{"id":4171508,"url":"https://alion.io/job/cimmyt-irs26360-associate-program-director-discovery-research","title":"IRS26360 Associate Program Director - Discovery Research","company":{"id":673164,"name":"CIMMYT","domain":"cimmyt.org","url":"https://alion.io/company/cimmyt","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workable","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":83,"open_postings":10,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.7,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":40,"computed_at":"2026-11-12T10:38:37Z"}},"role":"Management","role_family":"Management","seniority":"head","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Nairobi, Kenya","New Delhi, India","Dhaka, Bangladesh","Dakar, Senegal"],"countries":["KE","IN","BD","SN"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":true,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-22T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-22","last_verified_at":"2026-11-12T14:53:00Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":21,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":21},"description":"About us:\nCIMMYT is a cutting edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow's problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries.\nFor more information, visit cimmyt.org.\nThe Associate Program Director, SAS Discovery Research contributes to the coherence and\ndesign of projects within the program, reviews implementation of science and guides team and\npartnership development in support of implementation of the innovation development agenda\nof SAS. The role sets a bold research vision aligned with CIMMYT's Excellence in Science and\nInnovation objectives advancing systems and scaling science through transdisciplinary teams\nthat bridge biological, environmental, economic, policy and social perspectives. The post holder\nis a scientific-leader with a strong record in scientific excellence, transdisciplinary project design\nand implementation, and cross disciplinary team leadership.\nPurpose: Drive implementation of science projects and contribute to scientific leadership and\nstrategic direction for the Discovery portfolio oriented toward rigorous, transdisciplinary\nresearch that makes agrifood systems more productive, inclusive, climate-resilient, and\nsustainable within planetary boundaries.\n1. Scientific vision: Contribute to defining and overseeing the execution of the SAS\nDiscovery research strategy. Use country, farmer, market and policy priorities to guide\nportfolio choices and identify gaps, duplication and opportunities across projects.\n2. Systems research and transdisciplinarity: Lead and support research in systems and\nscaling science, and integrate agronomy, soil and environmental science, climate,\neconomics, social science and nutrition, together with maize, wheat, dryland crops and\ngenetic innovation programs.\n3. New science and technologies: Integrate advances in technology, data science, gender\nand inclusion research, and real-time feedback monitoring into research design and\nlearning.\n4. Co-creation: Ensure farmers, national agricultural research systems, universities and the\nprivate sector help shape research questions, trials and tools, using participatory and\ndesign-thinking approaches.\n5. Scientific quality and compliance: Drive excellence in science ensuring compliance with\nstandards for research design, implementation, and dissemination of outputs. Ensure\nappropriate peer review, research ethics, data integrity, reproducibility and responsible\nopen science.\n6. Project lifecycle management: Lead, coordinate and contribute to development of\ncompetitive proposals including scientific donor engagement. Oversee project execution,\ncontributing to oversight of donor reporting and sound fiscal management. Support the\nSAS Director in program-wide planning, budgeting and compliance. Monitor portfolio\ncommitments, staff capacity and budget performance with project leaders, Program\nManagers and Finance; recommend corrective action and identify funding and costrecovery\ngaps.\n7. Talent: Contribute to the recruitment, development and mentoring of transdisciplinary\nteams, building a high-performance culture that supports scientific excellence, scientific\nequity and professional growth. Set clear objectives and provide performance feedback\nfor direct reports; develop succession plans and future scientific leaders.\n8. Partnerships and influence: Build collaborations with national agricultural research\nsystems, universities, the private sector and international centers. Represent CIMMYT's\nresearch at international forums and promote its scientific outputs.\n9. Interface with CIMMYT Systems Development Actions: Co-manage the handover of\nvalidated innovations to the Systems Development and Scaling APD, agreeing readiness\ncriteria and feedback loops.\nKey outputs: An annual Discovery workplan and budget; a research portfolio with\nmilestones and indicators; peer-reviewed publications and open datasets; funded proposals;\ndonor reports; a pipeline of innovations rated for scaling readiness. Readiness reviews will\nconsider evidence quality, farmer demand, inclusion, affordability and delivery feasibility;\nresearch engagement will continue during adaptation and scaling.\nRequirements\nPhD in crop science, agronomy, soil science, agroecology, environmental or climate\nscience, agricultural or development economics, sustainable development or a related\nfield.\nAt least 10 years of distinguished research leadership in an international research\norganization, academia or industry, including leading multidisciplinary teams.\nProven interdisciplinary science leadership bridging biological, environmental, economic,\npolicy and systems perspectives. A strong record of peer-reviewed publications and\nscientific contributions relevant to sustainable agrifood systems, together with evidence\nof developing scientific talent.\nDemonstrated success in securing funding and managing large research budgets and\nmulti-partner projects.\nStrong international and developing-country experience, with a commitment to food\nsecurity through systems approaches.\nExpertise in managing research within international legal frameworks and intellectual\nproperty agreements.\nExceptional relationship-management, communication and advocacy skills; a resultsdriven,\nagile, collaborative and humble leadership style.\nThe position will be based at a CIMMYT office in Latin America, Asia or Africa.\nBenefits\nThe position is for an initial fixed-term for three (3) years, after which further employment is subject to performance and the continued availability of funds. CIMMYT’s internationally competitive salary and benefits include housing allowance, car, comprehensive health and life insurance, assistance for children’s education, paid vacation, annual home travel airfare, contribution to a retirement plan, and generous assistance with relocation shipment.\nCandidates must apply online . Applications must include a CV with contact details (telephone and email address) of 3 work-related references along with the confirmation that Recruitment can contact them) and a cover letter. Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.\nPlease note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.\nInternal applications could be considered in line with internal eligibility guidance, please contact HR for more information.\nThis position will remain open until filled.\nCIMMYT is an equal opportunity employer. It fosters a multicultural work environment that values gender equality, teamwork, and respect for diversity. 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