Feeds Research Officer

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a Feeds Research Officer to enhance the sustainability, productivity and cost-effectiveness of livestock feeding among smallholder farmers in Africa. With increasing pressure on locally available feed resources, innovative solutions are needed to bridge the feed gap and improve livestock productivity. Black soldier fly larvae offer a promising alternative protein source with the potential to transform livestock feeding systems. This role will focus on developing and promoting the adoption of BSFL-based feeding strategies that are tailored to the specific needs and contexts of smallholder farmers in Africa.

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 Feeds Research Officer will work closely with interdisciplinary teams from ILRI's People Policies and Institutions (PPI) and Genetics, Nutrition and Feed Resources (G&NFR) programs to conduct research on BSFL breeding, production, processing, and utilization in livestock diets. This includes optimizing BSFL rearing systems, evaluating the nutritional value of BSFL for different livestock species, scaling and developing effective extension strategies to promote uptake of BSFL based livestock diets and frass among smallholder farmers. Ultimately, this position will contribute to building resilient and sustainable livestock systems that improve livelihoods and enhance food security for smallholder farmers in Africa.

Specific duties include but are not limited to:

• Provide specialized technical support for the collection, management, and analysis of data generated from feed resources, including chemical analysis (proximate, fibre, mineral, vitamin, amino acid), and digestibility studies to ensure high-quality data collection, accurate analysis, and effective data management to inform project objectives related to integration of BSFL in animal diets.
• Provide expert support and coordination for the design, development, protocol design, and implementation of animal feeding trials, ensuring high-quality data collection, compliance with institute policies and procedures, and adherence to ethical and scientific standards.
• Support trials evaluating the impact of Black Soldier Fly diets on animal performance, health, and environmental impact, and to work with selected feed companies to optimize Black Soldier Fly Larvae rations.
• Conduct rigorous data analysis of Black Soldier Fly Larvae trial data, generate high-quality outputs including presentations, scientific papers, and tailored dissemination materials, and effectively communicate research findings to diverse audiences, with a particular emphasis on the novel applications, impact on animal productivity, and cost-effectiveness of BSFL integration for smallholder farmers .
• To lead and coordinate the planning, implementation, and reporting of the project focused on use of black soldier fly as animal feed, ensuring the timely delivery of project outputs, effective management of project resources, and alignment with research objectives.
• To develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including private sector entities, government agencies, national agricultural research systems, farmer collectives, and farmers, while actively engaging in capacity-building initiatives and outreach activities to promote the adoption of sustainable animal feed practices and technologies
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Master's degree in animal science, Livestock Science, Feeds and Feeding Science, Animal Nutrition, Livestock Production, or specific related areas such as dairy or poultry science.
• Strong understanding of livestock nutrition and diet formulation, particularly in smallholder systems, with knowledge of non-ruminant nutrition (poultry and swine) and opportunities for BSFL inclusion.
• Skills in feed and nutrient analysis, data management, and statistical software.
• Awareness of feeding gaps and systems perspectives in developing-country mixed crop–livestock systems; field-based experimentation experience, with participatory research methods in smallholder systems an advantage.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, with proven ability to work in multidisciplinary teams to address feed challenges.
• Demonstrated experience in partnership management, stakeholder engagement, and co-creation of solutions.
• Experience contributing to and leading activities and reporting for small projects, ensuring effective decision-making and team alignment.
• Willingness to travel to rural areas.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain professional contacts, and to interact with national officials and experts, other researchers, international organizations, development partners, and other stakeholders.
• Proficiency in using Ms Office and statistical packages such as STATA, R, SPSS etc.
• Demonstrated good organizational skills and ability to work with a minimum of supervision.

Post location: The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya

Terms of Appointment

This position is at job level HG 14 and it is only open to Kenyan nationals. The position is a 2.5 years fixed term contract,. ILRI offers a competitive salary and benefits package which includes pension, medical and other insurances.

How to apply: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, what they can bring to the job 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 Head of People and Culture through our recruitment portal by clicking on "Apply Now" on or before 4 December 2025. The position title and reference number REF: LGNFR/2061/2025 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.

We thank all applicants for their interest in working for ILRI. Due to the 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.

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