Research Officer – Biochemistry

To generate robust datasets, harness biochemical insights and provide a supportive hand in guiding forestry policies.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

1. Applicants should hold an Honour’s Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences plus Master’s degree in Biochemistry.

2. Exhibit 3–5 years of demonstrated laboratory and field biogeochemistry experience, including plant, soil and gas sampling, trace gas fluxes, wet chemistry and chromatographic analysis.

3. Ability to operate and troubleshoot advanced analytical platforms such as Gas Chromatography (GC), Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS), spectrophotometry and apply stable isotope tracer methods.

4. Demonstrated expertise in ethnobotany, phytochemical profiling, or microbial ecology with direct application to forestry and agroforestry systems.

5. Proven record of at least two (2) peer‑reviewed scientific writing as the first or last author, advanced data analysis and effective stakeholder engagement across research, industry and policy domains will be an added advantage.

6. Exhibit understanding of forestry certification frameworks such as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and ability to align biochemical research outputs with sustainable forestry policies and standards.

7. Possession of a PhD is an added advantage.

Specific Tasks and Responsibilities

1. Elucidate chemical, physical and structural composition of cells and tissues in tree species and NTFPs for enhanced ecological resilience and forest health.

2. Monitor substrate quality, seedling metabolite status and mycorrhizal associations to optimize nursery practices for climate-smart silviculture.

3. Install, operating and troubleshooting non-destructive digital data acquisition tools for robust measurement of soil CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O fluxes

4. Conduct stable isotope tracer experiments and biochemical assays to understand soil nutrient dynamics and ecosystem resilience.

5. Profile stress metabolites and volatile organic compounds in drought- and pest-tolerant genotypes for adaptive forestry seed development.

6. Document indigenous knowledge and validate bioactivity of medicinal and aromatic plants for nutraceutical, cosmetology and health applications.

7. Support development of Forest Stewardship council (FSC), organic, phytosanitary and quality standards to ensure market access and compliance for forest-derived products.

8. Integrate phytoremediation knowledge by forestry screening for ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems, climate adaptation and food security.

9. Comply, analyze and curate biochemistry and ethnobotany datasets in NaFORI databases for long-term storage and retrieval.

10. Prepare reports, manuscripts, policy briefs and presentations to communicate findings to scientific, policy and community stakeholders.

11. Guide technicians, organize workshops and build institutional capacity in forest biochemistry, microbial ecology and bio-economy research.