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National Soil Fertility and Management Specialist

Accra

  • Organization: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • Location: Accra
  • Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Biology and Chemistry
    • Agriculture and Forestry
  • Closing Date: 2025-05-23

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

  • FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
  • Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
  • Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
  • FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination  
  • All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
  • All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

FAO Country Offices, working under overall corporate guidance and in line with the Strategic Framework, offer policy advice and support to countries in the mandated areas of FAO, facilitated through partnerships, resources and an active country programme to provide technical assistance, develop capacities and deliver core services while fully observing international standards of accountability to establish leadership and strengthen impact at the country level.

The offices deliver on the programmatic priorities of each country as agreed in their respective Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and ensure effective and efficient operations with adequate human and financial resources.

Specifically, FAO Country Offices\:

• advocate, inform and support policies and investments in the areas of FAO’s mandate;
• provide technical assistance and deliver core services;
• assist and catalyse partnership and resource mobilization activities to support agrifood systems transformation;
• position FAO as the specialized/authoritative technical agency in food and agriculture and agrifood systems transformation; and
• ensure risk-smart and accountable operations and management.

FAO is implementing the project ‘Soil mapping for resilient agrifood systems in Central America and sub-Saharan Africa (SoilFER) project in Ghana’ – GCP/GLO/1127/USA. The project aligns with FAO’s Programme Priority Areas BP1\: innovation for sustainable agriculture production; BP5 ‘Digital agriculture and BE 1\: Climate change mitigation and adapted agrifood system, and contribute to SDGs 2.1, 2.4 and 5B.

The position is in the FAO Country Office of Ghana.

Reporting Lines

The National Soil Fertility and Management Specialist will report to the FAO Representative in Ghana, as well as to the project management team in FAO headquarters (HQ), which is hosted in the NSL.


Technical Focus

The incumbent will oversee soil fertility analysis, development of nutrient maps, while giving recommendations tailored to local conditions and crop needs. This role also includes processing and validating soil data, coordinating field teams, and contributing to soil maps and suitability assessments.

Tasks and responsibilities

• 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 in line with the Decision Support Tool, 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 (Soil Information and Data) 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.
• Implement the activities of the Global Soil Doctors Programme, including working with national promoters and developing relevant educational documents.
• Establish a National Soil Partnership (NSP) with all relevant stakeholders and clarify the roles of the partners through the organization of launching events and workshops.
• Coordinate fertilizer quality analysis activities and capacity building training
• Perform any other duties as assigned by FAO Representative.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING


Minimum Requirements

• Advanced University Degree in Agricultural Science, Soil Science, Crop Science, Agricultural Economics or any related field.
• A Minimum of five (5) years working experience in sustainable soil management, soil fertility management and/or establishment of field trials including nutrient trials.
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English
• National of the Republic of Ghana

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Adequate evidence of technical understanding of soil sampling procedures and providing recommendations to farmers in tropical conditions.
• Adequate knowledge of soil analysis
• Experience in providing technical advice and support to smallholders on sustainable soil management practices
• Experience in multi-stakeholder consultation and decision making processes.
• Experience in working with international organisations.
• Good writing, presentation and communication
• Familiarity with Sustainable Soil Fertility Management practices.
• Experience in conducting soil fertility analysis
• Experience in setting up and managing field trials i.e. both at on-station and farm levels.
• Experience with Decision Support Tools (DST) for farmers

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.

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT

We do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.
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