IITA Job Vacancy For Research Assistant – Agronomy/Horticulture

Job Description

• Duty Station: Kumasi with field work travels to project sites in Ashanti and Western Regions of Ghana
• Terms of appointment: This is Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) position based at IITA Ghana/WorldVeg - Ghana’s Kumasi Office.  Initial appointment is fixed term for one year with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and the availability of funding.&nbnbsp;

• Implement a home gardening project and train project beneficiaries on good agricultural practices in collaboration with public and private sector partners,
• Conduct research on characterization of vegetables varieties, fertilizer, water and land management,  
• Conduct research on vegetable cropping systems research and development activities, including field trials, and other technical aspects of breeding and crop protection programs for key vegetables,
• Plan and implement field experiments including field layout, data collection, supervision of field assistants, farm laborers, students, other trainees
• Coordinate and assist in the conduct of other WorldVeg project activities in southern Ghana 
• Prepare draft quality technical reports and articles, and
• Perform any duty assigned by the Project Manager and the Regional Director. 

Required Skills or Experience

• An M.Sc. or equivalent in agronomy, horticulture, crop protection, soil, water management or related agricultural science discipline from a recognized institution
• At least 3 years relevant experience in international agricultural research with practical hands on experience in farmer training being desirable.

• Good skills in field experimentation design
• Proven experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection, preferably with a research and development organization implementing food and agriculture related projects
• Ability to plan and work independently
• Possess demonstrated strategic thinking and time management skills 
• Good ability and demonstrated expertise to write, plan research, analyze data and complete timely reports 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and be able to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team in a multi-cultural environment and should be able to interact effectively with project partners and service providers.
• Ability to speak and write English fluently, with very good working knowledge of the lingua franca of the Ashanti and Western Regions of Ghana.