About the position
DBN000225 – CLIMATE & PLANT PATHOLOGY AGRONOMIST – REMOTE SA
Purpose of the Job:
To assist and educate crop protection consultants in South Africa and its neighbouring counties on how to use disease models, evaluate weather station data, and use hyper-localized forecasts to maximize crop protection tactics. The ideal applicant will be enthusiastic in turning climatic data and in-depth knowledge of crop disease and protection into insights and practical field-level crop protection plans.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Agronomy & Plant Pathology.
- A background in environmental science or agricultural meteorology is preferred.
- 5+ years of expertise in precision agriculture, agri-technical consultancy, or crop protection advisory.
- A solid understanding of crop protection products, plant disease cycles, and local farming methods.
- Practical understanding of weather station data interpretation and disease model outputs.
- Excellent training, facilitation, and communication skills.
- Fluent in English (Afrikaans or regional languages will be a bonus).
- The readiness to travel frequently around South Africa and its surrounding regions.
Required Technical Competencies & Abilities:
- Deliver technical training and on-site support to crop protection consultants using weather station data, disease forecasting models, and localized climate tools.
- Guide consultants in translating real-time and forecasted climate data into actionable crop protection plans, aligned with regional disease and pest pressure.
- Interpret disease model outputs and advise on the best crop protection timing and strategies for the forecasted period.
- Collaborate with agronomists and product specialists to align advisory outputs with current crop production cycles and pest control needs.
- Promote the integration of climate-smart tools into standard crop protection practices.
- Support product adoption through regional engagement, trials, and knowledge-sharing events.
- Contribute to training content, protocols, and digital knowledge platforms.
- Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in climatic data & forecasting, plant pathology, and precision agriculture.
Behavioral Competencies:
- Proactive
- Innovative
- Good and positive attitude
- Excellent communication
Please note, should you not hear back from us within the next 2 weeks, then please consider your application as unsuccessful.
Desired Skills:
- plant pathology
- agronomist
- climate & pathology
