Research Scientist – Soil Health - Research and Innovations Department – Office of Research and Development

Job Description Form

Research Scientist – Soil Health - Research and Innovations Department – Office of Research and Development

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 .

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Research Scientist – S oil H ealth, with a particular emphasis on soil biology and microbiology, and its intersection with soil chemistry and soil physics. The successful candidate will focus on understanding how soil microbial communities influence nutrient cycling, fertilizer efficiency, soil organic matter dynamics, and soil physical properties. By integrating knowledge of soil biology, soil chemistry, and soil physics, this position will inform the design of novel fertilizers, improve existing fertilizer formulations, guide sustainable crop nutrition strategies , and improve soil health .

Responsibilities :

Conduct field, greenhouse, and laboratory experiments to examine how soil microbial communities interact with different fertilizer types (e.g., mineral, organic, bio-based, enhanced-efficiency fertilizers) and soil amendments.

Collaborate with institutes in a pply ing advanced molecular, microbial, and biochemical techniques (e.g., metagenomics, enzyme assays, stable isotope tracing) to identify key microbial taxa and functions that influence nutrient release, retention, and conversion in the soil.

Evaluate how different microbial-driven processes affect fertilizer use efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and overall soil fertility, providing data-driven insights for optimizing fertilizer recommendations and product development.

Collaborate with chemists, soil physicists, and agronomists to design and test new fertilizer products that leverage soil biological mechanisms (e.g., bio-inoculants, biological inhibitors, beneficial microbial consortia, microbially enhanced nutrient carriers).

Assess the performance of innovative fertilizers under a range of soil and environmental conditions, measuring key parameters like nutrient release rates, soil organic matter stabilization, and improvements in soil structure and moisture retention.

Develop and refine soil health indicators that integrate soil biology (microbial biomass, community composition, enzyme activity), chemistry (nutrient content, pH, organic matter quality), and physics (aggregate stability, porosity, water-holding capacity ).

Translate these indicators into actionable decision-support tools for farmers, extension agents, and policymakers, guiding more targeted fertilizer applications and soil management interventions.

Explore synergistic soil management approaches (e.g., cover cropping, reduced tillage, integrated nutrient management) that enhance microbial activity and nutrient cycling, thereby improving the effectiveness and environmental footprint of fertilizers.

Identify best practices that link fertilizer innovation with biological soil health improvements, thereby bolstering long-term soil fertility and crop yield sustainability.

Work closely with IFDC’s multidisciplinary teams, including chemists, material scientists, engineers, agronomists, and economists to ensure that soil biological insights inform fertilizer research , product commercialization efforts , and on-farm profitability .

Engage with national and international partners—research institutes, private sector companies, and development organizations—to foster knowledge exchange, provide technical support, and strengthen research networks focused on soil health and fertilizer innovation.

Develop new research proposals that target strategic IFDC priorities, including new fertilizer formulations, regenerative agriculture practices, and climate-smart nutrient management solutions.

Prepare high-quality research outputs, including peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, policy briefs, and presentations for conferences and stakeholder workshops.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Soil Science, Soil Biology, Soil Microbiology, Microbial Ecology, or a related discipline, with a strong background in soil microbial processes, nutrient cycling, and their relationship to fertilizer performance.

Minimum 3 years of research experience linking soil biology to fertilizer use efficiency, soil health, or crop nutrition .

Proven ability to work in multidisciplinary teams, translating biological research insights into practical fertilizer development strategies and sustainable soil management recommendations.

Reporting and Work Relationships

This position reports to the Director of Innovations Research and collaborates with a team of soil chemists, analytical chemists , agronomists, product development specialists , engineers, and economists within IFDC.

Location

The duty station for this position is in the IFDC office in Muscles Shoals, Alabama.

Benefits

IFDC's benefits include annual and sick leave, health, dental, vision and group life insurance coverage, a 13th-month salary, social security and pension contribution in compliance with local laws.

Salary Clause

The salary grade for this position is BG 9 with an annual salary range of USD 69,032 - 84,564.

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, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, and offers equal employment opportunities based on ability, performance, and potential. Equal opportunity is integral to the recruitment and selection practices at IFDC. IFDC recognizes the value in recruiting employees with different backgrounds , knowledge, experiences, perspectives, and beliefs. IFDC recognizes and values the contribution of people with a diverse background in capabilities, experience, and perspectives. Diversity encompasses gender, age, experience, education, ethnicity, religio n , sexual orientation and cultural backgrounds as well as other dimensions such as lifestyle and family responsibilities.

Required Skills

Required Experience

Salary : $69,032 - $84,564