The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-Tropics (ICRISAT) is seeking applications for a Research Technician – Agricultural Value Chains position to help mobilize rural communities for the exploratory development of satellite and smartphone-based land tenure information services in the Koutiala district (Sikasso Region, Mali) under the STARS project (Spurring a Transformation for Agriculture through Remote Sensing). The Research Technician will be based at ICRISAT’s West and Central Africa Region Office in Bamako and will have overall responsibilities to work in collaboration with ICRISAT scientists and scientific officers, NARS, NGOs, the private sector and smallholder farmers involved in the STARS site in Koutiala District.
ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. Covering 6.5 million square kilometers of land in 55 countries, the semi-arid tropics have over 2 billion people, and 644 million of these are the poorest of the poor.
ICRISAT is headquartered in Patancheru, near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and five country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. In WCA, ICRISAT has its regional hub in Mali and country programs in Niger and Nigeria.
ICRISAT, established in 1972, is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. For more details, see www.icrisat.org.
The Job
Under the direct supervision of the STARS project scientific officer in charge of the STARS site in the Koutiala District, the incumbent will be responsible for assisting in the mobilization of local rural communities involved in the exploratory development of a satellite and smartphone-based land tenure information service. This will include farmer registration for the information system, facilitation of participatory research events involving the validation of parcel databases, the development of smallholder-friendly land transaction services and derivative agricultural information services with the mLocGov™, mAgri™ platforms.
Qualifications
BSc in Agronomy, Agricultural Sciences or Agricultural Economics
Experience in participatory research involving facilitation of multiple stakeholder events, interactions with smallholders, agro-dealers and extension services
Demonstrated interest in the promotion of information & communication technologies (ICT) use by smallholders
Fluency in French and Bamanankan is required. Knowledge of Minianka an advantage.
Willingness to travel as per needs of the job and work extra hours in challenging field conditions
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with catalytic personality
Employment conditions
The position offers a unique opportunity to engage with smallholder farmers and collaborate with a range of scientists from various disciplines. The selected candidates will be offered a 1-year contract with possibility of renewal based on satisfactory performance. The post is in category B of the NRS (Nationally Recruited Staff) category.
How to apply:
Applications must be sent to the address icrisat@icrisatml.org no later than August 14, 2014. Applications should include:
an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae, with copies of degrees and relevant working certificates
the names and addresses (including phone/e-mail) of two referees
a motivation letter stating the date of availability of the candidate
Screening of applications will begin immediately for recruitment by latest-August 2014. All applications will be acknowledged, however only short listed candidates will be contacted.