Senior Scientist – Formulations – Research & Innovation Department

About IFDC

IFDC is a public international organization active in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, and America. IFDC uniquely approaches the global issues of food security and poverty by bridging the gap between research and impact, combining science-based innovations, holistic market systems development, an enabling policy environment, and strategic partnerships to assist farmers and countries to identify and scale sustainable agricultural solutions, including improved nutrient use efficiency. These approaches are needed to boost soil health and crop productivity while reducing the environmental impact of fertilizer use. IFDC translates research into action by using locally driven, environmentally sound, and impact-oriented solutions. With our partners, we seek to close the yield gap, eradicate global hunger, safeguard the soil on which our lives depend, and generate economic resilience for farming households and the countries in which they live.  

Responsibilities

This position is responsible for developing new fertilizer formulations.

Research:

• Develop new and innovative non-conventional fertilizers and production processes utilizing organic/recycled amendments, inhibitors, stabilizers, polymers, biofertilizers, micronutrients, nano materials and bio stimulants;
• Characterise prototype formulas using analytical tools such as spectroscopy, microscopy, porosity analysis, to assess structure-property relationships;
• Work with public and private sector partners to develop and commercialize (scale up) new products;
• Develop and collaborate with other scientists in the preparing research proposals, protocols, budgets and obtaining research grants;
• Design and execute research experiments;
• Manage day-to-day operations of the research experiments according to the requirements of the research projects involving scheduling, resource allocation, administrative duties and workflow coordination etc.;
• Ensure compliance with protocols, safety standards, and regulatory requirements.

Quality Assurance and Control:

• Develop and implement quality assurance and safety control procedures to ensure the accuracy and reliability of results;
• Maintain research equipment, troubleshoot technical issues, and coordinate repairs and maintenance as needed;
• Conduct regular audits and inspections to assess compliance with quality standards and protocols;
• Lead the development and validation of research methods to support research and development projects.

Data Analysis and Interpretation:

• Oversee data analysis and interpretation, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the data;
• Prepare research reports, scientific publications, and patent applications to communicate results and contribute to project deliverables;
• Communicate with the research project team the development, progress and results of research activities;
• Provide technical expertise and guidance to project teams on data interpretation and decision-making.

Requirements

• Master’s or Ph.D. degree in Chemistry or related field, with at least five years of relevant fertilizer formulation development experience;
• Strong inorganic and organic chemistry knowledge to research, formulate and develop new fertilizers;
• Experience with hands-on research and development in polymer chemistry, coating formulations, encapsulations, and coating processes (pan, drum, fluid-bed, etc.);
• Experience with equipment for processing, analysis, and characterization, such as particle size analyzer, scanning electron microscope, HPLC, thermal analysis, dispersion system, coating systems, reactors, mills, etc.;
• Good knowledge of techniques used to evaluate the physicochemical properties of fertilizers and to assess their physical quality;
• Basic mechanical capabilities to set up, operate, and maintain bench-scale equipment for fertilizer research.

Reporting and Work Relationships

This position reports to the Director of Innovations & Research.

Location

This is a national recruitment duty station at IFDC offices based in Muscles Shoals.

Benefits

IFDC's benefits include annual and sick leave, health, dental, vision and group life insurance coverage, social security and pension contribution in compliance with local laws. 

Salary Clause

The salary grade for this position is BG 11.

The determination of new employee salaries takes into account various factors. These include the salary range linked to the assigned job grade, the candidate's qualifications in relation to the job's responsibilities and prerequisites, internal fairness, the competitive state of the job market, as well as potential organizational and budgetary considerations.