AGAP Institute “Genetic Improvement and Adaptation of Mediterranean and Tropical Plants” is seeking a researcher in plant genetics and improvement, ideally specialising in vegetatively propagated and/or polyploid species, to strengthen the skills of CIRAD’s banana breeding platform in Guadeloupe.

The objective of the Banana Genetics and Breeding (GABA) team of AGAP Institute is to promote, through varietal innovation, sustainable production systems that are tailored to environmental constraints (abiotic and biotic) and meet the expectations of the banana industry for export and domestic markets. CIRAD’s banana breeding programme is founded on an original strategy based on 2x X 4x crosses, where the 4x is obtained by doubling a 2x. However, this approach is limited by the availability of diploid genitors combining the desired traits.

In the restrictive context of banana biology (predominant vegetative propagation, residual sexuality, polyploidy, high heterozygosity), your role will be to develop and implement innovative pre-breeding strategies aimed at combining favourable traits at parental level (fertility, pathogen resistance, functional quality, plant architecture) in order to broaden the pool of genitors that will feed the triploid hybrid creation scheme.

To achieve your objectives, you will integrate new knowledge – both available and forthcoming – produced by teams at CIRAD and elsewhere on the genetic determinism of traits (disease resistance and quality) and the genomic structure of bananas (successful genomic combinations, structural variations impacting chromosome recombination and segregation), as well as the high-throughput phenotyping, marker-assisted selection and genomic prediction methods currently being developed.

You will work in close collaboration with the other geneticists and banana breeders at the AGAP Institute (GABA team; Structure and Evolution of Genomes (SEG) team). More broadly, you will interact with researchers from other disciplines (plant pathologists, quality specialists, agronomists) involved in the genetic improvement of bananas at CIRAD, as well as with academic and non-academic partners involved upstream and downstream of pre-breeding.

You will publish the results of your research in international journals and contribute to setting up and running national and international projects, as well as leading the team’s scientific activities. During the first few years, your work will form part of an ambitious interdisciplinary project funded by the French Ministry of Agriculture, the aim of which is to create new banana varieties resistant to fungal diseases (Parsada Bana+, 2025-2030).

- PhD in plant genetics and improvement or engineer with professional breeding experience

- Experience in plant breeding

- Experience breeding vegetatively propagated and/or polyploid plants is desirable.

- Keen interest in experimentation and fieldwork.

- Ability and interest in working in tropical countries and territories (experience in a tropical area is desirable).

- Ability to work in a team and with other disciplines and collaborate with development partners.

- Proven ability to write scientific texts.

- Experience setting up and monitoring projects is desirable.

- Fluency in French and English (position in French-speaking areas).

Please include in your CV references from previous managers we can contact regarding previously held positions.

Benefits: You will receive a 13th month’s salary, plus, if you are working abroad, specific allowances depending on your location and family circumstances. You will also have comprehensive social insurance cover, regardless of your location. Following an induction period of 1 to 2 months at our Montpellier site, you will be posted to the CIRAD research station in Neufchâteau (Capesterre-Belle-Eau) in Guadeloupe.