Global Research Program Director – Accelerated Crop Improvement – ICRISAT

ICRISAT seeks applications to lead the Global Research Program of a Global Agriculture Research Institute as the Global Research Program Director “Accelerated Crop Improvement”. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is currently seeking a Global Research Program Director “Accelerated Crop Improvement”- 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 or dryland tropics has over 2 billion people and 644 million of these are the poorest of the poor. ICRISAT and its partners help empower these disadvantaged populations to overcome poverty, hunger and a degraded environment through better agricultural production systems.

ICRISAT is headquartered at Patancheru near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and eight country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a member of the CGIAR Consortium, a global agriculture research partnership whose science is carried out by the 15 Research Centers in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations. ICRISAT focuses its efforts on the drylands of Asia and Africa, where complex farming systems present challenges related to hunger, poverty, food insecurity, climate change, water scarcity, malnutrition, land degradation, and gender inequality. Tropical dryland areas are usually seen as resource-poor and perennially beset by shocks such as drought, thereby trapping dryland communities in poverty and hunger and making them dependent on external aid.

ICRISAT envisions a prosperous, food-secure, and resilient dryland tropics. Its mission is to reduce poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation in the dryland tropics. The approach is through partnership-based international agricultural research-for-development that embodies Science with a Human Face.

ICRISAT recognizes that the significance of the dryland crops in which we specialize will be further accentuated due to the impact of climate change. Drawing from five decades of expertise, our research will continue to focus on crops vital to dryland communities, ranging from chickpea, pigeonpea, and groundnut to sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, small millet, and oilseeds. This collective knowledge is progressively shaping the global development narrative on how to fortify sustainable futures and we invite you to partner with us on this journey.

Position Overview

ICRISAT has a compelling mission to fight poverty and improve the lives of people living in the drylands around the world. The drylands are harsh environments with some of the highest levels of poverty and malnutrition, impacted strongly by climate change and battling water shortages and environmental degradation. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be met unless we are persistent in escalating efforts towards finding solutions in these most challenged landscapes. This is an exceptional opportunity to become a part of a modern and innovative agricultural research organization.

ICRISAT is embarking on a journey to implement its new research structure in Asia, East and Southern Africa and West and Central Africa through its three newly carved global research programs. To implement its research for development agenda, ICRISAT is looking for a dynamic, experienced, exceptional, multi-talented candidate for the position of Global Research Program Director for its Global Research program “Accelerated Crop Improvement”.

The Global Research Program Director, “Accelerated Crop Improvement” will lead a multi-disciplinary team of scientists working in the area of germplasm conservation, characterization, maintenance and use, development and deployment of genomics/bioinformatics resources, trait engineering, molecular biology, marker trait association, trait introgression, crop physiology, integrated crop protection, crop breeding, seed systems and capacity development. The position will report to the Deputy Director General – Research. This position will be hired through a Globally Competitive Recruitment process on a contract for a period of three years with an attractive compensation and benefits package payable in US dollars.

A new contract may be offered at the end of the present tenure based on the performance of the incumbent, funding availability and the Institute’s continuing need for the position. The suitable candidate will need to be able to act fast, engage professionally and build relationships across multiple cultures, besides working closely with the Institute’s Leadership Team and scientists across all our locations in Asia and Africa. The successful candidate will be an exceptional leader who is a passionate, dynamic, and collaborative individual and is highly motivated to achieve excellence supporting smallholders farm and food systems transformation in the drylands.

Primary Responsibilities

· Lead the Global Research Program “Accelerated Crop Improvement” across Asia, East and Southern Africa and West and Central Africa in the area of germplasm conservation, characterization, maintenance and use, development and deployment of genomics/bioinformatics resources, trait engineering, molecular biology, marker trait association, trait introgression, crop physiology, integrated crop protection, crop breeding, seed systems and capacity development.

· Provide effective leadership to the research team placed in different research clusters to deliver high quality research for development outcomes from the Program.

· Inspire and facilitate research teams and individual scientists to deliver high quality scientific outputs.

· Contribute to the ICRISAT efforts for resource mobilization and work with multi-disciplinary teams to develop research proposals and follow-through for successful funding.

· Work with other global research program directors as well as regional directors and demonstrate comprehensive output delivery as a team.

· Manage and provide supervision to the staff from different disciplines of the Global Research Program ‘Accelerated Crop Improvement’ located in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Candidate profile

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of the following skills, knowledge, experience, and personal characteristics:

· A Ph.D. degree in Plant breeding/Genetics/Genomics/Biotechnology/Crop Protection/relevant disciplines of crop improvement.

· Relevant work experience of at least 20 years in the area of agricultural research for development with high quality research outputs including an excellent record of publication in high impact journals.

· Demonstrated ability to build research networks and partnerships required for research and research for development to enhance productivity in drylands.

· Demonstrated ability to write proposals and resource mobilization in the area of agricultural research for development or similar areas.

· Well connected with institutions, organization in the relevant areas of research.

· Experience of leading multicultural, multi-disciplinary scientific teams and ability to work across diverse environments and cultures.

· Exceptional communication skills and the ability to deliver a compelling picture of the ICRISAT mandate across stakeholders.

· Knowledge of the context of smallholder farmers in the highly vulnerable climates of the drylands and knowledge of the major crops and cropping systems of the South Asian, sub-Saharan African region.

· Excellent written and oral skills in English. Knowledge of other international languages, especially French, will be an advantage.

Skills and Knowledge

· Demonstrated leadership abilities and strong interpersonal skills.

· A deep understanding of agricultural science in crop breeding, genomics, seed systems, crop physiology, crop protection and its critical role in tackling issues such as, climate change, natural resource management, malnutrition, gender issues and rural poverty across developing countries that impact the UN SDGs.

· Insights into solutions in agricultural science, ranging from plant breeding technologies to digital solutions and agribusiness.

· Proactive and achievement oriented.

· Strategic and innovative in business development strategy and execution.

· Established networks and skills to establish and strengthen industry partnerships.

· Ability to write impactful pitches and to follow these through personally or with support from others.

· Excellent written and oral skills in English. Knowledge of other international languages, especially French, will be an advantage.

How to apply:

If this position interests you, please follow the below instructions to apply. The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified. Shortlisting will start from early August 2025. All Applicants should apply with their latest Resume, and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged; however, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

ICRISAT is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing diversity and maintaining a progressive and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or whether they have a disability.