Role purpose

CGIAR has an ambitious mission to deliver science and innovations that advance the transformation of food, land and water systems in a climate crisis to reduce poverty and inequity, enhance food and nutrition security, and improve natural resources and ecosystem services. CGIAR’s Integrated Partnership operates as a federated group of Centers and the CGIAR System Organization, united by common values and principles, and committed to achieving synergies that enhance their individual and collective contributions to CGIAR’s mission.

CGIAR’s 2025—30 science and innovation Portfolio encompasses eight Science Programs, a Scaling for Impact Program, and three Accelerators. The Portfolio is designed to harness CGIAR’s collective capabilities to address the most pressing global challenges. It aims to foster deeper and broader programmatic integration across Centers and disciplines, enabling science and innovation at a greater scale with enhanced reach and impact.

The Breeding for Tomorrow Science Program aims to develop and deliver a portfolio of climate-resilient, market-preferred and nutritious varieties, and to make food systems more productive, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.

The Director, Breeding for Tomorrow Science Program provides scientific leadership, adaptive management, and strategic alignment of the Program and its components as a coherent, joint undertaking that spans multiple CGIAR Centers, partners, and sources of funding.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides scientific and strategic leadership of the Program, ensuring continuous review and adaptive management of the Program’s vision, theory of change, and structure to maximize impact, relevance, and efficiency.
• Oversees Program execution, aligning activities with CGIAR’s overarching vision, mission, and 2030 outcomes, including developing and managing work plans and budgets for Program, and fostering alignment of relevant of other bilaterally funded projects and programs with the Program’s high-level outcomes and theory of change.
• Promotes scientific inclusion, alignment, and coherence across multiple Centers, partners and funding sources, fostering integration across breeding programs.
• Leads the Program’s Leadership team, comprising Area of Work Leads and Co-Leads, and Center Delegates defining a vision for the Program and shared accountability.
• Actively participates in CGIAR’s Global Science Team, driving coordinated science and innovation leadership across the Portfolio to achieve collective impact.
• Guides and directs engagement with global enabling and engagement functions, Program/Accelerator-level Independent Advisory Groups, CGIAR’s partnership-wide independent advisory and assurance bodies (i.e. Independent Science for development Council, the independent Advisory and evaluation service, the standing panel on impact assessment and Internal audit) combining scientific and political acumen.
• Acts as a spokesperson, engaging with partners, funders and – when required – CGIAR’s partnership-wide governing bodies on matters related to the Program, including the CGIAR System Council and CGIAR Integrated Partnership Board.
• Directs the delivery, quality of science, and prioritization of activities and outputs, and assumes overall accountability for the use of such funds for their intended purpose under the Program.
• Establishes performance and results management, including the preparation of technical and financial reports, implementation of regular review processes, and continuous improvement of delivery systems.
• Provides functional oversight of Area of Work Leads and Co-Leads and Program Management Unit staff in Centers.
• Drives research in the development and deployment of climate-resilient, market-preferred, and nutritious crop varieties and works in synergy with the position leading the Genebanks Accelerator to integrate all aspects of conservation and utilization of genetic diversity to enhance the impact and sustainability of breeding efforts.
• Integrates cutting-edge technologies and methodologies, including genomic selection, predictive breeding, and data-driven decision-making while fostering synergy between breeding programs as well as with CGIAR’s genebank operations to maximize the delivery of high-quality outputs.

Profile

Education and Experience

• Advanced degree (PhD or equivalent) in Plant Breeding, Genetics, Agricultural Sciences, or a related field.
• Postdoctoral experience or additional certifications in breeding technologies, quantitative genetics, bioinformatics, or genetic resource management is advantageous.
• Extensive knowledge of crop improvement and breeding strategies, including conventional molecular and integrated approaches.
• Demonstrated understanding of breeding for resilience traits, including drought tolerance, pest resistance, nutritional quality and adaptation to climate variability.
• Expertise in integrating genomics, phenomics, and data-driven decision-making into breeding programs.
• Familiarity with modern tools and platforms for breeding pipelines (e.g., genetic diversity analysis, CRISPR, and gene-editing technologies).
• Expertise in designing, implementing, and evaluating large-scale, multi-crop breeding programs, and a good understanding of how incorporation of genebank materials can enhance genetic innovation pipelines.
• Demonstrated experience in resource mobilization, partnership development, and financial oversight for complex projects, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and efficient use of resources.

Languages

• Fluency in English is essential to communicate in writing and speaking.

• Knowledge of a second language is desirable.

Key Competencies

• Strategically aligning Program goals with CGIAR’s organizational strategies, global priorities, and market needs.
• Strong strategic and adaptive thinking, with pragmatism required to make decisions that balance scientific ambition with operational feasibility.
• Systems thinking to understand interconnected challenges and design integrated solutions that maximize impact across climate-resilient and nutritious varieties.
• Effective communication with diverse stakeholders, including research partners, donors, policymakers, and private sector stakeholders, to articulate a compelling vision and drive engagement.
• Fostering collaboration and consensus, navigating diverse perspectives and influencing decision-making across multidisciplinary teams and multi-stakeholder networks to achieve shared objectives.
• Exceptional leadership skills with a proven ability to inspire and integrate multidisciplinary teams and manage talent, while promoting knowledge sharing, staff development and diversity.
• Adherence to the highest ethical standards, fostering trust and treating all people with respect.

Terms of Appointment

• Benefits
  • The selected staff member will be offered terms and conditions commensurate with the grade of the position, qualifications and experience.

Role Location

This position will be based in a duty station to be determined in a location with significant CGIAR operations relevant to the Program.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please ensure you complete the Application Form provided below by 15 April 2025 (23:59 hrs, GMT +1). It is essential that you submit your CV in English, specifically in Microsoft Word format (.doc/.docx), not exceeding 10MB.

Applications in other languages or formats will not be considered.

Rest assured, all information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

SRI Executive is exclusively retained by CGIAR to undertake this assignment.