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: Research Supervisor

Location: Kano
Employment Type: Contract
Duration: 3-year renewable contract

Duties

• Contribute to the identification of promising elite cowpea and deployment and scaling up cowpea seed systems in Nigeria.
• Provide technical support for production of EGS and facilitate production of certified seeds by seed companies and CBOs.
• Maintain seed quality and ensure seeds going out to clients/beneficiaries are of high quality.
• Work with public and private extension agents of relevant NARS to establish on-farm demonstration plots as well as multi-locational trials of new varieties to generate demand and data for release of the candidate varieties.
• Support multi-stakeholders’ platform promoting cowpea value chain in Benue, Niger and Bauchi States.
• Collect and analyze field data and summarize it.
• Document work activities through high-quality technical reports that demonstrate project impacts.
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the Supervisor.

Requirements

• HND / BSc Degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Plant Science, Botany or any related field with a minimum of two (2) years’ experience in seed systems and field agronomy performing similar role in a well-structured environment.

Competencies:
The ideal candidate must:

• Be skilled in production and distribution of high-quality seeds of different classes to seed companies and farmers.
• Have experience working with international research organizations, NGOs, private sector seed companies, farmers.
• Be committed, dependable and have the ability to work under pressure.
• Be fluent in English with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and use of technology.
• Have knowledge of different methods of creating genetic variation and maintaining genetic purity of seed.
• Have experience in maintaining seed/varietal genetic purity.
• Be able to communicate fluently in Hausa language.

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

Application Closing Date
26th March 2025.