Technical Assistants at International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology - ICIPE, April 2024

Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, icipe was established in 1970, to address this very paradox of insects and accompanying challenges. The Centre’s mission is to use insect science for sustainable development, to ensure food security and improve the overall health of communities in Africa by addressing the interlinked problems of poverty, poor health, low agricultural productivity and environmental degradation. Since its founding, icipe has remained committed to developing and disseminating environmentally safe, affordable, acceptable and accessible tools and strategies to control insect pests and disease vectors. icipe’s mandate further extends to the sustainable conservation and utilisation of Africa’s rich biodiversity. icipe is the only international institution in Africa working primarily on arthropods. Therefore capacity building of individual researchers and institutions in Africa is an integral part of all the Centre’s research and development activities. icipe also aims to empower women, harness the youth and build capacity to use, transfer and teach the Centre’s technologies. How we work

Technical Assistants

Overall purpose of the job

To support scientists and students in carrying out experiments and reporting on the same for all the African Fruit Fly Programme (AFFP) related activities.

Responsibilities

Conduct field, greenhouse and laboratory experiments as advised by scientists following icipe scientific procedures and guidelines.
Collect and record data for scientific research and maintain a proper data retrieval system.
Data entry of field, greenhouse and laboratory experiments using appropriate computer software.
Perform basic analyses of data and generate reports for both internal and external use.
Rear and maintain colonies of insects and natural enemies related to the African Fruit Fly Programme.
Assist in identifying and maintaining excellent contact/rapport with farming communities involved in the Fruit Fly Programme R&D work and assist in their training.
Ensure that experimental equipment and laboratories are clean and well maintained.
Monitor and facilitate in the procurement of lab supplies in a timely manner and maintain an inventory of supplies and equipment at all times.
Participate in the training of interns and students on attachment.
Assist in driving AFFP staff whenever required.
Supervise junior technical staff and assist them to overcome work bottlenecks that they may encounter, and report on the same to supervisors in timely manner.
Undertake any other duties assigned by the supervisor.

Key Responsibilities

With the approval of the supervisor, he/she will be responsible for making timely decisions relevant for his/ her job functions.
Supervise temporary staff and casual workers assigned to him/her.
Responsible for financial management related to determining payment for casuals and field and travel advances he/she is provided, with honesty and integrity.
May be acknowledged in scientific publications depending on the effort and input provided.
Identify and maintain excellent contact/rapport with farming communities involved in Programme R&D work.

Requirements/Qualifications

Higher diploma in entomology or zoology.
Experience in handling and working with insects and their natural enemies is desirable, but not mandatory.
Candidates with working experience in a busy research laboratory with extensive fieldwork related to crop pests and parasitoids will have an added advantage.
Possession of a valid driving licence and proven accident free driving is an added advantage.
Must be computer literate.

Core Competencies

Proven track record of writing scientific and technical reports.

Other desirable attributes

Must be self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal supervision.
Fast thinking and able to solve day-to-day research challenges in a practical manner.
Maintains frequent contact with scientists and other technical staff for exchange of information.
A team player with ability to maintain harmonious working relationship in a multi-cultural and multi-racial environment.

Reporting

This position reports to the scientists.

The position is available immediately.

Applications will be accepted up to 12th May 2017, or until the position is filled, whichever is earlier.

Interested applicants should submit:

a confidential cover letter,
detailed CV with names and addresses of 3 referees (including e-mail addresses, fax numbers), and
a statement illustrating suitability against the listed qualifications/competencies/abilities, and skills.

Candidates are required to apply online through: http://recruit.icipe.org

icipe is an equal opportunity employer. It fosters a multicultural work environment that values gender equity, teamwork, and respect for diversity.

More Information

Job City Nairobi

International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)

Insects and other arthropods are the most diverse and abundant forms of life on earth. They are also a paradox within the sustainable growth equation especially in tropical regions such as Africa where, on the one hand, they contribute to developmental stagnation because of their ability to severely reduce the output of humans, animals and plants. On the other, because of their tremendous biodiversity, insects harbour great potential for development.

In Africa, insects pests are a key component among complexities of water scarcity, land degradation and poor soil health, which continue to hinder agricultural productivity and food security. In some instances, insects cause the loss of entire crops in the field, and in others, they destroy significant amounts of harvested food in storage. They also limit the potential of the continent’s emerging horticultural sector by reducing yield quality and quantity, and by necessitating the use of harmful pesticides, leading to the rejection of produce from Africa in lucrative export markets.

Some insects are also disease vectors and are responsible for the transmission of dilapidating human and livestock diseases, exacerbating Africa’s already disproportionate share of the global disease burden. Such diseases include malaria (transmitted by mosquitoes), human and animal trypanosomosis, commonly known as sleeping sickness and nagana respectively, which are transmitted by tsetse. Other vector-borne diseases are: dengue, kala-azar, Rift Valley fever and yellow fever.

Many people in Africa, especially those living in fragile and marginalised areas rely on insect biodiversity, for instance beekeeping and silk rearing. However, factors related to population growth and poverty, the inability to harness natural resources sustainably, and indeed, the strategies that are used to control harmful insects, are bringing about changes that are adversely affecting ecosystems, and the benefits that people obtain from them. In addition, the impacts of climate change will most significantly be felt in Africa, possibly pushing communities further into poverty and placing more pressure on the environment.

Underlying all these issues is a weak and under-resourced infrastructure for scientific research, and the lack of adequate capacity to deal with the negative aspects of insects, and to harness their positive attributes.

What we do

Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, icipe was established in 1970, to address this very paradox of insects and accompanying challenges. The Centre’s mission is to use insect science for sustainable development, to ensure food security and improve the overall health of communities in Africa by addressing the interlinked problems of poverty, poor health, low agricultural productivity and environmental degradation.

Since its founding, icipe has remained committed to developing and disseminating environmentally safe, affordable, acceptable and accessible tools and strategies to control insect pests and disease vectors. icipe’s mandate further extends to the sustainable conservation and utilisation of Africa’s rich biodiversity.

icipe is the only international institution in Africa working primarily on arthropods. Therefore capacity building of individual researchers and institutions in Africa is an integral part of all the Centre’s research and development activities. icipe also aims to empower women, harness the youth and build capacity to use, transfer and teach the Centre’s technologies.

How we work

icipe prides itself as a centre of excellence, which means adhering to the highest globally accepted standards of scientific practice, while responding to Africa’s critical developmental. The Centre seeks to accomplish its goals through:

The 4H (ealth)s paradigm, a holistic and integrated approach that encompasses human, animal, plant and environmental health.
A Multiple discipline approaches, which bring together entomologists and acarologists, behavioural biologists, molecular biologists and biochemists, population and ecosystem ecologists, biomathematics and bioinformatics specialists, entomopathologists, biosystematics experts and social scientists and trainers.
Collaborations: icipe’s research is undertaken through close and effective partnerships with national, regional and international organisations. Through these partnerships and collaborations, icipe’s ultimate goal is to strengthen the Centre’s own capacity and that of its partners towards improving the livelihoods of millions of people in Africa towards enabling smallholder farmers, on whom most agricultural activity in Africa depends, access the appropriate technologies and strategies to address existing and emerging constraints. It is the home base for researchers and scientists from Europe, Africa and Latin America; it creates a globalised ‘research family’.

0 USD Nairobi CF 3201 Abc road Contract , 40 hours per week International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)