Expression of Interest - Individual Consultant (Plant Pathologist)

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is seeking to engage the services of an Individual Consultant to provide technical leadership and coordination in soybean rust (SBR) pathology activities across participating countries. Soybean rust, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is a major transboundary disease severely affecting soybean production in Africa, with potential yield losses reaching up to 90% under severe epidemics. The project is focused on strengthening genetic resistance to soybean rust through pathogen characterization, introgression of key resistance genes (Rpp1b, Rpp2, Rpp3), development of breeding stacks, field validation of resistant lines, and molecular cloning of resistance loci.

The purpose of this consultancy is to deliver expert guidance in designing, implementing, and harmonizing SBR pathology research efforts, including pathogen collection, field evaluation of resistant materials, and enhancement of rust surveillance systems across project countries. The Consultant will contribute to improving disease monitoring capacity, advancing resistant‑germplasm deployment strategies, and supporting collaborative research outputs that highlight progress and findings from this work. This assignment is critical to advancing IITA’s efforts toward sustainable management of soybean rust and strengthening its leadership in integrated, data‑driven crop health improvement.

In line with this, we invite suitably qualified and experienced individuals to express their interest in providing the required services.

Scope of Work / Key Responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following:

• Coordinate seasonal soybean rust isolate collection from identified hotspot locations.
• Supervise isolate multiplication and support phenotypic characterization.
• Design and oversee multi-location field trials under natural infection.
• Develop standardized rust scoring protocols and ensure robust experimental design.
• Provide pathology guidance during backcrossing and resistance gene stacking.
• Train national partners and technicians in rust diagnosis and surveillance.
• Contribute to technical reports, donor reports, and scientific publications.
• Liaise with 2Blades for molecular characterization outputs.
• Undertake regular travel (approximately 30–40% of time) for field supervision and coordination.

Requirements:
Required Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced degree (Ph.D. preferred) in Plant Pathology, Agronomy, Plant Breeding and Genetics, or a closely related discipline.
• Minimum of 5–8 years of relevant professional experience in plant disease management, crop health, or related technical areas.
• Demonstrated expertise in fungal plant pathogens, particularly Phakopsora pachyrhizi (soybean rust).
• Proven experience in field phenotyping, disease scoring systems, and host–pathogen evaluation.
• Knowledge of resistance gene deployment strategies, including Rpp gene sources.
• Strong analytical and scientific writing skills.
• Experience working with multi‑country agricultural research programs in Africa.

Reporting and coordination

The consultant will report to the Project Lead at IITA and collaborate closely with the 2Blades technical team and national agricultural research partners.

Duration and Location of the Assignment

The consultancy is expected to last for a period of twelve (12) months. The assignment will be based in Nairobi, Kenya (with regular travel to project countries in Eastern and Southern Africa).

Application Procedure

Interested individuals are invited to submit the following documents in response to this EOI:

• A detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) highlighting relevant qualifications and experience.
• A brief technical statement (maximum 2 pages) outlining understanding of the assignment and proposed approach to achieving the deliverables.
• Financial proposal indicating the consultant’s expected professional fees.

All applications should be submitted electronically to IITA website: https://apply.workable.com/iita/#jobs no later than One Week (13 March, 2026) from the date of this publication.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further discussions or interviews.

We look forward to receiving your expression of interest and thank you for considering this opportunity.