5 Job Vacancies at the Tanzania Coffee Research Institute (TaCRI):

TaCRI is now seeking to employ dynamic, committed, responsible and self-motivated person to fill the following vacant posts for an initial period of three years renewable based on productivity/performance and continued need.

Plant Pathologist (1 post)

Location: TaCRI, Lyamungu

Reports to: Programme Manager Coffee Research Improvements Programme.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Support Plant Breeding and provide information to stakeholders pending forecasting or real existence of coffee diseases for management of the pathogen.
• To support Plant Breeder in identifying coffee accessions with durable disease resistance to be used in crossing programme or to develop as a variety.
• To suggest appropriate techniques for screening of disease resistance for existing or emerging diseases.
• To perform application of inoculation for virus, bacteria, fungi, and other related pathogens to measure resistance of accessions or Koch’s postulates for identification of the pathogen.

• To study the epidemiology of a coffee pathogen and suggest appropriate control measures.
• To conduct Bio-assays with pathogens.
• To perform routine data collection from various research projects and entry into systems results for analysis using parametric or non-parametric statistical tools and draw inferences.
• To perform direct simple or complex laboratory work as a routine or special task.
• To lead a cross-functional team in innovating, developing, and enabling new phenotyping, diagnostic, and other assays for existing and new problems

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Core competence:

Plant Pathology skills

The ideal candidate will need to have a strong understanding of Plant Pathology and pests in general applicable to coffee. Also, the candidate must be computer literate with outstanding communication skills.

Academic qualification; At least MSc in Crop Protection/Plant Pathology with proven records of achievement.

Work Experience: At least a minimum of TWO years of work experience with relevance in Plant Pathology and/or agricultural research activities. Experience with gains with the private sector and hands-on participatory approach and especially working with plant laboratories will be an added advantage.

Biotechnologist (1 post)

Location: TaCRI, Lyamungu

Reports to: Programme Manager Coffee Research Improvements Programme

Roles and responsibilities:

• Organize and help maintain the structure of the laboratory, manage consumable inventory, and take care of stocking supplies, pipette calibrations.
• Maintain organization of the tissue culture suites, provide support on cell line inventories.
• Developing and improving culture protocols, as directed by Programme Manager.
• Creation of production schedules, training and orienting new staff, strict laboratory record-keeping and reporting of laboratory results to the Programme Manager.
• Work as Tissue Culture Manager to improve plant survival rate within the greenhouse environment.
• Develop standard workflow for Tissue Culture Production.
• It is also the responsibility of the biotechnologist to adhere to all safety policies and procedures to ensure a safe and secure working environment in all aspects of the Institute’s production.
• Ongoing improvement on processes and ideas for efficiencies are strongly encouraged.
• Understanding and meeting the needs of internal and external customers; strong demand-led, market-oriented, and participatory process of technology development and dissemination.
• Adapts readily to change and establishes organizational processes that foster responsiveness, readiness to change and work under diverse conditions.
• Show commitment to teamwork and finds the best solutions by working positively and cooperatively with others, good leadership, high standards of performance, a sense of urgency, and mutual respect and integrity.

Core competence:

Biotechnologist skills

The ideal candidate will need to have strong understanding of Biotechnology and laboratory work skills in general applicable to coffee. Also the candidate must be computer literate with outstanding communication skills.

Academic qualification; At least BSc in Biotechnology with proven records of achievement.

Work Experience: At least a minimum of 2 years of work experience with relevance in Biotechnology and/or agricultural/laboratory practical experience. Experience with gains with the private sector and hands-on participatory approach and especially working with laboratories will be an added advantage.

Plant Breeder (1 post)

Location: TaCRI, Lyamungu

Reports to: Programme Manager Coffee Research Improvements Programme

Roles and responsibilities:

Development, evaluation, and selection of superior crop varieties with improved productivity and low management costs. This involves the following tasks:

• To study existing cross-breeding and establish aspects for development.
• To ensure that improved coffee varieties are developed with combined attributes of high yielding, disease resistance, and excellent quality in terms of bean sizes and cup taste
• To study the existing germplasm for possible sources of progenitors to improve the existing ones; if not available source from outside germplasm or use of biotechnological approaches
• To carry out an appropriate strategy to combine the attributes to come out with superior coffee varieties.
• Required to have extensive knowledge in molecular technologies, statistics and genetics.
• To evaluate the resulting candidate varieties on diverse agro-ecological zones in collaboration with growers to identify the most adaptive varieties.
• To recommend for the official release of superior and adaptive varieties.
• To ensure that the existing coffee germplasm is well maintained To carry out proper variety characterization for official registration
• Routinely follow up field performance of released varieties to ensure their field performance and where necessary take appropriate measures (maintenance breeding).

Core competence:

Plant breeding skills

The Ideal candidate will need to have a strong understanding of Plant Breeding and genetics principles associated with seed production/multiplication of seedlings. Also, the candidate must be computer literate with outstanding communication skills.

Academic qualification; At least MSc in Crop Improvement/Plant Breeding with proven records of achievement.

Work Experience: At least a minimum of 2 years of work experience with relevance in Plant Breeding and/or agricultural research activities. Experience with the private sector and hands-on participatory approach and especially working with seed or seedling multiplication organization/coffee industry will be an added advantage.

Extension Agronomists (2 posts)

Location: TaCRI, Ugano, and Mbimba sub-stations in Mbinga and Mbozi districts

Reports to: Zonal Programme Managers-TaCRI Ugano and Mbimba sub-stations

Roles and responsibilities:

To support the development of the coffee industry by:

• Disseminating proven technologies to district extension staff, farmers, and estates through the provision of training courses for sustainable and profitable coffee production
• Identifying training needs and support TaCRI’s training centre as an income generating centre
• Promoting relevant and appropriate extension messages for growing coffee as a business
• Supporting the central research programme by facilitating on-farm and on-station research
• Supporting the development and upgrading of respective district, ward, farmer groups, estates, and other stakeholders’clonal coffee nurseries
• Promoting market awareness including an appreciation of cup quality
• To test viable business models to produce coffee, i.e, horizontal/vertical diversification
• To support the development of nurseries producing new varieties for replanting program
• To develop and deliver training courses (training of trainers)
• Monitoring the implementation of Result 4 activities in the respective zone

Core competence:

Agronomy and extension skills

The ideal candidate will need to have a strong understanding of agronomic and extension principles associated with the production and marketing of good quality coffee or any other perennial crops. Also, the Candidates must be computer literate with outstanding communication skills.

Academic qualification; At least a BSc in Agriculture/Agronomy/Horticulture/Rural development with proven records of achievement. Applicants with Master’s Degree will have an added advantage.

Work Experience: At least a minimum of 2years of work experience with relevance in extension and/or agricultural research activities. Experience with the private sector and hands-on participatory approach and especially working with coffee farmer groups/coffee industry will be an added advantage.

Remuneration: TaCRI is an equal opportunity employer and offers attractive and competitive remuneration.

Mode of application:

• An application letter in your handwriting or typed
• Fully typed Curriculum vitae
• Certified copies of relevant certificates
• Full postal address including telephone contact details and e-mail address if any
• Three contactable references

Deadline of application:

All applications must reach the Chief Executive Director through the address below (not by email).

Chief Executive Director,
Tanzania Coffee Research Institute (TaCRI),
P.O. Box 3004,          
Moshi. 

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

The deadline for receiving the applications is 09.11.2021