Banana Genomics and Quantitative Genetics Breeder (Post-Doc)

Requirements

• The candidate should have a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, or a related field
  
• Core Competencies
  
• At least 5 years experience in banana improvement.
  
• Skilled in quantitative genetics and genomics including marker-assisted breeding, data management, and computational tools development.
  
• Statistical analysis of phenotypic and genotypic data in banana.
  
• Expertise in designing and executing breeding agendas by coordinating breeding activities, design and management of trials and experiments, modern data collection and curation techniques and tools use.
  
• Demonstrated banana breeding experience.
  
• Ability to work effectively with multicultural, multidisciplinary and multi-institutional teams.
  

• B4T AoW DESIGN
  
• Support the implementation of country improvement plans
  
• B4T AoW DEVELOP
  
• Contribute to the development of improved banana through conventional and modern breeding techniques
  
• Develop and apply quantitative genetics and genomics including marker-assisted breeding and genomic selection, data management, and computational tools development for banana breeding
  
• Develop and apply bioinformatic tools to extract data from the pangenome to accelerate banana breeding
  
• Design and execute breeding agendas by coordinating breeding activities, design optimization and management of trials and experiments, modern data collection and curation techniques and tools
  
• Develop reproducible data analysis pipelines for management and analysis of phenotypic and genotypic data of key aspects in banana
  
• Integrate functional genomics, quantitative genetics, phenomics and bioinformatics methods that provide dynamic and responsive support to breeding
  
• Design and implement genotyping strategies to support Molecular Trait Discovery in banana and plantain breeding
  
• Support parental improvement and product development in banana and plantain breeding
  
• Foster the use of molecular tools as part of selecting plants in the banana breeding program by the IITA banana and plantain breeding programs, and the partners.
  
• Establish and manage a quality phenotyping lab to foster trait discovery and early-stage evaluation of the quality traits in matooke parental improvement
  
• Build the platform for genomic prediction as part of recycling in banana and plantain parental improvement
  
• Support the NARS in the Musa breeding networks to apply molecular tools, including MAS and QA/QC
  
• B4T AoW SUPPORT (Breeding Resources)
  
• Interact with the B4T Breeding Resources team to accelerate the pace of the development and deployment of molecular tools in support of banana breeding
  
• Support standardized data management practices and documentation
  
• Support the continuous upgrading of MusaBase and BTracT (and eventually the transition to EBS and Bioflow), focusing especially on depositing and use of molecular data and associated phenotypic data.
  
• B4T AoW ENABLE
  
• Provide support for impact assessment in farmer’s fields
  
• Contribute to capacity strengthening of NARS and regional partners
  
• Support effective partnerships and collaborative relationships with NARS, CGIAR, and ARIs, especially maintaining and intensifying the collaboration with East African NARS
  
• Other responsibilities:
  
• Manage the molecular research staff in Arusha (Tanzania), Sendusu (Uganda) and Ibadan (Nigeria)
  
• Provide analytical support and training to breeders, technicians, and partners
  
• Mentor and backstop M.Sc. and Ph.D. students involved in related research
  
• Initiate and lead scientific outputs in peer-reviewed journals, technical reports, IITA Bulletins and other fora
  
• Head and contribute to resource mobilization in support of banana genetics