Senior Scientist - Plant Breeder

The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture(ICBA) is an international, non-profit agricultural research center established in 1999 through the visionary leadership of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), and the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). ICBA is a unique applied agricultural research center in the world that is focused on marginal areas where an estimated 1.7 billion people live. It identifies, tests and introduces resource-efficient, climate-smart crops and technologies that are best suited to different regions affected by salinity, water scarcity and drought. Through its work, ICBA helps to improve food security and livelihoods for some of the poorest rural communities around the world. ICBA is an equal opportunity employer and appoints qualified staff regardless of race, creed, color, age, gender, religion or national origin. We demonstrate our commitment to each member of our team through a competitive benefits package designed to assist our employees to cover their needs and the needs of their immediate family members.

Job Summary

Contribute to ICBA varietal improvement program on food, feed and fodder crops to develop suitable crop varieties for abiotic stress tolerance under marginal environments. Work closely with other disciplines to ascertain the best management practices for the best performing genotypes to optimize the productivity under stress conditions. Develop novel germplasm of climate resilient crops like quinoa, amaranth etc through conventional as well as non-conventional breeding techniques. Work closely with team of molecular biologists to identify the QTLs/genes underlying the trait of interests in climate resilient crops to speed up the breeding process. Conduct multi-environmental trials of different crops to evaluate crop and varietal adaptation and GxE interaction. Commercialization of the products / technologies / varieties.

Job Responsibilities
  • Introduce and evaluate new crops and varieties to assess their performance and adaptability in the target region which is not limited to MENA, SSA and central Asia.
  • Oversee the plant breeding activities at ICBA in consultation with the Program leader
  • Identify the appropriate germplasm needs for the region through product profiling, and design appropriate breeding programs focusing on ICBA’s key crops
  • Develop populations to generate novel breeding materials for food, feed and fodder crops for target regions.
  • Ascertain the threshold limits for different crops and genotypes for various abiotic stresses
  • Design and set-up trials and conduct all related technical operations including recording observations and come-out with inferences.
  • Interact and associate with other research programs (internally and externally) to develop, implement and lead multidisciplinary research activities and participate as a team player in developing technical reports, extension material as well as corporate publications such as annual and bi-annual reports, newsletters, articles, brochures etc
  • Work closely with agronomist and soil scientists to develop the associated best management practices for the best performing genotypes / varieties of different crops (quinoa, Amaranth and grasses etc)
  • Develop strong national, regional and international partnerships and collaborate within existing networks.
  • Capacity building of the farmers, associations and subsidiaries on value addition for crops like quinoa etc.
  • Help social scientist to carry out market studies on economic viability / feasibility studies
  • Develop projects related to area of expertise and in line with ICBA mandate, and procure internal and external funding
  • Derive results from compilation and synthesis of experimental data for the inferences and outputs to publish scientific reports and research papers in refereed journals
  • Any other assignment given by supervisor in the interest of ICBA
Qualifications and Experience

Essential

  • At least 10 years post-PhD experience in Plant Breeding or related field from a recognized University
  • Involved in the development and release of at least 5 crop varieties
  • Led the breeding programs with proven impact on large national / international scale
  • Strong publications record in refereed journals
  • Fluency in written and spoken English
  • Ability to conduct research with minimal supervision
  • Team player with experience as a member of a multidisciplinary team
  • International work experience

Desirable

  • Extensive knowledge of statistics, experimental designs and database management
  • Additional language skills (Arabic is desirable)
  • Supervisory experience
Post Date
20 September 2020
Status
Closed
Vacancy Type
Full-time
Location
Dubai, UAE
Report To
Program Leader – CDG
Job Number
ICBA-DP-DXB-2020-020