Senior Technical Director

The Senior Technical Director will be a part of a potential program addressing the global fertilizer crisis in the context of Colombia in an opportunity funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Sr. Technical Director will establish a technically robust network of international institutions and in-country public and private sector partners. This network will help identify technologies and practices for select crops and agroecosystems that promote the three Fertilize Right Colombia program objectives. In addition, FRC will work with the partner network to determine how to scale the Fertilize Right program’s reach. The objectives of the Sr. Technical Director’s scope of work and efforts are 1) to increase fertilizer-use efficiency 2) to enhance efficacy of fertilizers 3) to develop alternatives to traditional manufactured chemical fertilizers to improve soil health and fertility.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Schedule the technical activities of the project within the project budget.
• Guarantees the technical quality of the design and implementation of project activities.
• Coordinate the hiring of agricultural experts and technicians specializing in fertilizer development and use.
• Actively participates in the preparation of work strategies with government counterparts and the private sector.
• Leads and supervises the technical team, providing the necessary support to achieve report delivery on time.
• Supports the coordination of technical activities in the development and use of conventional and alternative fertilizers.
• Coordinates technical activities with stakeholders.
• Supervises activities with partners or producer organizations related to technical assistance and community implementation (fertilizer education, training, and use).

Qualifications and Minimum Requirements

• At least eight years of professional experience executing activities in agricultural projects, including delivering technical assistance to producers required.
• Master’s (PhD preferred) in Agronomy, Horticulture, Soil Science, Plant Science, or related discipline required with a concentration in fertilizer use preferred.
• Experience working directly with producers and associations regarding fertilization practices required.
• Solid understanding of the economic and environmental dynamics of fertilizer uses in agriculture production in Colombia required.
• Work experience as an agronomist within a major Colombian value chain on private farms highly preferred.
• Knowledge of conventional fertilizer alternatives such as compost, biochar, biofertilizer required.
• Basic knowledge of financial evaluation of agricultural projects required.
• Experience with measuring, monitoring, and reducing emissions from agriculture production required.
• Experience working with international agricultural organizations preferred.
• English proficiency and Spanish fluency required.