Postdoctoral Fellow – Soil Microbiology

About the role

The African Sustainable Agriculture Research Institute (ASARI) is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to investigate interactions between microorganisms and crop plants, aiming to develop effective inoculants for African smallholder farmers. The role involves cutting‑edge research in soil microbiology under challenging conditions such as drought and salinity.

Key responsibilities

• Review, interpret and synthesize scientific literature related to soil microbiology and microbial‑plant interactions.
• Design and implement experimental approaches to evaluate biological agents with high relevance for African agriculture.
• Select and apply appropriate analytical methods for measuring microbial material and delivery mechanisms.
• Manage, analyse and present experimental data, and prepare research reports, conference presentations and scientific publications.
• Supervise and train PhD, Master, undergraduate students, interns and visiting researchers.
• Oversee project components including budgeting, procurement of materials and equipment, and coordination of staff.

Required profile

• Ph.D. in Soil Science, Soil Microbiology, Plant Science or a closely related discipline.
• Strong agricultural background with experience in realistic soil environments (drought, salinity, etc.).
• Familiarity with state‑of‑the‑art techniques for studying soil microbiology and microbial‑plant interactions.

Required skills

• Soil microbiology laboratory techniques.
• Molecular biology methods for microbial analysis.
• Experimental design and data analysis.
• Scientific writing and presentation.
• Project management and supervision of research teams.