Assistant Research Associate - Maize Product Development

About the organization

CIMMYT is an international, non-profit research organization focused on improving the productivity, quality, and reliability of key cereal-based farming systems, including maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, and millets. Through applied agricultural science and strong partnerships, it works to strengthen livelihoods, improve resilience, and support a more productive and inclusive agrifood system within planetary limits. CIMMYT is also a CGIAR Research Center committed to reducing poverty, improving food and nutrition security, and protecting natural resources.

More details are available on the organization’s website.

Role purpose

This position is based in Harare, Zimbabwe, within the Southern Africa Office. It is a nationally recruited opening and is intended for Zimbabwean applicants with strong academic performance. The role supports field, greenhouse, and laboratory work that drives breeding pipelines and product advancement. The successful candidate will provide technical and operational assistance in maize product development, including trial setup, data capture, nursery care, seed handling, and timely delivery of breeding objectives and outputs.

Key duties

• Support nursery establishment and upkeep for inbred lines, doubled haploid lines, single crosses, and three-way hybrid development.
• Assist teams with controlled pollination work such as selfing, crossing, and tagging.
• Ensure breeding materials are properly labeled and documented.
• Help establish, manage, and harvest maize trials at multiple sites across Southern Africa.
• Assist with land preparation, planting, fertilizer application, irrigation timing, and general crop management through to harvest and data collection.
• Follow experimental layouts and research protocols carefully.
• Record phenotypic observations accurately, including emergence, flowering, plant height, yield, and disease scores.
• Use digital tools such as tablets and fieldbooks for data capture.
• Support data cleaning, validation, and basic summaries using EBS.
• Assist with harvesting, shelling, drying, seed treatment, and storage activities.
• Maintain reliable seed inventories and labeling systems.
• Prepare seed packets for trials and nurseries.
• Coordinate people and processes across all field sites.
• Track field inputs, equipment, and materials needed for operations.
• Work in line with safety and operational requirements.
• Keep field books, trial maps, and activity logs up to date.
• Contribute to periodic progress reports and summaries.
• Record deviations and field observations clearly.
• Perform other duties assigned by the supervisor.

Requirements

• A Master of Science degree in Plant Breeding, Seed Systems, or a closely related discipline is required.
• Applicants must have a clean Class 4 driver’s licence and a valid Defensive Driving Certificate.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience in agricultural research or field operations is needed; maize breeding experience will be an advantage.
• Understanding of core plant breeding principles is necessary.
• Experience handling field trials and collecting data is required.
• Exposure to digital data collection tools is an added advantage.
• Knowledge of data management tools and systems such as EBS for uploading and cleaning data is desirable.
• Strong accuracy and attention to detail are essential.
• The role requires the ability to work under field conditions and meet deadlines.
• Good communication, teamwork, and the ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment are expected.

Benefits

• Private health insurance.
• Pension plan.
• Paid time off.
• Training and development opportunities.

Additional information

This is a full-time onsite role based in Harare, Zimbabwe. The posting does not specify a salary, stipend, number of vacancies, application deadline, or start date. The role is open to Zimbabwean nationals with strong academic records.