ICRISAT seeks applications for the post of Post-Doctoral Fellow (PDF)–Crop Modeller/Physiologist with GEMS team (www.gems.icrisat.org). The position will be primarily based at ICRISAT- Zimbabwe (with long-periods of time spent at ICRISAT – India and other ICRISAT and CGIAR centers) and support the local crop improvement teams with quantitative analysis to understand and quantify the production limitations of the crops within the scope of AVISA – “breeding modernization efforts”. The position will report to Senior Scientist - Crop Physiology & Principal Scientist & Regional Breeding Theme Lead - ESA 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. ICRISAT and its partners help empower those living in the semi-arid tropics, especially smallholder farmers, to overcome poverty, hunger, malnutrition and a degraded environment through more efficient and profitable agriculture. ICRISAT is headquartered in Patancheru near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and five country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT, established in 1972, is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. For more details, see www.icrisat.org.  Responsibilities: 

• Develop the crop modelling frameworks (i.e. APSIM, DSSAT, SSM) to systematically characterize target production environments for abiotic stress factors which influence crop productivity (Africa).
• Understand important crop adaptive features (and their genetics), basic agronomy and predict their value in the target cropping systems.
• Design and conduct experiments to support data collection for model development and parameterization of genotypic coefficients.
• Cross-disciplinary communication and collaboration, team player
• Training of students (national and international) and technical staff
• Field and platform experiments designing, data analysis and interpretation; preparation of reports and journal articles

Essential:

• Ph.D. degree in Quantitative plant physiology, Plant Biology, Statistics, Agronomy, Big data, with a good understanding of Genetics or related disciplines with 0-2 years of experience post Ph.D.
• Experience in the use of crop simulation modelling tools
• Programming skills (R, C++) and big data management, high-performance computing
• Proficiency in written and spoken English
• Ability to interact effectively in a multi-cultural and multidisciplinary environment
• Creativity and ability to work independently and in a team-based environment
• Ability to draft high-quality research articles

Desirable:

• Background in quantitative genetics (e.g. QTL, GWAS mapping), crops stress physiology, mathematics or molecular biology is an advantage
• Insight into agricultural production systems

General: This is a Post-Doctoral Fellow (PDF) position for two years, renewable based on the performance of the incumbent and the institute’s continuing need for the position. How to apply: Applicants should apply on or before 23-August-2020, with the latest Curriculum Vitae, and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable about your professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.