Component 4 Lead – Transform Soil Fertility Management Program in Ethiopia (TRANSFORM)

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Deadline: July 12, 2026

Job Description

About IFDC

The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is a public international organization that advances soil health and strengthens agricultural systems through science-based innovation. For over 50 years, IFDC has translated research into practical solutions that improve nutrient use efficiency, restore degraded soils, strengthen local agricultural markets and expand opportunity for smallholder farmers, especially women and youth.

We work with farmers, governments and private sector partners to build resilient farming systems that produce nutritious food, improve livelihoods, and safeguard natural resources for future generations.

Our Values

We are guided by four core principles:

Collaborate – We work across teams, countries and partners to create lasting impact.

Innovate – We apply evidence and continuous learning to design practical and responsible solutions.

Include – We promote equity and meaningful participation for women, youth and underrepresented groups.

Act with Integrity – We steward resources responsibly, uphold transparency and remain accountable to the communities, partners, staff and donors who place their trust in us.

Position Summary

The qualified candidate will lead one of the four components of the TRANSFORM Program, Component 4: “Promote an Enabling Environment for Soil Health and Fertility”. The role will provide strategic leadership in aligning TRANSFORM’s objectives with national and continental frameworks, including the Ethiopian Fertilizer and Soil Health (EFSH) Roadmap and African Union priorities, AUDA-NEPAD, CAADP, and the commitments outlined in the Nairobi Declaration on Fertilizer and Soil Health in Africa. The position will ensure strong coherence between national interventions and regional and continental agendas.

The incumbent will establish and facilitate national and regional multi-stakeholder platforms, accelerate the implementation of the EFSH Roadmap, and convene strategic dialogues on policy and market systems, including fertilizer access, subsidy frameworks, and soil input regulations. The role will further strengthen regulatory processes such as registration and labeling of soil inputs, in line with international and national standards and commitments to improve fertilizer access and soil health outcomes. It will also foster integration across TRANSFORM components and with existing platforms, serving as a key bridge to AUDA-NEPAD, CAADP, EFSH Roadmap and related initiatives to enhance coordination, knowledge exchange, and collective impact.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic technical leadership to strengthen soil health and fertility systems across the research–extension–policy continuum in Ethiopia, ensuring coherence across national, regional, and continental levels and alignment with AUDA-NEPAD, CAADP, the EFSH Roadmap, and the Nairobi Declaration on Fertilizer and Soil Health, while addressing institutional, regulatory, and policy gaps;
Act as the strategic interface between TRANSFORM and continental platforms, ensuring effective alignment, coordination, and knowledge exchange with AUDA-NEPAD, CAADP processes, and other African initiatives, and promoting integration between policy commitments and implementation at national and sub-national levels;
Lead the establishment and facilitation of multi-stakeholder platforms and structured policy and technical dialogue mechanisms at national and regional levels, ensuring inclusive engagement of government institutions, regional bureaus, private sector actors, research organizations, and development partners;
Provide overall leadership for planning, implementation, and performance management of the component across national and regional levels, including annual work planning, budgeting, resource allocation, compliance with donor requirements, and adaptive management to ensure timely and quality delivery of results;
Ensure coordination and synergy across TRANSFORM components and alignment with national and regional initiatives, strengthening partner coordination mechanisms to reduce fragmentation, improve complementarity, and enhance implementation efficiency;
Lead capacity strengthening of programme teams and implementing partners, including regional institutions, to enhance technical delivery and institutional performance in soil health and fertilizer systems, while promoting organizational learning and capability development;
Support strengthening of soil input governance systems, including registration, quality assurance, labeling, and regulatory compliance frameworks, ensuring alignment with national legislation and harmonization with continental and international standards;
Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with government institutions, regional bodies, AUDA-NEPAD, CAADP structures, and development partners, while contributing to resource mobilization and proposal development aligned with national priorities and continental soil health agendas.

Requirements

A minimum of master’s degree in Agribusiness, Natural Resources Management, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Policy, Development Studies, Public Policy, or a closely related field;
Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in soil health, fertilizer systems, agricultural development, or natural resource management;
Demonstrated experience working on policy (dialogue), regulatory frameworks, and enabling environments related to agriculture or soil fertility management;
Experience working with or alongside continental and regional initiatives such as AUDANEPAD, CAADP, or similar Africa-wide or national programs;
Familiarity with the Nairobi Declaration on Fertilizer and Soil Health in Africa, EFSH Roadmap and its implementation frameworks is highly desirable;
Experience in managing multi-country or multi-regional programs, including coordination of diverse partners;
Strong experience in multi-stakeholder platform facilitation, partnership building, and stakeholder engagement;
Proven track record in engaging with government institutions at federal and regional (Ethiopian regions) levels;
Strong understanding of soil health and fertility systems, fertilizer value chains, and sustainable agricultural intensification;
Solid knowledge of policy development processes, regulatory systems (including input registration and quality assurance), and institutional frameworks;
Demonstrated ability to link research, extension, private sector engagement, and policy processes;
English and other local language fluency required.

Reporting and Work Relationships

The component lead will be supervised by and will report to the Deputy Program Director-Technical.

Location

The position will be based in Addis Ababa, with frequent travel to the 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 9 with a starting salary of USD pegged 2,086.78 gross per month.

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

TRANSORM is a program lead by IFDC with key consortium partners (Stichting Wageningen Research – Wageningen Environmental Research /SWR-WeNR/, Stichting International Soil Reference and Information Center /ISRIC-World Soil Information/, Environment and Coffee Forest Forum /ECFF/, SOS Sahel, Ethiopia) and preferred national partners (MoA and EIAR).

IFDC is currently seeking a passionate and qualified individuals to join the national team, as the organization continues to expand its impact and work towards creating positive change in agriculture and sustainable soil management in Ethiopia. The qualified candidate will lead a component that works on Promoting an Enabling Environment for Soil Health and Fertility Management, of a multi-year program (TRANSFORM) that will be implemented in the Amhara, Oromia and Central Ethiopia regional States. The program seeks to transform soil health and fertility extension, soil input systems, research, and coordination to sustainably increase the productivity of empowered small-scale food producers and improve the sustainable use of their farmlands through the integration of ISFM.