🇳🇬 Job Vacancies @ International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) – 5 Positions

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 following positions below:

1.) Nutrition Officer
2.) Youth-led Enterprise Development and Gender Officer
3.) Expression of Interest for (EOI) Consultancy Services: Accounting Officer
4.) Research Supervisor
5.) Head of Breeding

Job Title: Nutrition Officer

Ref. No: IITA-HR-NRS2023-006
Location: Damaturu, Yobe
Recruitmrnt Type: National (1-year renewable contract)
Contract: 1-year renewable contract

Duties

• Provide technical guidance to micro and small-scale processors at household level on processing of legumes and cereals and utilization.
• Participate in Training of Trainers workshops and community level demonstrations for households on the development, processing, and utilization of diverse and nutrient dense crops products.
• Undertake Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) campaigns and Counselling in Gombe and Yobe States.
• Work with Women in Agriculture staff in the six Activity LGAs to support implementation of nutrition interventions, including homestead farming.
• Promote the preparation, utilization and consumption of diverse and nutrient dense crops and promote them among smallholder farmers.
• Work with non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations to disseminate technologies on legumes processing and utilization of different location specific crops.
• Work with Nutrition Officer (Gombe and Yobe states) to promote Nutrition related activities and create linkages with community-based organizations, other USG partners and women groups to disseminate nutrition messages and practices.
• Assist in planning, implementing, and monitoring of state activities on food and nutrition and contribute to drafting reports.
• Perform any other job-related task as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications

• B.Sc / HND in Nutrition, Microbiology, Food Science or any other related field with a minimum of six (6) years’ experience performing a similar or related role in a well-structured organization.

Competencies:
The ideal candidate must:

• Have an excellent understanding of issues related to agriculture in the relevant Northern Nigeria region.
• Have excellent understanding of issues related to food and nutrition in the relevant states.
• Have experience working with communities to improve homestead farm management.
• Have ability to work under minimal supervision and with tight deadlines.
• Have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team-oriented multicultural environment.
• Have ability to deliver accurate and timely reports.
• Have Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) skills.
• Have the ability to travel extensively within the relevant state and work long hours.

Remuneration

• We offer highly competitive salaries with equally attractive benefits and excellent working conditions in a pleasant campus environment.

Application Closing Date
27th February, 2023.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Interested applicants should complete the online application by attaching a detailed cover letter and curriculum vitae saved with their names in Microsoft word format.
• The application must include the names and e-mail addresses of three professional referees which must include the applicant’s current or previous direct Supervisor, professional colleague, and evidence of current remuneration package.
• IITA is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse workforce, particularly welcoming applications from women.

Job Title: Youth-led Enterprise Development and Gender Officer

Ref. No: IITA-HR-NRS2023-006
Location: Damaturu, Yobe
Recruitmrnt Type: National (1-year renewable contract)
Contract: 1-year renewable contract

Duties

• Identify training needs and develop business opportunities in the agricultural value chain and non-farm enterprises for youth and women.
• Scope Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) business opportunities with special emphasis on youth and women agribusiness development.
• Gender mainstreaming and Social Inclusion (GESI) in intervention activities.
• Build on local platforms and scope project partners in Government, NGO and private sectors for effective layering and enterprise sustainability.
• Develop and conduct enterprise trainings in the value chain, economic and financial literacy, cooperative management and micro credit administration.
• Collect data on training and enterprise development activities and report periodically.
• Mentor Small and Growing Business (SGBs) and linkage to finance, input and output markets.
• Support youth and women participants to develop bankable business plans and commercially viable business models along the agricultural value chain and nonfarm enterprises.
• Train youth and women participants in record keeping and business management.
• Support the development of appropriate financial products targeting rural youth and women in consultation with collaborating financial institutions.
• Perform any other job-related task as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications

• B.Sc / HND in Gender Studies, Sociology, Business Administration or any other related field with a minimum of six (6) years’ experience performing a similar or related role in a well-structured organization.

Competencies:
The ideal candidate must:

• Have an excellent understanding of issues related to agriculture in the relevant North-East Nigeria.
• Have experience working on field surveys, assessments, data analysis, and management.
• Have ability to work under minimal supervision and with tight deadlines.
• Have ability to work with minimum supervision and good driving skills.
• Have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team-oriented multicultural environment.
• Have ability to deliver accurate and timely reports.
• Have Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) skills.
• Have the ability to travel extensively within the relevant state.
• Have capacity in infographics and technical report writing skill.

Remuneration

• We offer highly competitive salaries with equally attractive benefits and excellent working conditions in a pleasant campus environment.

