World Vegetable Center recruits 01 Assistant – Agronomy
World Vegetable Center
Cotonou,Benin
Agronomie, Agroalimentaire
Assistant – Agronomy
SAFEVEG-West Africa ProjectCotonou, Benin
The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) is a non-profit, autonomous international agriculturalresearch center with headquarters in Taiwan and five regional offices around the globe. WorldVegconducts research and development programs that contribute to realize the potential of vegetablesfor healthier lives and more resilient livelihoods. For more information please visit our website :worldveg.org
WorldVeg is seeking a Research Assistant – Agronomy to assist in implementing R&D activities aimedat adoption of good agricultural practices of improved locally adapted, high performing climate-smartvegetable varieties of a 5-year project entitled “Safe locally produced vegetables for West Africa’sconsumers” (SAFEVEG). SAFEVEG is funded by the European Union and the Netherlands Ministry ofForeign Affairs and is expected to commence during the last quarter of 2020. The Project willstrengthen the role, production and availability of vegetables in local food systems in West Africa,thereby contributing to climate resilience across the vegetable value chain, increased incomes for andsustainable land use by smallholder farmers, and better nutrition for farm families and otherconsumers. SAFEVEG will be implemented in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Mali and will operate aroundurban centers in each country, involving rural and peri-urban farmers. SAFEVEG activities will raiseawareness of the benefits of vegetable consumption and new vegetable production technologies,including farmer adoption of quality seed of locally adapted and climate resilient varieties, and safeagricultural practices. Demand and supply come together in vegetable business networks that createstable business relationships among consumers, traders/retailers, and farmers. SAFEVEG also aims tostrengthen the capacity of national agricultural research systems and other partners in vegetableresearch and development and to generate evidence on the impact of policies and interventionspromoting vegetable consumption and production. WorldVeg’s principal partners in this project are:INRAB (Benin), INERA (Burkina Faso), IER (Mali), CIRAD (France), and Wageningen University &Research (The Netherlands).
The Research Assistant – Agronomy will play a key role in implementing recommended vegetabletechnologies aimed at increasing yields of climate resilient vegetable varieties in a range of crops,including exotic (e.g. tomato, onion, chili pepper) and traditional (amaranth, African eggplant, okra,etc.) for upscaling in project countries. The incumbent will work closely with the CIRAD outpostedAgronomist and other Center scientists, WorldVeg’s Breeders and other Scientists, public and privatesector partners in meeting the project deliverables. The position will be based at WorldVeg’s regionalcenter for West and Central Africa – Coastal and Humid Regions (WCA-CH) in Cotonou, Benin andreport functionally to the CIRAD Sub-project leader for “Climate Resilient Vegetable Production andPostharvest Practices” and administratively to the WCA-CH Regional Director.
Key job responsibilities :• Plan and implement field experiments and on on-farm demonstration trials to assess agronomic,economic and environmental performances of a set of improved cultural practices (i.e., seed andseedling systems, drip irrigation, grafting, protected cultivation, biocontrol etc.) for targetvegetables of the SAFEVEG project.• Supervise field assistants, farm laborers and other trainees, collect and analyze data, preparereports, and contribute to publishing research results in peer-reviewed journals.• Conduct and lead training of trainers of public agricultural extension service and target youthgraduates and project beneficiaries on good agricultural practices.• Lead and facilitate the organization of agronomic related outreach and promotional activitiessuch as on-station demonstration trials, field days to promote the development and adoption ofimproved vegetable practices.• Coordinate with other research assistants in Benin, Mali and Burkina Faso in regard to adoptionof good agricultural and postharvest practices.• Contribute to preparation of project annual reports• Perform any other duties assigned by the immediate supervisor and ultimately, the WCA-CHRegional Director.
The Person :The candidate shall have the following competencies, skills and experience and/or shall havesuccessfully demonstrated these attributes in actual work situations:• A minimum of an MSc. (BAC+5) in Horticulture, Agronomy, Plant sciences or related disciplinewith at least 3 years post-graduation research experience.• Experience in agricultural development within an international environment and in agronomicand post-harvest trials will be a strong asset.• Hands-on experience in good agricultural practices, an experience as a farm manager relatedto vegetable production would be appreciated.• Familiarity with the vegetable production sector in west Africa is desirable.• Speak and write French fluently, with very good working knowledge of English.• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS-Office, R, SAS etc.) isrequired.• Understanding and knowledge of the R&D of International Agricultural Research Institutions(IARCs) preferred.• Capacity to efficiently manage workloads and work independently.• Willingness to travel frequently in the region• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team in amulticultural, multinational environment, and ability to interact effectively with projectpartners and stakeholders.
The Reward : This is a Nationally Recruited Staff position with competitive pay and benefits. Theposition is only open to Benin nationals or candidates with legal permission to work in Benin. The initialappointment is for one year and may be extended depending on requirement, funding availability, andperformance of the incumbent. The position is expected to be available on or after November 1, 2020.
How to Apply : Applicants should submit a letter of application explaining their suitability for andinterest in the position along with their curriculum vitae, a recent passport size photograph, namesand addresses (including telephone/fax/e-mail) of three referees, and date of availability. The emailsubject should clearly indicate “ Research Assistant – Agronomy position” in it. Please sendapplications stating the job title by e-mail to worldvegbenin@gmail.combefore September 7, 2020