Postharvest Specialist at IITA - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture

Position/Responsibilities:
The Postharvest Specialist will undertake the following activities:
• Oversee the general operations and effective functioning of the various cassava processing and equipment fabrication centers or units established in the various project target countries.
• Develop and implement a strategy for cassava post-harvest management. This will include, technical training in appropriate processes and logistics and food safety and technical assistance for the establishment and management of processing facilities.
• Advise pertinent parties concerning processes and precautions to be followed in the field at postharvest and financially viable facilities for transportation, collection centers, pack houses, food drying and processing facilities that will enable cassava products to meet specifications and requirements including food safety, of specific buyers.
• Work with the M&E and communications staff to analyze baseline information and report findings and results of activities including success stories.
• Coordinate with the value chain and other technical personnel including the market development, environmental compliance, and agribusiness finance staff to design, develop, and teach appropriate procedures and processes for postharvest handling.
• Increase the quantity and quality of cassava new products available to specific buyers, by improving post-harvest techniques and facilities for grading, sorting, and packing.
• Improve food safety and quality in order to expand access to more demanding but higher paying and larger markets and to mitigate the incidence of food poisoning and food borne disease.
• Investigate the establishment and management of appropriately scaled product collection centers and pack houses in order to facilitate sales and efficiencies, and decrease post-harvest losses between the farms and the markets.
• Demonstrate appropriate post-harvest handling technologies and equipment and evaluate the results to promote utilization where proven to be effective.
• Work to identify local fabricators, assemblers and traders/buyers with existing handling and or storage facilities that are in need of upgrading and sharing their technologies.
• Any other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Qualification and Experience
The candidate should have a Post graduate degree (MSc or PhD) in Agricultural Engineering or a closely related field from a recognized university and more than five years of post-graduate experience.  

Core Competencies:
• Experience with project activity implementation and monitoring.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent spoken and written English; knowledge of French would be an asset.
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, and multi-cultural environment.
• Willingness to travel extensively within the various African hubs where the Cassava value chain of the project is being implemented.
• Experience working with national partners in sub-Saharan Africa is an asset.