Beans provide a highly nutritious food, containing protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and micronutrients; about 400 million people in the tropics eat beans as part of their daily diet. Beans also provide income for millions of people, particularly in Africa and Latin America. Farmers struggle to satisfy consumer demand, producing around 12 million tons of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) every year worldwide.
With our partners, CIAT develops improved beans that show resilience under harsh growing conditions, which are worsening as a result of climate change impacts. Decades of CIAT research on bean have led to massive uptake of improved varieties, with significant impacts on food security in major bean-producing countries. CIAT preserves the world’s largest and most diverse collection of beans. Most of the germplasm originates in the Neotropics where beans where domesticated thousands of years ago. Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and Guatemala are particularly well represented. The collection also contains important diversity from Europe and Africa and, to a lesser extent, Asia.
With the aim of successfully keep tackling these challenges and ensure relevance of CIAT’s research on common beans, the Center is looking for a strategic, highly motivated, and experienced Bean Program Leader & PABRA Director. The position will be located at CIAT’s regional office in Nairobi, Kenya.
Responsibilities:
Provide management, leadership, and strategic direction to all CIAT research for development initiatives within the Bean Program and supervise all aspects of global research implementation with special focus in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Responsible for coordinating all research efforts of the bean program with CIAT’s headquarters scientific team.
Identify opportunities for resource mobilization, proposal development and collaborative research, which respond to regional demand and facilitate follow-through on these opportunities.
Link with public and private sector research collaborators at the national, regional and global level.
Engage and maintain active relationship with key partners in the region, to influence CIAT-PABRA’s participation, and the Strengthening of PABRA partnerships.
Alignment and contribution of PABRA to CIAT Africa Business Plan
Encourage development of co-authored publications by CIAT-PABRA partners
Represent CIAT at meetings of all levels, providing updated information or presentations on project activities.
Orient and evaluate the Staff after setting individual and teamwork plans, and develop human talent of the Bean Program.
Plan and manage the budget in full accordance with the donors’ and CIAT policies.
Requirements and Qualifications
PhD or MSc with 15 years experience in agricultural science, rural development, food security and sustainable agriculture, crop science or related fields,
International experience of 10+ years managing scientific programs. Management experience in bean programs and/or agricultural research and development in Africa would be considered a plus.
The program/projects managed will have included the management of resource mobilizations, identification of new partnership opportunities and proposal development.
Proven ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary teams, communicate a common vision among diverse partners, and effectively work with diverse stakeholders, including senior government officials.
A demonstrated ability to elaborate high quality publications meeting international standards.
Full English language communication skills, both written and oral.
Spanish and/or French language skills would be considered a plus.
