Open Position: Agronomist

The African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI) is seeking to recruit a highly qualified and motivated Agronomist to join its North Africa office. The successful candidate will contribute to APNI’s research, innovation, and capacity development programs aimed at advancing sustainable plant nutrition and cropping systems across Morocco. Working both independently and collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and partners, the Agronomist will develop, implement, and support research and extension initiatives that promote sustainable nutrient management in diverse cropping systems.

About the African Plant Nutrition Institute 

APNI is a not-for-profit research and education institute headquartered in Benguérir (Morocco) and three regional offices respectively for North Africa (Settat, Morocco), West Africa (Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast) and East-South Africa (Nairobi, Kenya). The institute works to develop and promote sustainable plant nutrition management practices and innovation through research, education, and outreach. It has active research projects in East, West, and North Africa. Please refer to our website for more information: www.apni.net 

Duties & responsibilities

1. Design and implement research programs on annual and perennial cropping systems in North Africa, focusing on plant nutrition, water-use efficiency, soil health, and sustainable agricultural intensification.
2. Support implementation of the North Africa research program through field trials, stakeholder engagement, training, field days, data management, and the development of technical and educational materials.
3. Design, establish, implement, and monitor field experiments in accordance with approved protocols.
4. Collect high-quality agronomic, soil, plant, and environmental data, maintain accurate field records, and ensure compliance with research protocols and data quality standards throughout the growing season.
5. Supervise field technicians, temporary staff, and service providers involved in research activities.
6. Develop and maintain project databases, ensuring data integrity, quality control, and proper documentation.
7. Perform data entry, validation, statistical analyses, and interpretation to support research and decision-making.
8. Prepare technical reports, research summaries, presentations, and educational materials.
9. Support the publication of scientific papers, technical briefs, and other knowledge of products.
10. Organize and participate in stakeholder meetings, field days, and capacity development activities.
11. Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor.

Candidate Requirements

1. MSc degree or equivalent in Agronomy, Soil Science, Plant Nutrition, Crop Science, or a closely related discipline.
2. Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing field-based agronomic research and crop production experiments.
3. Experience with annual and perennial cropping systems; experience with cereals, pulses, olive, date palm, argan, citrus, or other Mediterranean cropping systems is highly desirable.
4. Practical knowledge of plant nutrition, soil fertility management, and sustainable crop production systems.
5. Experience in experimental design, field data collection, statistical analysis, and research database management.
6. Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with scientists, extension services, government agencies, farmers, and other stakeholders.
7. Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and deliver high-quality outputs within agreed timelines.
8. Excellent French and Arabic communication skills (oral and written) with a working knowledge of English being an advantage
9. A valid Moroccan Driving License and willingness to travel extensively within Morocco.
10. Self-motivated, proactive, and committed to scientific excellence, teamwork, and APNI’s mission of advancing sustainable plant nutrition and soil health.

Duration and Location 

The announcement is for a full-time and permanent position, subject to completing a satisfactory 6-month probation period and performance.  

Duty Station: APNI’s North Africa regional office in Settat, Morocco

Qualified candidates should send all application materials in English, including a detailed CV, an application letter, and the email addresses of three professional references to employment@apni.net with the position name “Agronomist” mentioned in the subject line.   

The deadline for application is 7th of August 2026. Only candidates receiving an interview will be contacted.