Research and Development Specialist

About us:

With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, we're the world's leading premium drinks company. Bring your passion and use your curiosity as you explore, collaborate, and innovate to build brands consumers love. Together with passionate people from all over the world, you'll test new ideas, learn and grow, and unlock a brighter, more exciting future.

Join us to create a career worth celebrating.

About the Function:

Our Supply Chain and Manufacturing team are problem-solvers, sourcing, producing, and delivering our much-loved brands to delight customers around the globe. Over half of Diageo's 30,000+ people work in Supply Chain and Manufacturing. It's an intricate and sophisticated operation that's the product of logistical, manufacturing, and technical collaborations.

Our teams in 100 sites in over 30 countries cover production facilities, supplier relationships, customer collaborations and third-party agreements. We're committed to realising our ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress' goals, to protect the environment and support our farmers and suppliers. Whatever your skills and experience, we'll help you to thrive in our inclusive culture.

Purpose of role

Implementation of research program from site selection for trials, trial planting in all sites, treatments, assessments/selection, harvesting of trials and bulking of breeders seed, and proof of concepts.

Role Responsibilities:

• Design, implement, and monitor R&D trials for sorghum and barley across different agro-ecological zones.
• Identify and evaluate improved varieties for yield, quality, and resilience (drought, pests, and diseases).
• Collect, analyze, and interpret field and lab data, and generate technical reports.
• Plan, establish, and oversee seed multiplication fields to meet business seed demands.
• Ensure strict adherence to seed production protocols to maintain varietal purity and quality.
• Coordinate harvest, processing, treatment, and packaging of seed lots.
• Ensure all seed multiplication activities comply with national seed certification and regulatory standards.
• Work with seed certification agencies to conduct field inspections and quality tests.
• Test climate-smart and regenerative agricultural practices for smallholder and commercial farmers.
• Conduct post-harvest research to reduce losses and improve grain quality.
• Translate research findings into practical recommendations for farmers, extension teams, and industry partners.
• Facilitate training and capacity building for extension officers, farmer organizations, and supply chain partners.
• Carry on-farm demonstrations to showcase best practices and help farmers adapt to the new practices and technologies

Experience / skills required:

Qualifications:

• A university degree in agricultural sciences, Seed Science & Technology, Crop Production or a related field

Required Experience

• Seed production, multiplication, or crop production management.

• Strong knowledge of seed certification systems, quality standards, and regulatory frameworks.
• Experience working with smallholder farmers and contract farming systems.
• Familiarity with cereals (sorghum, barley) is an advantage
• Data analysis and reporting skills

Key competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Excellent stakeholder engagement and negotiation abilities

Flexible Working Statement:

Flexibility is key to our success. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you're supported to manage your wellbeing and balance your priorities from day one.

Diversity statement:

Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. And creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued and that they can belong, is a crucial part of this.

We embrace diversity in the broadest possible sense. This means that you'll be welcomed and celebrated for who you are just by being you. You'll be part of and help build and champion an inclusive culture that celebrates people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, social class, educational backgrounds, experiences, mindsets, and more.

Our ambition is to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. Join us and help transform our business as we take our brands to the next level and build new ones as part of shaping the next generation of celebrations for consumers around the world.

Feel inspired? Then this may be the opportunity for you.

If you require a reasonable adjustment, please ensure that you capture this information when you submit your application.

Client-provided location(s): Molo, Kenya

Job ID: Diageo-JR1118840

Employment Type: FULL_TIME

Posted: 2025-11-03T18:49:32