Associate Scientist - Biometrics

Reports to: Research Team Leader - Breeding and Scaling Improved Varieties of Dryland Cereals and Pulses / Morocco Research Platform Manager

Location: Rabat – Morocco (possibility Cairo/Egypt)

Main purpose of position

The main duties and responsibilities of the Associate Scientist - Biometrics will be to undertake the design of experiments and biometrics analysis for ICARDA breeding programs and represent ICARDA in the OneCG biometrics group.

About ICARDA

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR.ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development, and capacity development that take into account gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organizations, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org

All CGIAR Centers are currently engaged into a reform process (“One CGIAR’”) that will help ICARDA and CGIAR achieve better impact through more strategically integrated research, unified governance, an integrated structure, and new research modalities across participating Research Centers. This transformation is supported by CGIAR donors who have committed to increased funding as a result of these reforms.

Main responsibilities

· Biometrical advisory and support to a team of breeders and prebreeders at ICARDA through the full breeding cycle from design, and analysis to publication.

· Investigate statistical new methods, tools, and approaches in breeding, molecular breeding, and quantitative genetics.

· Accountable for analysis and reporting of field trials, genomic prediction, and genetic gain calculations for ICARDA breeding programs.

· Represent ICARDA in the Breeding Research Initiative and the OneCG Biometrics Group.

· Maintain analytical software and servers.

· Suggest new software as required.

· Contribute to the development and use of standard procedures for data capture and processing for experiments.

· Support capacity building in agricultural statistical analysis and the use of statistical packages for ICARDA and NARS scientists.

· Participate in project planning meetings and reporting.

· Contribute to research data management and scientific publication.

· Contribute to the SMTA electronic capture and reporting to the International Plant Treaty.

· Review INDMS database for International Nurseries.

· Produce reports for projects and initiative activities assigned.

Requirements

Education, qualifications, and experience

Essential qualifications and competencies

· PhD +(3 years’ experience) or MSc +(7 years’ experience), or BSc+ (10 years’ experience) in Agricultural Statistics/Biometrics, General statistics, or a similar field with a strong background in quantitative genetics.

· Expert experience in statistical analysis using R, AsREML, GenStat, and/or other statistical packages required.

· Sound knowledge of GXE, genomic prediction, and association studies.

· Strong background in data management, analytics, and presentation.

· Ability to manage large datasets.

· Good communication and ability to communicate to a variety of audiences.

· Excellent written and spoken English. Knowledge of French/Arabic is an additional assessment.

· Good interpersonal skills, and ability to work effectively in a highly dynamic, multidisciplinary and multi-cultural team.

· Knowledge of Database Management systems is an added advantage.

· Experience in data mining and machine learning is preferred.

Benefits

Terms of appointment, salary, and benefits

This is an internationally recruited position for which ICARDA offers an attractive compensation package including a competitive salary, housing allowance, non-contributory retirement plan, medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, five months maternity leave, 15 days’ paternity leave. All benefits are denominated and paid in US Dollars. The successful candidate will be offered an initial contract of 3 years, renewable subject to continued need for the position and satisfactory performance. The first year will be probationary period.

ICARDA is committed to increasing women representation in its workforce and strongly encourages applications from women.

Applications will be acknowledged, but only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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