Post-Doctoral Fellow- Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) Technology

Location

Hyderabad | India

Job description

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a Post-Doctoral Fellow to the Feed and Forage Development Program to contribute to the development of a global feed formulation digital tool aimed at improving livestock production efficiency and reducing methane emission intensities in low- and middle-income countries.

ILRI works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centres dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. 

Key Responsibilities

The post-doctoral fellow will specifically work on the validation and rolling out of purpose built, low cost hand-held near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) devices to determine the nutrient composition of feed ingredients. The work will be part of a broader effort to establish a database of feed nutrient composition specific to different regions and localities that would eventually be used by livestock producers in low- and middle-income countries to optimize the nutrition of farm animals, improve production efficiency, decrease feed costs and reduce emission intensities.

• Conduct rapid review of the latest developments on hand-held NIRS devices for the prediction of nutrient composition of feed ingredients.
• Conduct research to develop and validate nutrient composition prediction models for short-listed hand-held NIRS devices.
• Establish reference feed samples of known nutrient composition and gas production potential covering different geographical regions for the development of NIRS calibration models.
• Employ suitable chemometric techniques on standard software packages and using bespoke machine learning algorithms to develop calibration models, and subsequently run model optimization and validation procedures.
• Develop algorithms for calibration model transfer between different brand NIRS devices and conduct further model performance evaluations after model transfers.
• Develop a standard protocol for feed composition analysis using hand-held NIRS devices, including pre-scanning feed sample handling and spectra collection procedures. 
  • Supervision of junior staff, including research assistants and research fellows.
  • Contribute to the development of research questions and proposals that address issues of relevance to urban food systems in the Global South.
• Contribute to developing project reports and publish relevant findings on a timely basis in scientific literature and present at international scientific conferences
• Contribute to the development of resource mobilization proposals as appropriate

Requirements

• A PhD degree in material science, biometrics, biochemistry, bioengineering or a related field, within four years of completing
• One to four years working experience
• In-depth understanding of the principles and practices of NIRS and/or other sensor technologies and adequate exposure applying or working on the development of such technologies
• Demonstrate sound background and experience on the use of chemometric methods and advanced data analysis techniques for the treatment of large datasets for model development, validation, and optimization.
• Scientific writing and communication skills, including good track record of publishing scientific papers and communicating research results in scientific forums. 
• Ability to work with partners in an interdisciplinary environment, and cross institutions (multidisciplinary teams) to effectively coordinate and implement project activities.
• Excellent command of English. Knowledge of another language would be an advantage.
• Ability to work in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams with minimal supervision, and experience working across disciplines and different cultural backgrounds.

Post location:  The position will be based in Hyderabad, India

Terms of Appointment

This is position is at job level  HG 16 and it is open to both national and international applicants. The position is a two (2) year contract, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding. ILRI offers a competitive salary and benefits package which includes; medical and other insurances.

Applications : Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, what they can bring to the role and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to the Director, People and Organizational Development through our recruitment portal by clicking on the "Apply Now " tab above before 9 March 2024 . The position title and reference number:  FFD/1279/2024  should be clearly marked on the subject line of the online application.

We thank all applicants for their interest in working for ILRI. Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts

To find out more about ILRI visit our website at 

ILRI is an equal opportunity employer

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