AGBS – Faculty position in Plant Biodiversity and Conservation

About UM6P:

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P, https://www.um6p.ma/en) is an international higher education institution, established to provide research and innovation at the service of education and development for Morocco and the African continent. It has a state-of-the-art campus at the heart of the Green City of Benguerir, near Marrakesh. UM6P academics and staff enjoy strong research funding, moderate teaching loads, and excellent facilities. Its research approach is transdisciplinary with an emphasis on international collaboration. Many of our research programs run as start-ups. OCP group (http://www.ocpgroup.ma/en/home), a world leader in fertilizer production, is a major starter client for the University providing capital and research funds. In parallel, a new portfolio of clients is growing with the development of an R&D cluster around the University and a growing number of international partnerships.

About the College of Agriculture and Environmental Science (CAES) and AgroBiosciences Program (AgBS) at UM6P:

The College of Agriculture and Environmental Science (CAES) is a component of the Science & Technology pole of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P). It constitutes a structure of higher education and practical-based research with a vision of solving real African agriculture challenges leveraging up to date science and technology. Oriented towards Africa, CAES 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. Research on plant nutrition, (a)biotic stresses resistance and biofortification is part of the AgroBiosciences Program (AgBS) with main focus on Moroccan and African agriculture challenges in particular meeting the food and nutritional security. 

Job description:

We are looking for a Professor (Open rank) in Plant Biodiversity and conservation to help develop our new activities in the area at the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. These new activities will focus on plant-biodiversity related research, from fundamental to applied, in relation to food security, human health, environment and relevant stakeholders. Currently, at the campus a strong knowledgebase is being developed to facilitate education, research and innovation in an interdisciplinary setting.

In line within the international climate change mitigation efforts. This position will work as part of the CAES and helps to build up research in the field of plant ecology and biodiversity to contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of biodiversity on different spatial and temporal scales. We particularly welcome applications from candidates with a background in at least two of the following areas: agrobiodiversity, global change ecology, plant ecology, evolutionary ecology, restoration or conservation ecology. 

The successful applicant should have strong quantitative skills and a demonstrated ability to link ecological research with other fields of environmental science in an interdisciplinary setting. The work done by the Professor we are looking for, can involve greenhouse experiments, molecular lab work and fieldwork, both at the experimental farm and at the farmer scale (or a combination of several of these). The candidate should engage in cooperation with other research groups at the UM6P, local and international nature conservation organizations and gene banks. Finally, the candidate will contribute to education on biodiversity in the context of several programs.

Main responsibilities:

The successful candidate is expected to:

• Contribute with multidisciplinary research team, 
• Conduct and contribute to research activities on agro-biodiversity in arid, semi-arid and tropical regions,
• Establish, develop and implement collaborative research partnership with different potential partners from Africa and advanced research institutes, 
• Develop research proposals for funding from potential donors and prepare submissions for external, international funding to support and maintain integrated research programs.
• Supervise graduate and undergraduate students and develop teaching materials.
• Keep up-to-date on developments in agro-biodiversity management and conservation through scientific literature, and publish research findings in ISI-peer reviewed scientific journals with high journal Impact Factors. 
• Develop, participate, and produce technical material for teaching M.Sc. and undergraduate classes, training, and other potential capacity-building courses/programs.
• Contribution to establishing and/or maintaining collaboration with other research entities at CAES, UM6P and external partners,

Education, qualifications and experience 

This position is open to individuals with substantial expertise in the target fields. Previous high impact research and teaching expertise will be an asset. Candidate should have solid soft skills for the success in technological research, especially, adaptability and flexibility skills as CAES researchers navigate complex research situations, collaborate effectively with others, and communicate their findings and ideas effectively to a wide range of stakeholders.

The position requires:

• PhD in the field of agronomy and agricultural science with specialization in agro-biodiversity management and conservation,
• A postdoctoral research experience in a field related to the duties of the position,
• Experience in leading and conducting scientific research projects in relation with plant biodiversity, ecology….,
• High publication record in leading international and well ranked journals, 
• Ability to generate new ideas, links, and to build upon existing models to develop novel approaches in biodiversity assessment and conservation, among others, experience in collaborative research with university groups, international institutions, and industrial partners,
• Experience in undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral fellow supervision,
• Teaching flexibility in a variety of formats (i.e. remote teaching, week-long and semester-long),
• Good English communication skills, both verbal and written, 
• Aptitude for teamwork, problem solving and collaborative work, 
• Positive attitude in changing fast-paced environments.