BACKGROUND:
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is seeking an innovative, self-motivated, scientifically outstanding candidate for a post-doctoral fellow to participate in Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) funded bioinformatics projects. The bioinformatics post-doctoral fellow (PDF) will be supervised by senior bioinformatics scientists of the IRRI-CIMMYT Crop Research Informatics Laboratory, and collaborate closely with pertinent genomics scientists of the GCP Comparative Genomics Subprogramme 2 (SP2), CIMMYT Applied Biotechnology Center, particularly with genomics-based approaches for maize drought tolerance, and Crop Information Systems Subprogramme 4 (SP4).

CIMMYT (http://www.cimmyt.cgiar.org) is an internationally funded, non-profit research and training organization affiliated with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR, http://www.cgiar.org) and has an annual budget of nearly US$40 million. CIMMYT’s mission is to help the poor in the developing world by increasing the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of maize and wheat-based cropping systems while protecting natural resources. The Center is a global leader in scientific research and training related to maize and wheat improvement, and in biotechnology, economics, and natural resource management research. These activities are conducted in partnership with national agricultural research systems, non-governmental organizations, and advanced research institutions, both public and private, in globally- and regionally-focused programs. CIMMYT employs a staff of over 600 and operates in a decentralized, partnership mode, having staff in 14 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, plus projects and partnership networks in many more.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The primary responsibilities will be to:
• Assist with the consolidation of available GCP crop genomics data sets, in particular genotyping, microarray and quantitative trait locus (QTL) map data, with original data providers in SP2. The PDF will furthermore strive to enhance documentation of the data, using established public crop ontology standards.
• Collaborate with project team members and other SP4 scientists to design and implement bioinformatics annotation and analysis work flows using SP4 developed or adopted analysis software (http://www.generationcp.org/bioinformatics.php), high performance computing facilities and networking tools (e.g. GCP BioMOBY; http://moby.generationcp.org).
• Assist with the comparative integration and value added bioinformatics analysis of consolidated data sets using developed work flows, generating biological information for scientific publication, which involves microarray data analysis and bioinformatics-driven functional genomics approaches to identify candidate genes, pathways and genetic networks associated with maize drought tolerance.
• Document all the above activities in sufficient detail to guide future GCP scientific research using comparable data sets for similar research purposes and assist in the writing of scientific publications.

REQUIREMENTS:
We are seeking candidates with the following qualifications:

• Ph.D. degree in bioinformatics, plant genomics or a related field.
• Strong background in bioinformatics and genetics
• Relational database design and administration
• Interest in international agricultural research and development
• Ability to work well as part of multidisciplinary decentralized teams
• Proficiency in spoken and written English language

Experience in any of the following areas would be considered an asset:

• Statistical analysis using R
• Software development in Java
• Experience with biometrics and statistics
• Knowledge of drought tolerance physiology and/or molecular plant-microbe interactions
• Familiarity with molecular breeding programs
• Proficiency in Spanish

The position is subject to a 12 month probation and is renewable based on performance and availability of funding.

LOCALE:
The post-doctoral fellow will be based in the Crop Research Informatics Laboratory at CIMMYT’s Main Campus located 45 km northeast of Mexico City, Mexico. The CIMMYT campus has recreational and sports facilities and offers transportation to international schools in Mexico City. Good housing is available on and off campus, in and outside Mexico City.

COMPENSATION:
Salaries of internationally recruited staff are paid in US dollars. Benefits include housing allowance, life and health insurance package, education allowance (from KG to Grade 12), annual medical examination, and shipping allowance. CIMMYT is an equal-opportunity employer and strives for staff diversity in gender and nationality.

HOW TO APPLY:
Please send via e-mail your letter of application, CV/Resume (including full contact information), and names and contact information of three references to:
Human Resources Manager, (Reference 2006/06), CIMMYT
Email: jobs-cimmyt[at]cgiar.org

DEADLINE:
We will accept applications until l8th December 2006