Agronomist - Farmer Support and Extension

About the role

The Foundation for Sustainable Smallholder Solutions is hiring a full-time Agronomist in Bauchi, Nigeria, to support smallholder farmers growing cereals, legumes and vegetables. The role combines agronomic support, farmer capacity building, field monitoring and value-chain coordination.

Key responsibilities

• Support field planning and execution of agronomy activities and provide technical support and extension services to farmers of cereals, legumes and vegetables.
• Help set up and manage demonstration plots and train farmers on GAPs, IPM, soil fertility management and climate-smart agriculture.
• Support farmer groups with record-keeping, yield monitoring and production planning.
• Facilitate links between farmers and input providers, work with input companies, aggregators and agro-dealers, and support post-harvest handling and storage.
• Carry out regular field visits, collect and report agronomic and yield data, and contribute to technical and field activity reports.
• Assist in testing new technologies and seed varieties, document results and share learnings.
• Liaise with local leaders, extension officers and farmer organizations and represent the project in community meetings and training sessions.

Required profile

• B.Sc. in Agriculture, Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Economics, Plant Breeding, Agribusiness or a related discipline.
• At least 2 years of experience with international organizations, development agencies, research institutions or NGOs.
• Strong understanding of agricultural systems, livelihoods and rural development.
• Strong farmer engagement and client relationship management skills, with good problem-solving, analytical and decision-making abilities.

Required skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Digital data collection tools such as ODK, KoboToolbox and Soluta.
• Hands-on experience with precision agriculture software, GPS-enabled machinery and digital field mapping systems.