Field Supervisor – Agricultural Research

About the role

CIMMYT is seeking a Field Supervisor to manage research field plots, infrastructure, and equipment. The role ensures optimal agronomic practices, soil fertility, and irrigation throughout the crop cycle to support high‑quality cereal research.

Key responsibilities

• Maintain field integrity, productivity, and soil fertility.
• Plan land allocation, prepare fields, and operate irrigation and drainage systems.
• Service farm equipment such as tractors, threshers, shellers, and irrigation gear.
• Implement agronomic operations including planting, fertilization, weeding, pest and disease control, harvesting, and post‑harvest handling.
• Support managed stress trials (e.g., drought, nutrient stress) and monitor pest, disease, and abiotic stress incidence.
• Supervise field staff and casual labor, coordinate daily activities, and train staff on protocols and equipment.
• Track budgets, inputs, labor, fuel, and water usage.
• Coordinate logistics, move materials and harvests, and organize field visits and demonstrations.
• Use digital tools (tablets, breeding apps, GIS) for field mapping, activity tracking, and record‑keeping.

Required profile

• Agricultural or agronomic background with hands‑on field experience.
• Experience operating and maintaining irrigation, drainage, and farm equipment.
• Ability to supervise staff and coordinate daily field operations.
• Familiarity with digital data collection tools and GIS.
• Strong organizational skills for budgeting and resource tracking.

Required skills

• GIS
• Tablets and breeding applications
• Irrigation system operation
• Drainage system operation
• Farm equipment maintenance (tractors, threshers, shellers)