Research Technician III - Agriculture Field Experiments, Equipment Operations, Data Recording

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) with the support of the Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has established IRRI-South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It is a regional facility that supports research collaboration, training, and service provision to institutions, scientists, farmers, and other stakeholders from India and other South Asian and African nations. ISARC leads various projects in India in partnership with NARES and private companies.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-supported Rural Enterprise Acceleration Project (IFAD-REAP) of Uttarakhand in collaboration with the IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), is aimed to strengthen the rice value chain especially around high quality, nutritious and premium specialty rices of Uttarakhand, across the targeted 3 districts of the state to support the implementation of interventions in rice-based systems. IRRI will provide technical support, while REAP Uttarakhand team will support in implementation of the project activities including offering extended workforce in ground level surveys and coordination and logistics during training.

Under the close supervision of the Specialist for Project Coordination and project leads, the Research Technician will support planning field experiments with research and technical team in project sites of Uttarakhand in full time manner, its systematic implementation, time to time consultation and coordination with internal team and external stakeholders during crop cycle or post-harvest processes, supporting actively the capacity building initiative and outreach to ensure the systematic implementation of project activities on premium nutritious and specialty rice varieties in Uttarakhand. The Research Technician will assist in setting up and operating postharvest equipment, organizing farmer demonstrations, and facilitating trainings to promote improved cultivation, harvesting, and postharvest methods for specialty rice varieties. The incumbent will also collect and record data from field trials, demonstrations, and seed production plots, ensuring accurate encoding and reporting for project monitoring. The incumbent will work closely with district-level clusters, state agriculture departments, farmer groups, and local institutions, to ensure effective and smooth implementation of IRRI supported activities under the Uttarakhand specialty rice value chain initiatives.

This position will be based in Uttarakhand, India and may only be filled by permanent citizens of India.

• Plan and coordinate field layouts for demonstration and implementation of agreed plan with external stakeholders following the IRRI standardized guidelines.
• Support field implementation of activities in accordance with agreed objectives, outputs, and timelines as reflected in approved impact pathway documents, ensuring achievement to achieve the overall project goal
• Assist in collection, purification, setting up field experiments and implementation of package of practices, seed production, and operating post-harvest tools/equipment required for field trials and demonstrations
• Support the organization of farmer training, field days, and exposure visits conducted by IRRI and partner institutions
• Support farmers and community mobilization activities, especially engaging smallholder and women farmers in specialty rice interventions to adopt premium quality and nutritious varieties, good packages & practices, and scale‑appropriate tools/machinery
• Support execution of field activities related to purification, varietal evaluation, seed production, agronomic practices, and post-harvest operations
• Coordinate and assist field teams, partners, and contract workers during demonstrations, trainings, seed distribution, and field events
• Keep the supervisor and project team informed of issues that may affect delivery of field activities, and prepare routine activity schedules in coordination with other teams.
• Maintain inventory of field supplies, seed materials, and equipment, and report when replenishment is needed
• Maintain and calibrate basic agronomic and post-harvest equipment, and perform minor operational checks and repairs when required
• Support field teams in delivering technical information and recommended practices to farmers and community groups
• Assist in collecting field data from on-farm trials, seed production plots, and demonstration sites
• Record and encode basic field data for reporting, monitoring, and documentation of project progress
• Compile and proofread recorded data using basic spreadsheet tools to summarize observations for the supervisor.
• Maintain all data files in SharePoint/drive and share it with supervisor and PI on routine basis
• Keep field plots, storage areas and equipment clean, orderly and safe in line with protocols, and ensure proper disposal of waste.
• Perform any other relevant duties, as assigned by supervisor and project leads from time to time

• Graduate with relevant work experience of 1-2 years or Intermediate with relevant work experience of 7-8 years

Mandatory

• Has basic knowledge of computer operation, mainly MS Office programs such as Word and Excel and mobile/computer-based data collection
• Has experience agricultural projects and crop cultivation
• Has experience in data collection and recording
• Has experience in office related work

Preferred

• Has experience in rice production systems and intensive field level experience; effective in planning and executing the planned activities
• Mechanization operation, repair and maintenance

IRRI offers a highly extensive employee benefits package inclusive of globally-covered medical insurance, retirement plan, life and accident insurance and other allowances.

Join our team and be part of our story!

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
This position will remain open until filled.