Department Director -Scaling soil health
Current Job Openings --> Full Time --> Full Time Africa
About IFDC
IFDC is a public international organization active in 20 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.
Position Summary
As Director of Scaling Soil Health, you will lead the department’s portfolio of projects and programs, ensuring that IFDC’ s soil health agenda translates into measurable impact for farmers at scale. In this role, you will drive the integration of innovative soil fertility technologies and practices into sustainable, scalable solutions, while fostering collaboration across research, development, and implementation teams.
Your overarching goals will be to:
1. Scale soil fertility innovations: Integrate scalable soil fertility technologies and practices into development programs soil health scaling frameworks to maximize adoption and farmer impact.
2. Drive research-to-practice solutions: Collaborate with Research Programs to develop tools and approaches that address fertilizer and soil health challenges, leveraging the Global Network of Fertilizer Innovation Centers (GNFIC).
3. Deliver results and impact: Ensure soil fertility projects are implemented effectively, achieving high-quality deliverables, strong financial performance, and measurable outcomes for farmers.
4. Strengthen synergies and adaptation: Forge strong links with IFDC’s Research Programs to scale crop nutrient solutions and innovative fertilizers, while providing feedback for continuous refinement and adaptive learning.
This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of soil health scaling, ensuring IFDC’s initiatives deliver sustainable, long-term improvements in productivity, soil fertility, and agricultural resilience across farming communities.
Responsibilities
· Drive the integration of soil health scaling frameworks into IFDC’s global portfolio, ensuring the Scaling Soil Health Department directly advances the 2026–2035 Strategy;
· Break down operational silos by fostering high-level collaboration between Research Programs and implementation teams to turn innovation into scalable impact;
· Serve as a primary technical advocate for IFDC, expanding the global partner network and leading high-value project acquisitions through strategic positioning with major donors;
· Cultivate a high-performance culture by mentoring the next generation of leaders and ensuring the portfolio meets elite standards of donor compliance and financial accountability;
· Provide the VP Programs with actionable strategic insights that translate project status and technical results into organizational impact.
Requirements
· PhD in soil/environmental science, crop science, agronomy, or a related field with a focus on systemic impact;
· Minimum 15 years of relevant experience, including at least 5 years in Africa, with a proven track record of managing complex, multi-country agricultural programs;
· Demonstrated ability to navigate international donor frameworks and build high-level alliances across governments and the private sector;
· Expertise in translating complex scientific research and soil health commitments into investment-ready development programs and policy-level dialogues;
· Proven capability in leading geographically dispersed, multidisciplinary teams and mentoring staff toward organizational goals;
· Deep familiarity with international donor regulations and the ability to oversee complex budgets with absolute transparency and results-based accountability.
Reporting and Work Relationships
This position reports to the Vice President, Programs.
Location
This is a national recruitment with a duty station at the IFDC office based within IFDC’s operational regions.
Benefits
IFDC's benefits include annual and sick leave, health and group life insurance coverage, a 13th-month salary, social security and pension contribution in compliance with local laws and end-of-contract benefits.
Salary Clause
The salary grade for this position is BG 12.
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.
Diversity Clause
IFDC is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe in the value of bringing together people with a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. All employment decisions at IFDC are made on the basis of ability, performance, and organizational need, in alignment with our values of fairness, respect, and opportunity for all.
About Program/Project
In January 2026, IFDC enacted a new structure to globalize research, programs, and operations breaking silos to maximize impact. Within this structure, the Scaling Soil Health Department was created to lead the integration of soil fertility technologies and practices into scalable solutions for smallholder farmers and agricultural systems. This department is central to IFDC’s 2026–2035 Strategy, driving measurable progress in soil restoration, productivity, and resilience through innovation, farmer empowerment, and systems transformation.