Program Leader
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)
Employer Active
Posted 21 hrs ago
Send me Jobs like this
Nationality
Any Nationality
Gender
Not Mentioned
Vacancy
1 Vacancy
Job Description
Roles & Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
Provide vision and leadership for SRP2, aligning with ICARDA 2030 and OneCGIAR Global Initiatives.
Oversee the integration of genomics, phenotyping, informatics, socioeconomics, and climate modeling into breeding pipelines.
Champion cross-program collaboration and ensure SRP2 functions as a cohesive Dryland Breeding Platform.
Scientific Excellence & Delivery
Drive genetic gain targets ( 1%/year) across wheat, barley, and legumes.
Oversee development and release of climate-smart varieties with proven adoption potential.
Ensure delivery of high-impact scientific outputs, including 30% cross-program co-publications and 2 3 synthesis papers annually.
Program & Partnership Management
Manage crop cluster leads (wheat, barley, legumes, biotech) and new cross-cutting specialists (data science, demand-led, climate modeling).
Strengthen partnerships with CGIAR Initiatives, FAO, Horizon Europe, seed companies, and NARS.
Mobilize resources by engaging with donors and aligning SRP2 with global funding priorities.
Capacity Development & Mentorship
Build a next-generation cohort of ICARDA breeders through mentorship and cross-training.
Foster a culture of inclusive, demand-led, and anticipatory breeding.
Desired Candidate Profile
Reports to: Deputy Director General Research (DDGR) brLocation: Rabat, Morocco (with extensive travel across CWANA, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia)
ICARDA is seeking a visionary and collaborative Program Leader to direct SRP2: Develop Climate-Smart Crops, one of the center s flagship research priorities under the ICARDA 2030 Research & Innovation Strategy. The incumbent will provide scientific leadership, strategic direction, and programmatic oversight to ensure ICARDA s breeding programs (wheat, barley, and legumes) deliver climate-resilient, market-preferred, and widely adopted varieties that support sustainable dryland livelihoods.
The SRP2 Leader will be responsible for fostering team science across crop clusters, embedding modern breeding approaches (genomic selection, HTP, predictive analytics), strengthening partnerships with NARS and CGIAR, and ensuring that breeding outputs are aligned with farmer demand, gender/youth inclusion, and climate change foresight.
Education, qualifications, and experience ul> li>PhD in Plant Breeding, Quantitative Genetics, Crop Science, or related field./li> li>A minimum of 15 years of post-PhD experience in international crop breeding programs, with proven leadership of multidisciplinary teams./li> li>Strong scientific track record ( 100 peer-reviewed publications, H-index 25) in modern breeding methods (genomics, phenomics, predictive breeding)./li> li>Demonstrated success in developing and releasing farmer-preferred varieties with measurable adoption impact./li> li>Experience in managing multi-million-dollar research portfolios and engaging with donors./li> li>Excellent interpersonal, diplomatic, and partnership skills across cultures and institutions.br> Experience working in dryland agriculture systems or resource-constrained environments./li> li>Demonstrated ability to integrate socioeconomics, seed systems, and gender/youth perspectives into breeding programs./li> li>Fluency in English required, working knowledge of Arabic or French will be an asset./li> /ul>
Company Industry
- NGO
- Social Services
- Community Services
- Non-Profit
Department / Functional Area
- R&D
- Research & Development
Keywords
- Program Leader - Strategic Research Priority 2 (SRP2): Climate-Smart Crops
Disclaimer: Naukrigulf.com is only a platform to bring jobseekers & employers together. Applicants are advised to research the bonafides of the prospective employer independently. We do NOT endorse any requests for money payments and strictly advice against sharing personal or bank related information. We also recommend you visit Security Advice for more information. If you suspect any fraud or malpractice, email us at abuse@naukrigulf.com
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)
The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR. br> ICARDA s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development and capacity development that take into account gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organization, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org