Department Director - Scaling Soil Health at International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)

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:

• Scale soil fertility innovations: Integrate scalable soil fertility technologies and practices into development programs soil health scaling frameworks to maximize adoption and farmer impact.
• 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).
• Deliver results and impact: Ensure soil fertility projects are implemented effectively, achieving high-quality deliverables, strong financial performance, and measurable outcomes for farmers.
• 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.