Senior Research Associate – Crop Breeding

About the role

CIMMYT seeks a Senior Research Associate to lead modern breeding strategies for sorghum, pearl millet, and groundnut, accelerating genetic gain and supporting smallholder farmers in West and Central Africa.

Key responsibilities

• Co‑lead breeding pipelines for sorghum and pearl millet, developing elite hybrid materials and germplasm resources.
• Implement marker‑assisted selection, genomic selection and other advanced breeding tools.
• Design data‑driven breeding frameworks and SOPs in collaboration with informatics and quantitative genetics teams.
• Build and strengthen partnerships with national and global breeding programs and contribute to research proposals and fundraising.
• Mentor research staff, produce scientific outputs and provide technical support across programs.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in Plant Breeding, Genetics or related field.
• Field research experience with trial design, data collection and analysis.
• Leadership potential, strong communication skills and commitment to smallholder impact.
• Fluency in English and French.

Required skills

• Quantitative genetics
• Genomics‑assisted breeding (MAS, GS)
• Statistical analysis and data management software
• Experience with breeding informatics tools

What we offer

• Competitive international compensation package.
• Multicultural work environment focused on food security and agricultural research.