Research Officer Dutch Embassy Jobs – Wageningen UR Uganda
Job Title: Research Officer – Bundling Maize Seed with Insurance
Organisation: Wageningen UR Uganda
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
Reports to: Chief of Party
About US:
Wageningen UR Uganda Ltd works on processes of innovation and change through facilitating innovation, brokering knowledge and supporting capacity development. Wageningen UR Uganda is part of Wageningen University and Research, under the unit Centre for Development Innovation. Wageningen UR Uganda is implementing a 4-year ISSD Plus project funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kampala. The programme aims to strengthen the development of a vibrant, pluralistic and market-oriented seed sector that is able to address key challenges that hamper the seed sector development such as seed quality assurance and availability of foundation seed. The project is implemented in collaboration with the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) for public varieties and food crops and private sector for vegetable seed.
Job Summary: The Research Officer will support the Chief of party in the day-to-day coordination of the research project, safe-guarding scientific rigor, liaising with key stakeholders and provide (maize) agronomic knowledge on farming systems and climate smart agriculture.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Support the Chief of Party to prepare a detailed work plan for the research project to collect, analyse, and present data to evaluate performance tools and experiments and informed decision-making on the planned experiments
- Geographically map maize varieties and traits of these varieties for drought resistance using variety release data, past performance and possibly trials and review performance in these zones
- Collect qualitative data on agronomy, climate smart agriculture, production risks, post-harvest handling and losses, storage for maize and farming systems, gender disaggregated.
- Map maize value chain actors and available quality grading for maize produce (literature review, linking with existing projects, and traders)
- Map existing agricultural insurance products and organizations that are active in the agricultural insurance sector
- Engage with seed companies that are interested to participate in the research project
- Engage with organizations that are interested to provide insurance products to smallholder farmers
- When relevant conduct trials/demos in collaboration with participating organizations
- Liaise with the CIMMYT-DTMASS project, seed companies, Makerere University and others on agreed action plans and share progress of the research and other related information with the stakeholders
- Organize and provide logistic support for all research data collection activities
- Support MSc students conducting research
- Write monthly and quarterly updates and annual reports
- Contribute to the design and conducting surveys and special studies across the zones to and supervise field data collection.
- Collaborate with Coordinators and zonal experts in conducting spot checking and routine monitoring especially during the time that surveys and other research activities are ongoing.
- Contribute to the design and implementation of data collection tools to be used for the research project
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The applicant must hold a Master’s degree in Agronomy / crop science with experience in the agricultural sector
- At least five years’ relevant maize agronomic work experience
- Technical experience in managing quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis
- Proven interest in conducting agricultural related research
- Excellent conceptual and analytical skills directly related to the work in the seed and/or maize sector, including excellent writing skills;
- Capacity to produce high quality reports
- Computer literacy skills i.e. proficiency in word processing, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, internet use
- Ability to work well in a multi-disciplinary team, excellent interpersonal skills, analytical and attentive to detail;
- Willingness to travel extensively in Uganda;
- Experience in climate smart agriculture, social inclusion and gender is a strong added benefit
- Previous experience in the Uganda seed sector is an added benefit.
How to Apply:
All suitably and qualified and interested candidates should send their application letters and updated CVs (max. 6 pages) to hr@issduganda.org
NB: DO NOT attach certificates or academic qualification.
Deadline: 4th March 2018
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