National Soil Fertility Specialist Full-Time

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) through the Land and Water Division (NSL) will implement one initiative aiming at advancing agriculture by embracing the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) framework that will contribute for enhancing crop yields, improving food security through sustainable, climate-resilient management practices, and revitalizing traditional food crops for their resilience and nutritional benefits.

The expected will contribute to establish and make operational a national soil information system, make data accessible to evaluate soil suitability for different crops, create an integrated soil-crop management platform and create a micro-scale advisory interface that will be available for decision making and strengthening the extension advisory services to farmers.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Country Representative, and the guidance of the Assistant FAOR – Programmes, in coordination with the project LTO and project Lead Technical Unit (NSL), the National Soil Fertility Consultant will oversee soil fertility analysis and support the development of nutrient and nutrient budget maps, using both field data and auxiliary data, on the Soil mapping for resilient agrifood systems in Central America and sub-Saharan Africa (SoilFER) project in Mozambique. Furthermore, the National Soil Fertility Consultant will be responsible for support the development of a methodology for fertilizer recommendations, taking into account the local soil conditions, crop requirements, and nutrient management practices. National Soil Fertility Consultant will work under the direct supervision of the AFAOR-P, the National Project Coordinator and the SoilFER Overall Project Manager at FAO-HQ.

Technical Focus

Soil fertility analysis and assessments, development of nutrient and nutrient budget maps, methodology for fertilizer recommendations and field trials.

Tasks And Responsibilities

The incumbent will undertake the following tasks:

• Conduct soil fertility analysis and support the development of nutrient and nutrient budget maps, using both field data and auxiliary data.
• Support the development of the methodology for fertilizer recommendations, taking into account the local soil conditions, crop requirements, and nutrient management practices.
• Establish and coordinate field trials to test the effectiveness of different fertilizer treatments and management practices and monitor and evaluate the results.
• Work closely with the National Consultant (Digital Soil Mapping) to integrate the soil fertility data and maps into the digital soil mapping process.
• Collaborate with the Soil Analysis (Labs) Consultant to ensure the accuracy and quality of the soil fertility data and analysis.
• Provide technical support and advice to local extension agents and farmers on soil fertility management practices and fertilizer use.
• Perform any other duties as assigned in the Representation.

Candidates will be assessed against the following

Minimum Requirements

• University Degree in Agricultural Science, Soil Science, Crop Science, Agricultural Economics or any related field.
• At least 3 years of experience in sustainable soil management, soil fertility building and/or establishment of field trials.
• Working knowledge of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge of one of the other two or Arabic, Chinese, Russian.
• National of Mozambique.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus.
• Teamwork.
• Communication.
• Building Effective Relationships.
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement.

Additional Information

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution. accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/.
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/.
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.