Maize Plant Health Scientist

ABOUT THE COMPANY

CIMMYT works throughout the developing world to improve livelihoods and foster more productive, sustainable maize and wheat farming. Our portfolio squarely targets critical challenges, including food insecurity and malnutrition, climate change and environmental degradation.
Through collaborative research, partnerships, and training, the center helps to build and strengthen a new generation of national agricultural research and extension services in maize- and wheat-growing nations. As a member of the CGIAR System composed of 15 agricultural research centers, CIMMYT leads the CGIAR Research Programs on Maize and Wheat, which align and add value to the efforts of more than 500 partners.

JOB SUMMARY

RequirementsPh.D. in plant pathology or any other closely related crop protection field from an internationally recognized university.Minimum +5 years Post-Ph.D experience.A publication record in high-impact Journals related to Plant Pathology.Working experience in disease screening under natural and artificial inoculations for key maize diseases is a great advantage.Good knowledge of international seed exchange and phytosanitary guidelines.Working knowledge of data analysis software like R, SAS, and Genstat preferred.Good reporting and communication skills in English (working language).Strong interpersonal and communication skills to manage complex collaborator relations, including experienced breeders, social scientists, and crop protection experts.Track record of flexibility, adaptability, well organized and working under pressure with tight deadlines.Willing to travel widely in East and Southern Africa.Able to excel in a fast-paced, dynamic team environment and possess skills to manage support staff.The selected candidate should exhibit the following competencies: Problem Solving and Decision Making, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Teamwork, and Communication.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Set Plant Health Vision for CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program (GMP)Define CIMMYT GMP’s long-term plant health strategy and regions.Align disease priorities with breeding pipelines, climate projections, and food security risks.Establish CIMMYT as the global authority on maize disease risk in low- and middle-income countries.Lead AI-Enabled Disease Surveillance and Early Warning SystemsIntegrate field surveillance, genomics, remote sensing, and climate data into predictive disease models.Apply machine learning to forecast outbreaks, pathogen evolution, and resistance breakdown.Develop open dashboards and early warning tools accessible to national partners.Lead the execution, and delivery of scientifically robust pathology trials for product advancement decisions.Optimize disease screening and assays for maize breeding for field applicationDesign and execute pathology trials that are scientifically rigorous, reproducible, and aligned with breeding program goals.Generate high-quality disease resistance data that supports decision-making in breeding, product advancement, and regulatory submissions.Ensure compliance with relevant biosafety, ethical, and quality assurance standards.Lead Genetic Disease Resistance and Pathogen Intelligence IntegrationEstablish genetic disease resistance as the cornerstone of crop protection by guiding breeding strategies, prioritizing durable resistance approaches, and informing trait deployment to minimize pathogen adaptation.Integrate pathogen genomics and population biology to monitor and anticipate pathogen evolution.Translate pathogen intelligence into actionable breeding and deployment strategies that slow adaptation and extend product life cycles.Establish a comprehensive pathogen intelligence framework that integrates genomic characterization, surveillance of emerging variants, and translation of insights into breeding and trait deployment strategies, ensuring durable crop resistance and proactive disease management.Lead Seed Health, Disease-Free Production, and Phytosanitary Compliance.Establish and oversee comprehensive seed health testing protocols to detect and prevent seed-borne pathogens.Ensure disease-free seed production systems through strict monitoring, sanitation, and certification processes.Implement and maintain phytosanitary procedures aligned with national and international regulatory frameworks.Facilitate safe seed movement across borders by ensuring compliance with international standards (e.g., ISTA, IPPC).Provide technical guidance to breeding and production teams to integrate seed health into product advancement pipelines.Embed Epidemiology and Agronomy into Disease Risk Models.Develop an integrated, multi-dimensional maize disease risk data platform that consolidates epidemiological, agronomic, and environmental datasets to enable robust modeling of pathogen dynamics and inform breeding, management, and deployment strategies.Develop standardized data formats to ensure compatibility across epidemiology and agronomy inputs.Model disease dynamics across cropping systems, landscapes, and management practices.Integrate agronomic and farmer behavior data into disease risk assessments.Design disease management strategies suitable for low-input systems.Partnerships, Representation and Resource MobilizationBuild and lead global plant health partnerships by coordinating with NARS, CGIAR centers, universities, and international agencies to align strategies and resources for transboundary and emerging disease response.Strengthen national and institutional capacity through mentoring scientists, developing training programs, sharing protocols, and ensuring sustainability of plant health systems via institutional strengthening and knowledge transfer.Publish in top-tier journals on pathogen biology, disease forecasting, and resistance durability.Develop and deliver donor proposals and investment cases that translate complex plant health risks into compelling, data driven narratives focused on disease surveillance and resistance.Engage and partner with donors to strengthen proactive global disease risk management and ensure sustained support for resilient plant health systems.Represent CIMMYT at global forums and advise governments and international bodies on biosecurity, climate risk, food systems, and disease preparedness and response.Strengthening CIMMYT’s visibility and credibility as a trusted, neutral authority in global plant health and food security.

REQUIRED SKILLS

Data analysis, Pest and disease control, Research planning, Reporting

REQUIRED EDUCATION

Post-graduate education