Expert (with experience in Bolivia): Integrated management of bio-inputs (business models and marketing)

About the job

The objective of the GIZ SUAGRI Programme is: To improve the political, technical, and financial conditions for scaling up sustainable soil management and the restoration of biodiversity in the Altiplano region.

What you will do

• Strategic and operational guidance for establishing strategic partnerships with innovation and research centres for the development and scaling up of innovations in bio-input production from sustainable sources of local biomass - 3 innovations.
• Strategic and operational guidance in the development and implementation of business models for the production and use of bio-inputs led by MSMEs - with an emphasis on women and young people - social enterprises, e.g. CECAOT, ANAPQUI, CONAPQUIBOL, APQUISA, COPROQUIR, CABOLQUI and others, public entities - departmental governments and municipalities - and their scaling up - at least 10 business models.
• Facilitation of access for MSMEs and local producer organizations to public and private financing mechanisms for scaling up the use and production of bio-inputs.
• Technical guidance for the development of training programme content for producers, promoters, and agricultural extension workers in the following areas of integrated bio-input management: for soil improvement and crop improvement in general: bocashi, improved biocompost, reproduction of mountain microorganisms, reproduction of specific microorganisms, conventional worm humus and worm leachate; to increase plant nutrition: supermagro, compost tea, Steiner solution, and seed inoculation; for pest and disease control: carbonated water, lime sulphur mixture, Bordeaux mixture, water glass, plant extracts, traps, and plant improvers; in partnership with research centres, educational institutions, academia, technological institutes, NGOs, or local foundations.
• Capacity building in integrated bio-input management for agricultural extension workers and local promoters - local producers and rural leaders.
• Strategic and operational guidance to producer organizations on the development of marketing networks to increase the supply of and demand for bio-inputs for restoring soil health and resilient agricultural production.
• Operational guidance for the capacity-building process of agricultural extension workers - e.g. national and subnational - and producer organizations - e.g. producer families, individual and associative entrepreneurs, social enterprises - in the reintroduction and repopulation of native species, e.g. grasses, forage plants, and shrubs, in partnership with academia, technological institutes, NGOs, local foundations, etc.
• Support for the competency-based certification process for the skills acquired by producers/promoters and rural extension workers in integrated bio-input management.
• Provision of incentives for rural competitions on scaling up the use and production of bio-inputs and the reintroduction and repopulation of native species.
• Development of field days and experience-sharing exchanges among producers within the framework of projects promoted by NGOs and foundations - local subsidies - to scale up integrated bio-input management.
• Development of regional or national events, conferences, and symposiums on integrated bio-input management in coordination with NGOs, foundations, academia, and other strategic actors.
• Laboratory analysis of soil samples - including eDNA: soil microbiome - as envisaged in Packages 1 and 2 of this tender - 250 soil samples.
• Strategic advice and technical assistance to local productive actors in the use and production of bio-inputs in the strategic value chains of the Altiplano.
• Support to the team leader in coordinating with research centres for scaling up innovations in bio-input production.
• Support for the systematization of experiences, lessons learned, and good practices in the use of bio-inputs to improve soil health in strategic value chains and restore native vegetation.
• Development and implementation of bio-input marketing networks for MSMEs.
• Monitoring using Capacity WORKS.

Your qualifications

• University degree - e.g. “Master’s” or German “Diplom” - in Agricultural Engineering or Industrial Engineering, with postgraduate studies in integrated bio-input management or sustainable soil management - study programme relevant to the sector.

• Spanish language skills at C2 level (7 out of 10 points) and English language skills at C1 level (3 out of 10 points) according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

• 8 years of professional experience in the integrated management of fertilizers and bio-inputs in agricultural production systems (5 out of 10 points).

• 6 years of experience in agricultural extension services; innovation and strengthening of agricultural value chains with a regenerative agriculture approach (5 out of 10 points).

• 6 years of professional experience in sustainable bio-input management; improvement of agricultural soils, preparation and implementation of business models, and development of innovations in bio-input production (5 out of 10 points).

• 24 months of experience in projects to improve soil health through the use of bio-inputs - e.g. phytoregulators, biofertilizers, biostimulants, biofungicides, and bioinsecticides - and to quantify organic carbon sequestration in soils, within the last 5 years (5 out of 10 points).

• 3 years of experience in managing projects, companies, or other organizations, with leadership responsibilities for at least 3 people and annual budget responsibility of EUR 250,000.

• 2 years of professional experience in a country of the Andean region outside Bolivia.

• 8 years of professional experience in Bolivia.

• 5 years of experience in development cooperation projects (4 out of 10 points).

• 2 years of experience in applying Capacity WORKS (2 out of 10 points).

• Experience using Ex-Act or NEXT - tools for estimating emissions or carbon sequestration in agricultural or sustainable soil management projects - (2 out of 10 points), and experience in competitiveness projects and business accelerators (2 out of 10 points).

Offer details

Estimated start date (depending on contract award): 1/03/2027 Project duration: 32 months