About UM6P:
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) is an internationally oriented institution of higher education. Its educational system is based on the highest standards of teaching and research in fields related to the sustainable economic development of Morocco and Africa. With an innovative approach, UM6P places research and innovation at the heart of its educational project as a driving force of a business model. It focuses on applied research and innovation both in Morocco and Africa.
The university is a platform for experimentation and a pool of opportunities, for students, professors, and staff. It offers a high-quality living and study environment thanks to its state-of-the-art infrastructure.
About Entity (ASARI):
The African Sustainable Agriculture Research Institute (ASARI) is a component of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P). It is located in Laayoune City, in south of Morocco. Its vision is targeting real, local, regional, and African challenges in the fields of agricultural in dry lands and marginal environments, animal value chain, water and energy sustainability, biorefinery and bioenergy, cultivation and conversion of micro and macroalgae, and geology and mining.
Oriented towards Africa, ASARI acts in connection with a wide network of universities and research centers around the continent in order to link real field issues with up-to-date science. The institute has attracted multidisciplinary research teams composed of food engineers, agronomists, biochemists, biologists, … etc.
Description of the position:
- Provide research support in thematic areas related to agricultural water management, through key research tasks such as conducting fieldwork, contributing to land and irrigation suitability mapping, irrigation design and management, processing and analysis of data, and report writing.
- Lead data collection and contribute to the situational analyses to identify status of farming systems and feasibility assessments for informing context-specific and fit-for-purpose agriculture water and irrigation management solutions.
- Play a key role in leading project activities in different case study sites in Morocco and Africa for implementing agricultural water and irrigation management solutions and coordinate with local partners and stakeholders
- Collaborate with and/or provide support to ASARI researchers working in agricultural projects.
- Lead in planning, organizing and facilitating teaching, capacity building, training and interaction in the project sites, when necessary.
- Conduct systematic reviews and meta-analysis and synthesis of outputs to produce peer-reviewed publications according to project timelines.
- Provide support for project-specific communication materials.
- Take the initiative and undertake outreach, including publication of research findings
- Prepare and design simulation studies using water, soil and crop modeling tools
- Compile and analyze experimental data, interpret results, prepare presentations and manuscripts, and publish in high-quality peer-reviewed journals.
- Prepare innovative research projects and prepare grant-proposals
- Supervise Postdoc, PhD and Master students as well as interns
- Project management including budget, materials, equipment, and staff
The candidate will also be expected to help maintain all field and laboratory equipment, order supplies as needed and help maintain research plot records. Responsibilities also involve frequent travelling to different experimental platforms and farmer’s fields within Morocco and Africa. The successful candidate is also expected to collaborate actively with other members of the ASARI group in Laayoune as well as other research entities at UM6P and other universities.
Education
Ph.D. in agricultural science/irrigation sciences, agronomy, water management, or a closely related field
Requirement
- At least 3-5 years of experience in the field
- Demonstrated research experience in conducting on-station and on-farm research and also greenhouse and lab work on irrigation, salinity /agronomy as required.
- Expertise in the following areas (please indicate in the cover letter):
- Irrigation and agricultural water management
- Marginal and deserted environments
- Water-Crop-Soil modelling
- Water use efficiency
- Proficiency with statistical analysis and visualization using tools (R, SAS, etc.) and Microsoft Office.
- Demonstrated publication record in well-ranked journals
- Experience in working as a member of a multi-disciplinary team
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
- Working knowledge of projects and database management
- Additional language skills, Arabic and French are desirable
- Experience writing proposals and applying for grants
- Supervisory experience
