculture, Biology, Food Science, or related fields with two (2) years’ experience in a field-based phenotyping environment for clonal crops.

Competencies:
The ideal candidate must:

Have good field data collection skills, excellent record keeping, experience in high through-put phenotyping, Trial data analysis skills
Be organized, strong attention to detail and excellent time management skills
Consistently follow field and lab protocols and other directions and with minimal errors
Be dependable, takes initiative and responsibility for own actions
Be flexible, adaptable, able to respond to changes in routine
Have strong listening, verbal, and documentation skills