Manager – Rapid Generation Advancement/Speed Breeding

ICRISAT seeks applications from dynamic Indian nationals for the position of Manager – Rapid Generation Advancement/Speed Breeding to support under Accelerated Breeding, Accelerated Crop Improvement. The incumbent will lead the day-to-day coordination and management of Work Package 3 (Population Development and Speed Breeding Optimization) under the NNF-funded project ‘Applying modern tools to enhance precision and speed of dryland crops breeding’. The role encompasses planning, executing, and overseeing RGA/speed breeding experiments, managing facility operations, supervising technical staff and consultants, tracking milestones and budgets, and liaising with internal teams and external partners (CIMMYT, University of Queensland, ICAR, KALRO, TARI, EIAR) to ensure reliable and timely delivery of optimized protocols and upgraded infrastructure for accelerated breeding in dryland crops, with an initial focus on sorghum and groundnut at ICRISAT–Hyderabad. This position will be based at ICRISAT’s Headquarters in Patancheru, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

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. Covering 6.5 million square kilometers of land in 55 countries, the semi- arid or dryland tropics has over 2 billion people and 644 million of these are the poorest of the poor. ICRISAT and its partners help empower these disadvantaged populations to overcome poverty, hunger and a degraded environment through better agricultural production systems.

ICRISAT is headquartered at Patancheru near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and eight country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT envisions a prosperous, food-secure and resilient dryland tropics. Its mission is to reduce poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation in the dryland tropics. ICRISAT conducts research on its mandate crops of chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut, sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet in the arid and semi-arid tropics. The Institute focuses its work on the drylands and in protecting the environment. Tropical dryland areas are usually seen as resource-poor and perennially beset by shocks such as drought, thereby trapping dryland communities in poverty and hunger and making them dependent on external aid. Please visit - www.icrisat.org

Responsibilities:

Purpose:

Conceptual and Applied:

• Manage and coordinate the full cycle of RGA/speed breeding experiments (Tasks 3.1–3.3), including experimental planning, resource allocation, protocol optimization, and milestone tracking against project timelines.
• Oversee day-to-day facility operations (growth chambers, glasshouses), scheduling, procurement of supplies, and maintenance of environmental controls (LED lighting, temperature, humidity, irrigation).
Translate research outputs into scalable, standardized SOPs; ensure reproducibility across breeding cycles and seasons; and maintain comprehensive documentation for WP3 project reporting and NNF deliverables.

Engagement:

Internal and External:

• Supervise, mentor, and performance-manage a team of technical staff, consultants, and trainees supporting RGA activities; foster a culture of safety, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate with WP leads (WP1, WP2, WP4, WP5), external partners (CIMMYT co-lead, University of Queensland), and national partners (ICAR, KALRO, TARI, EIAR) to align speed breeding activities with project milestones and cross-WP deliverables.
• Prepare and present WP3 progress reports, technical notes, and presentations for the Project Operations Committee, Scientific Advisory Committee, and NNF reporting cycles.
Any other assignments from time to time as assigned by the supervisor.

Timeliness and Quality:

• Monitor and manage WP3 operational budgets, track expenditures against approved plans, and liaise with institutional Finance Managers to ensure compliance with NNF and ICRISAT financial policies.
• Lead dissemination of WP3 results, including publications in high-impact journals, conference presentations, and contributions to project communication products.
Support facility upgrade planning and execution (Task 3.3), including LED lighting, automated fertigation, solar energy solutions, and environmentally sustainable infrastructure improvements.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• MSc in Plant Breeding, Crop Physiology, Agronomy, Horticulture, Controlled Environment Agriculture, or a closely related discipline with a minimum 6 years of experience in managing controlled-environment experiments, speed breeding/RGA programs, or breeding operations in field crops (experience in sorghum and/or legumes is a strong advantage).
• Demonstrated experience:
• Proven ability to manage teams, coordinate multi-partner activities, and deliver results within defined timelines and budgets in an international research environment.
• Hands-on skills in managing growth chambers/glasshouses, environmental set-point control, plant husbandry, crossing/pollination support, and seed processing.
• Strong project management, organizational, and documentation skills; ability to translate research findings into practical, scalable protocols and SOPs for breeding programs.
Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills; ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary, multicultural, and deadline-driven research environment.

Desirable Skills:

• Experience with budget management, procurement processes, and financial reporting in donor-funded research projects.
• Sensor-based monitoring and environmental logging (temperature, humidity, light intensity/PPFD) with strong data discipline.
• PPFD/LED tuning experience for crop-specific optimization (photoperiod and light spectrum/intensity management).
• Experience with automation or control systems for irrigation, climate, and/or lighting (e.g., programmable controllers, IoT-enabled systems).
• Statistical analysis skills for experimental interpretation (e.g., R, Python, Genstat, SAS, or equivalent) and clear reporting of outcomes.
• Familiarity with genomic selection concepts, rapid-cycle breeding, and/or doubled-haploid technologies is an advantage.

General:

This is a contractual role for a period of 36 months (3 years), renewable based on the performance of the incumbent and the institute’s continuing need for the position.

How to apply:

The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified. Shortlisting will start from 26 June 2026. All Applicants should apply with their latest Resume, and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged; however, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

ICRISAT is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing diversity and maintaining a progressive and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or whether they have a disability.