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: Molecular Breeding Senior Research Associate
Location: Ibadan, Oyo
Duities
Research data acquisition, storage, & Analysis:
- Trait discovery and development: Conduct QTL analysis to identify genomic regions associated with favourable traits; annotate significant genomic regions and develop tightly linked molecular markers for breeding applications.
- Analyse large-scale genotypic and phenotypic datasets using bioinformatics tools (PLINK, RStudio, TASSEL, Galaxy, etc.). Select and convert high-PIC, informative SNPs from fingerprinting data into KASP markers for mid-density marker panel development.
- Prepare technical reports and research summaries.
- Contribute technical reports, manuscripts, and slides preparation
- Presentation of research findings at relevant forums.
Data Management:
- Curate genotypic data into the EBS database
- Maintain and update the custom inventory database on SharePoint.
Supervision & Capacity Building:
- Support post graduate students, interns, and visiting researchers in wet-lab and dry-lab techniques.
- Support group and individual training sessions, including hands-on molecular biology workshops.
- Support scientists in coordinating training schedules for visiting scientists from National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and other partners.
Coordinate Genotyping Services with Vendors and Service Delivery to Regional Partners:
- Liaise with Breeding Services and service vendors to ensure availability of consumables for timely order processing, tissue sampling, shipping logistics, sample submission, data interpretation, and storage.
- Develop a work plan and cost estimate for providing genotyping services, such as QC, to private-sector partners.
Lab operations and procurement:
- Lead end-to-end project management for small and large-scale genotyping projects, mainly for maize program but also support other crops as needed.
- Manage procurement of laboratory reagents and screen-house consumables to maintain project operations.
Tracking GMO contamination in maize breeding germplasm and pipelines:
- Support scientists in tracking and sampling maize grain and plants in testing for maize GMO events available in Nigeria
- Testing samples for GMO events in maize grain and plants
- Supporting seed shipment and compliance officer in generating GMO analysis reports.
Requirements
- Master of Science (MSc.) degree in Molecular Biology or a closely related field, with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in molecular biology laboratory operations within a well-structured organization.
Competencies:
The ideal candidate must have:
- Knowledge of diversity analysis, association analysis, linkage mapping, and marker-assisted selection.
- Proficiency in relevant software and tools, including TASSEL, PLINK, RStudio, JoinMap, CodonAligner, and Galaxy.
- Competence in coordinating tissue sampling, shipping, sample tracking, data filtering, and analysis.
- Ability to liaise with international genotyping service providers and internal breeding programs to ensure workflow continuity.
- Experience in procurement and resource planning, including managing laboratory, screen-house consumables and anticipating resource requirements.
- Strong scientific writing and presentation skills, including drafting technical reports and scientific manuscripts and preparing presentation slides.
- Supervisory, mentorship, and capacity-building skills, including training delivery and stakeholder training coordination.
- Strong data curation and database management skills, including experience with Enterprise Breeding System (EBS), Bioflow, and SharePoint.