Position: Background and Responsibilities

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for the internationally recruited position of Postharvest Specialist. This position is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) under the Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC).

The overall objective of SARD-SC is to enhance food and nutrition security and contribute to poverty reduction in Bank’s low income Regional Member Countries (RMCs). Its specific objective is to enhance the productivity and income of four CAADP’s priority value chains (cassava, maize, rice, and wheat) on a sustainable basis.

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, the Executing Agency for the SARD-SC project, wishes to use a portion of the grant to engage the services of a Postharvest Specialist.

The successful candidate will report to: The SARD-SC Project Coordinator.

Position/Responsibilities:

The Postharvest Specialist will undertake the following activities:

• Oversee the general operations and effective functioning of the various cassava processing and equipment fabrication centers or units established in the various project target countries. • Develop and implement a strategy for cassava post-harvest management. This will include, technical training in appropriate processes and logistics and food safety and technical assistance for the establishment and management of processing facilities.
• Advise pertinent parties concerning processes and precautions to be followed in the field at postharvest and financially viable facilities for transportation, collection centers, pack houses, food drying and processing facilities that will enable cassava products to meet specifications and requirements including food safety, of specific buyers.
• Work with the M&E and communications staff to analyze baseline information and report findings and results of activities including success stories.
• Coordinate with the value chain and other technical personnel including the market development, environmental compliance, and agribusiness finance staff to design, develop, and teach appropriate procedures and processes for postharvest handling.
• Increase the quantity and quality of cassava new products available to specific buyers, by improving post-harvest techniques and facilities for grading, sorting, and packing.
• Improve food safety and quality in order to expand access to more demanding but higher paying and larger markets and to mitigate the incidence of food poisoning and food borne disease.
• Investigate the establishment and management of appropriately scaled product collection centers and pack houses in order to facilitate sales and efficiencies, and decrease post-harvest losses between the farms and the markets.
• Demonstrate appropriate post-harvest handling technologies and equipment and evaluate the results to promote utilization where proven to be effective.
• Work to identify local fabricators, assemblers and traders/buyers with existing handling and or storage facilities that are in need of upgrading and sharing their technologies.
• Any other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Qualification and Experience

The candidate should have a Post graduate degree (MSc or PhD) in Agricultural Engineering or a closely related field from a recognized university and more than five years of post-graduate experience.

Core Competencies:

• Experience with project activity implementation and monitoring.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent spoken and written English; knowledge of French would be an asset.
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, and multi-cultural environment.
• Willingness to travel extensively within the various African hubs where the Cassava value chain of the project is being implemented.
• Experience working with national partners in sub-Saharan Africa is an asset.

General Information

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

Duty station: Ibadan, Nigeria

General information: The contract will be for an initial period of two years with possibility of renewal based on performance and continued availability of funding. IITA offers internationally competitive remuneration package paid in U.S. Dollars.

Applications: 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. Please complete our online application form using this link: http://www.iita.org/careers

Closing Date: The position will remain open to June 26, 2015

Method of Application:

Interested applicants should forward their applications with detailed 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 either the Head of applicant’s current or previous organization or applicant’s direct Supervisor/Superior officer at work and evidence of current remuneration package to IITA website.

IITA is an equal opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from female candidates.

Please note that only short listed candidates will be contacted