Professor in Agribusiness and Programme Director

Headway People is a leading direct sourcing specialist recruiting exclusively for the higher education, research, and training sectors. Africa Business School, the business School of UM6P - Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, has engaged our services for the recruitment of an outstanding professor located in Rabat.

Professor in Agribusiness and Programme director

The Africa Business School (ABS), located in Rabat, Morocco, and the College for Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Science, part of Mohammed IV Polytechnic University (UM6P, Morocco), are recruiting a Professor (open rank) and Programme Director for the Master in Agribusiness Innovation

The Africa Business School is dedicated to creating a rigorous and inclusive center for developing research and learning in the African continent. Drawing on strong private and public support and in partnership with Columbia University, HEC Paris, and Ecole Polytechnique, ABS aims to become a trendsetter for shaping Africa's social and business landscape and beyond.

The College for Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Sciences is constituted of 10 research entities focusing on soil and plant sciences, water management, remote sensing, digital agriculture, agriculture extension and the development of decision support systems for various stakeholders. Through pluridisciplinary approaches, its research aims at providing integrated solutions contributing to food security, adaptation to climate change and improvement of livelihoods in Africa. Its current education offer is focused on graduate programs (mostly PhD) which will be soon complemented by an engineering degree.

We seek candidates with ambitious practice-related intellectual contributions agenda, with direct relevance in the African continent. Strong quantitative or qualitative skills and a readiness to advise DBA or PhD candidates are advisable.

A doctoral degree (PhD or DBA) is mandatory, along with some direct or indirect industry experience.

Responsibilities:

• Provide academic leadership and direction for the Master's program in agribusiness
• Ensure compliance with accreditation requirements and standards
• Promote the program through marketing, public relations, and outreach activities
• Monitor program effectiveness and make recommendations for improvement
• Teach courses in agribusiness at undergraduate and/or graduate level
• Develop and update course syllabi, lesson plans, and instructional materials
• Conduct research in agribusiness and publish scholarly articles and books
• Participate in departmental and university committees and activities
• Mentor and advise students on academic and career matters
• Engage with industry and community stakeholders to promote the program and develop partnerships
• Stay current with advances in the field and integrate new knowledge and technology into teaching and research activities

Qualifications:

• A doctoral degree in agribusiness, agricultural economics, or a related field
• Demonstrated teaching excellence and experience in agribusiness courses
• A record of research and publication in peer-reviewed journals and/or books and/or professional outlets.
• Ability to secure external research funding
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong leadership and organizational skills
• Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, industry partners, and the community.

Areas of research interest may include, but are not limited to:

• Sustainable Agriculture
• Agri-food value chain
• Agricultural finance
• Agricultural marketing
• Entrepreneurship in Agriculture
• Agricultural policy and their impact to organisations.
• Product and Process Innovation

The position offers:

• A significant emphasis on research, with variable teaching requirements
• Initial research seed-funding of $250,000, distributed over the first three years
• A highly motivated and rigorously selected international student body
• A world-class competitive salary plus a generous benefits package that includes:
• Housing supplement
• Child Tuition Fees
• Insurance: including medical, hospitalization, and life insurance
• Pension: to include the national CNSS Plan and complimentary
• 30 Days of Annually Paid Leave
• Maternity Leave
• Sabbatical Leave

Partnerships that include:

• Top business schools such as Columbia Business School and HEC Paris
• Top engineering schools such as Ecole Polytechnique
• Potential for unique corporate and public entities enabling applied research, especially within the African Context

Competitive candidates will exhibit a desire to contribute to the development of an emerging school. Priority will be given to candidates with a demonstrated ability to design innovative, relevant, and ambitious research and pedagogical projects. The ideal candidate will also have a proven track record of working at the intersection of multiple academic disciplines. Interdisciplinarity is a value of our research within UM6P.

The position offers substantial autonomy and support for building a state-of-the-art Agribusiness cluster that contributes to developing leadership and scientific capacity in the region.

The philosophy of ABS is to alleviate many of the typical constraints that limit academic research, particularly in developing country contexts. The school values deliberate, significant, and rigorous research. Substantial financial resources and personnel support will be provided for successful candidates. Specifically, ABS offers unique opportunities for in-depth, collaborative partnerships with prestigious international universities and the largest corporation in Morocco (OCP).

Recruitment process:

Candidates should submit a detailed CV, cover letter and list of references to: r.pomier@headway-advisory.com

Following two interviews with HEADway recruitment consultants, shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend further interviews with the school.