Application Closing Date
27th February, 2023.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Interested applicants should complete the online application by attaching a detailed cover letter and curriculum vitae saved with their names in Microsoft word format.
• The application must include the names and e-mail addresses of three professional referees which must include the applicant’s current or previous direct Supervisor, professional colleague, and evidence of current remuneration package.
• IITA is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse workforce, particularly welcoming applications from women.
• While all applications will be acknowledged, please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Job Title: Expression of Interest for (EOI) Consultancy Services: Accounting Officer

Financing Agreement reference: 2100155041681
Location: Nigeria
Project ID No. P-Z1-AA0-139
Sector: Agriculture

Details

• The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has received financing from the African Development Bank toward the cost of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Phase II and intends to apply part of the agreed amount for this grant to payments under the contract for TAAT Accounting Officers who will be based in Nigeria.
• This assignment is to engage two (2) Accounting officers to support the Financial Management specialist in managing and carrying out financial management tasks to support program implementation across all the compacts and countries of TAAT operations.
• Specifically, the consultant will be expected to perform the following duties: maintain a proper system of financial management ensuring availability, accuracy and completeness of all accounting records and documentation and information pertaining to all project transactions at all material times throughout project implementation and any length of a subsequent time frame as may be determined; process accounting transactions with Oracle ERP;
• Ensuring compliance with institutional and AfDB policies and guidelines in executing program expenses; assist in monitoring compact budgets, expenses, and fund status; maintain the Program Fixed Assets Register with regular updates and verification;
• Prepare monthly bank accounts reconciliation statements and cash balance certificates;
• Prepare and follow-up timely approval of disbursement request to AfDB. Ensure that all supporting documents used in request for funds replenishment from the AfDB as well as payments for project activities, goods, and services are properly kept; assist with the preparation and submission of quarterly consolidated financial reports to donor;
• Assist with the preparation and submission of annual consolidated financial statements; interact and assist with the requirements of internal auditors, external IITA auditors and external TAAT Program auditors during spot checks and annual audit processes; interact with partner institutions in the program, review their reports and requests in line with donor guidelines and assist with final submission of the reports and requests to the donor;
• Interact with program staff, institution staff and other parties on financial management matters for effective resolution of related issues; process payments on duly approved invoices with relevant support documents;
• Process cash and travel advances for program staff, maintaining advance registers and ensuring all advances are duly retired within the required time frame; ensure all program transactions are posted in the general ledger accounts correctly before monthly accounts closure;
• Ensure proper coding and filing of accounting and financial documents; assist the Procurement Team by participating in tender opening and bid evaluations and perform any other job-related task as may be assigned by the Supervisor.

Requirements

• The selected Consultants will be members of TAAT PMU to be based in Nigeria and the assignment shall be for an initial period of One (1) year and subject to renewal with satisfactory performance
• The selected consultants should possess Bachelor’s Degree in Financial Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Commerce, or any other relevant discipline;
• Institute of Chartered Accountant (ICAN) Certified Associate or related accounting certification; or demonstrated working knowledge of AfDB project financial management rules and procedures;
• At least 5 years of Project accounting work experience with minimum of 2 years in projects financed by the AfDB or related Multilateral development bank; ability to deal sensitively in multi-cultural environments and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues and Sound computer literacy in using standard applications (Windows and Microsoft Office).

Application Closing Date
28th February, 2023.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should indicate their interest in providing these services. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (including their detailed CV and letter of motivation detailing past related experience similar to this assignment.).

Expressions of Interest (EOI) should be delivered by e-mail to: C.Akem@cgiar.org and copy to: m.a.bakare@cgiar.orgI

Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours (0800-1630hrs):
Attn: Chrysantus Akem; PhD,
TAAT Program Coordinator | Program Management Unit
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture,
Headquarters & West Africa Hub,
PMB 5320, Oyo Road, Ibadan 200001, Oyo State, Nigeria
International Mailing Address: IITA,
Carolyn House, 26 Dingwall Road, Croydon, CR9 3EE, UK
Email: C.Akem@cgiar.org and copy to: m.a.bakare@cgiar.org
Website: www.iita.org
Tel: +234 2 7517472 | USA Tel: +1 201 6336094 | Fax: +44 208 7113785 | Mobile No: +234 8169020531

Note

• Eligibility criteria, establishment of the shortlist and the selection procedure shall be in accordance with the African Development Bank’s Procurement policy framework, October 2015, which is available on the Bank’s website

Job Title: Research Supervisor

Ref: IITA-HR-NRS2023-005
Location: Ibadan, Oyo
Recruitment Type: 3-year renewable contract

