Executive Director, Research and Development – National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI)

The National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI) was established through a Presidential Directive in 2013 and was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee in 2015 through the Botswana Companies Act of 2003. NARD is a merge of operations of the Department of Agricultural Research (DAR), Botswana National Veterinary Laboratory (BNVL) and the National Food Technology Research Centre (NTRC).

Our client was formed to be the leading and high performing research institute with the aim of contributing to agricultural development through conducting needs-based research, promoting commercialisation, transferring and utilisation of science and technology that vields economic returns to the sector and the Botswana economy.

If you are interested in being a team member of a group which is committed to becoming a leading player in transforming Botswana’s agricultural sector, then this role is suited to you. As Executive Director, Research and Development, you will be reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and will form part of the Executive Management Team. You will be pivotal in establishing NARDI as an internationally recognised organisation with the mandate of driving quality research and development in areas of field crops and horticulture, animal production and health, food science, innovation and technology, natural resources management as well as agricultural and biosystems engineering.

Key responsibilities include developing quality research strategies, plans, processes, procedures and programmes, conducting research and development studies, establishing professional and internationally recognised guidelines for research as well as building research capability, policy development and review, monitoring of research policies, standards, programme development as well as monitoring activities to ensure compliance with policies and quality standards, validation studies, and all activities associated with the effective management of the organisation. You will be a strategic, innovative, and results driven professional, with demonstrable team leadership, critical thinking, analytical, assertive, effective communication, impact and influence and decisive skills. You will have a PhD in any appropriate agricultural research discipline and have completed studies in any agricultural discipline at undergraduate level. A minimum of twelve (12) years post qualification experience in research with demonstrable record of achievement in basic applied research is required. Experience in the management or coordination of multidisciplinary research teams and programmes is essential.

For further details on this opportunity and to apply, please visit www.enroute.co.bw. Closing date for applications is 12th December 2022.