Duties

• Receive planting, crossing, harvesting, and seed processing instructions for parental lines of hybrids from scientists and ensure implementation of planned activities in different locations.
• Coordinate all field operations, including seed preparation, planting, thinning, shoot covering, and pollination in crossing blocks and multiplication fields of inbred lines at Ibadan under rain-fed and irrigated conditions.
• Ensure storage of seeds of parental lines of hybrids in an orderly manner to facilitate retrieval system.
• Make requests for required field tags as well as pollination and glassine bags for various crossing blocks at Ibadan.
• Review availability of maize inbred lines for trials.
• Coordinate and plan isolation of breeder seed production fields.
• Coordinate labor allocation for thinning, shoot covering, pollination, harvesting, threshing, and seed preparation throughout the year.
• Participate in screening of maize inbred lines, varieties and hybrids for carotenoid concentration and content.
• Perform any other job-related task as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications

• BSc / HND in Agriculture, Crop Science, with a minimum of four (4) years’ experience performing similar role in a well-structured environment.

Competencies:
The ideal candidate must:

• Have good communication skill (writing, reading and speaking)
• Have ability to work with little or no supervision.

Application Closing Date
24th February, 2023.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Interested applicants should complete the online application attaching detailed cover letter and curriculum vitae saved with their names in Microsoft word format
• The application must include the names and e-mail addresses of three professional referees which must include the applicant’s current or previous direct Supervisor, professional colleague, and evidence of current remuneration package.
• IITA is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse workforce, particularly welcoming applications from women.
• While all applications will be acknowledged, please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Job Title: Head of Breeding

Ref. No: DDG-R4D/HB/01/23
Location: Ibadan, Oyo (IITA Headquarters)
Contract Duration: The contract will be for an initial period of three years.

Background

• We invite applications for the internationally recruited position of Head of Breeding. 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.
• IITA has successful breeding programs on six very important crops in sub-Saharan Africa: cassava, yam, banana/plantain, maize, soybean, and cowpea. In recent years, these have been reviewed based on the Breeding Program Assessment Tool (BPAT) (https://plantbreedingassessment.org/).
• The programs have also had extensive interaction with the CGIAR Excellence in Breeding (EiB) platform during which crop specific and cross cutting (institutional) improvement plans have been developed along with product profiles and market segmentation analyses.
• Implementing these plans will be a central part of the Accelerating Breeding Initiative of the OneCGIAR and will involve close collaboration with other Initiatives within the Genetic Innovation Science Area and with bilateral projects.
• The appointee will report to the Deputy Director General for Research-for-Development.

Position Responsibilities
The Head of Breeding will:

• Align breeding focus and operational resources to validated breeding targets.
• Establish a crop advancement agenda in partnership with breeders of the IITA mandate crops and the product manager:
  • Establish specific metrics for variety and trait advancements for each crop.
  • Establish metrics for population improvements within the breeding program.
• Modify the breeding structure of each crop to deliver demand-driven products at the lowest cost.
• Establish a culture of continuous improvement.
• Improve breeding strategy for all six mandate crops.
• Lead breeding teams to design and implement breeding strategies.
• Work closely with the product manager and cross-functional product teams to define targets for the breeding programs to develop a breeding strategy.
• Work with breeders to strengthen collaboration with national breeding programs and other relevant stakeholders (e.g., seed companies, input suppliers, etc.).
• Define investment plans and mobilize increased resources for crop breeding.
• Facilitate the establishment of collaborative research with advanced research institutions.
• Serve as the focal point of IITA's interactions with the Genetic Innovation Science Area of OneCGIAR.
• Connect IITA resources in design, engineering, and operations to develop highly effective product development teams.
• Perform any other job-related duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Educational Qualifications

• The candidate should have a finalised PhD in Plant Breeding, Genetics, or a related field.

Core Competencies:

• At least 15 years of experience in plant breeding programs (with at least 10 years in the private sector) at progressively higher levels of responsibility.
• Evidence of significant management skills including change management and management of successful breeding teams.
• Ability to work well in a diverse multicultural environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Evidence of experience in resource mobilization.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to build consensus/function as part of a team.

Remuneration

• IITA offers an internationally competitive remuneration package paid in US Dollars.

Application Closing Date
On-going (The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found).

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Important Application Information

• Please complete our online application form link above.
• Applications must include covering letter which should address how the candidate’s background/experience relates to the specific duties of the position applied for, Curriculum Vitae, names and addresses of three Professional Referees (which must include either the Head of the applicant’s current or previous organization or applicant’s direct Supervisor/ Superior at his / her present or former place of work).
• The Application should be addressed to the "Head, Human Resources Service".

Note

• IITA is an equal opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from women candidates.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.