About this role
Senior Field Technician – Soil Carbon, Spekboom Restoration Project
Technical and Carbon Division (Ecology Team)
Location: Gqeberha, Eastern Cape
Reports to: Restoration Ecologist
Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary adventure that will revitalise landscapes, combat climate change, and promote sustainable agriculture? Join NatCarbon Africa: a mission-driven, proudly African organisation dedicated to high-quality implementation of large-scale carbon, climate, and biodiversity projects. We embrace the power of innovative technology to enhance project execution. Community engagement lies at the heart of our projects, driven by a genuine commitment to meaningful and inclusive participation and co-benefits, such as biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic upliftment.
NatCarbon Africa seeks a Senior Field Technician in the Technical and Carbon Department for the large-scale Spekboom Restoration Project in the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa.
With our partner, Imperative Global, our aim is to restore up to 100,000 hectares of degraded subtropical thicket biome. The Project entails planting Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) on privately owned land to improve ecosystem functioning and agricultural productivity over time, promote biodiversity, improve soil filtration, enhance water storage capabilities, and to reduce soil erosion. The Project is estimated to permanently store large quantities of Carbon Dioxide over the Project life, thus positively contributing towards climate change mitigation.
Position Summary:
The Senior Field Technician – Soil Carbon will report directly to the Restoration Ecologist and will lead the Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) work stream within the Ecology Team, working alongside two other Senior Field Technicians responsible for the Biomass Carbon and Biodiversity work streams. The role is responsible for leading, coordinating and mentoring a team of four junior staff in the planning, implementation, and reporting of SOC baseline and monitoring activities across the project area, including soil sampling and the operation of the project’s soil processing laboratory.
All SOC deliverables must be completed on time, within budget, to the highest technical standards, and in line with the requirements of the project’s carbon accounting methodology. The role combines field- and laboratory-based leadership with hands-on data collection and sample processing, and will also contribute to the quantification of Above-Ground Biomass (AGB) carbon pools when the need arises.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Team leadership and coordination
• Serve as the point of contact between the Restoration Ecologist and the SOC field team.
• Plan, lead, and coordinate the daily and long-term activities of the SOC team, including weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual schedules for baseline and monitoring campaigns, aligned with the Biomass Carbon and Biodiversity work streams to make efficient use of shared team resources.
• Supervise, mentor, and provide on-the-job training to Field Technicians and Young Professionals in field sampling, laboratory procedures, data handling and reporting to build capacity and ensure consistent, high-quality outputs.
• Oversee SOC field and laboratory logistics, including vehicle scheduling, field equipment, sample transport, and coordination with other project teams as required.
Soil field sampling
• Develop, in collaboration with the Restoration Ecologist and external partners, SOC sampling designs for baseline and monitoring surveys (including stratification, plot allocation, sampling depths, and replication).
• Conduct and supervise soil sampling, bulk density and coarse-fragment measurements, ensuring correct sample collection, labelling, documentation, and chain of custody from field to laboratory.
Soil laboratory management
• Manage the day-to-day operation of the project’s soil processing laboratory, including sample receipt, drying, sieving, root separation, grinding, weighing, sub-sampling, and archiving.
• Manage the procurement, maintenance, and calibration of laboratory equipment and consumables within the approved project budget.
• Develop, maintain, and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs), health and safety requirements, housekeeping standards, and sample storage protocols for all laboratory processes.
• Coordinate the submission of samples to external analytical laboratories, track turnaround times, and review returned results for completeness and consistency.
Data management and quality assurance
• Ensure timely, accurate, and consistent data collection, entry, and storage for all field and laboratory SOC data.
• Design and implement quality control procedures (e.g. duplicate and repeat measurements, reference samples, outlier checks, and reconciliation of field, laboratory, and external analytical records) to maintain data integrity.
• Process and analyse SOC data to produce carbon stock estimates, summaries, and inputs for project carbon accounting.
Methods development, reporting, and technical support
• Develop, test, and refine field and laboratory methodologies, protocols, tools, and templates, including pilot testing emerging technologies and implementing ad hoc trials and experiments to advance project outcomes.
• Contribute to technical reports and other project documentation based on field and laboratory data, including supporting documentation required for project verification.
• Contribute to AGB field campaigns and data processing when required, in coordination with the Senior Field Technician – Biomass Carbon.
• Provide technical guidance and feedback to the Restoration Ecologist to inform adaptive management of the SOC work stream.
• Participate in technical sessions, workshops, conferences, and other relevant events to advance the field of thicket ecosystem restoration academically and commercially.
General:
• This role requires supervising teams in remote outdoor environments and involves physical activity
• Embrace a culture of continuous learning by adapting to evolving job responsibilities, driven by NatCarbon Africa’s commitment to innovation, personal growth, and shifting operational priorities
• This outline of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. The employer reserves the right to assign additional duties or responsibilities at any time, provided they are reasonably aligned with the scope of the role or necessitated by operational requirements. The functions and responsibilities detailed within this job description may be subject to modification at the employer’s discretion, based on evolving operational requirements, while remaining consistent with the parameters of the employee’s position.
Skills:
• Excellent leadership skills, with the ability to manage and motivate a small team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (Afrikaans or isiXhosa advantageous).
• Strong organisational and time-management abilities, including the ability to coordinate concurrent field and laboratory workflows.
• Excellent data management and analytical skills, with a high level of attention to detail and commitment to data quality.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
• Physically fit and comfortable working in challenging outdoor conditions.
• Demonstrate initiative, integrity, and a passion for ecological restoration and making a positive impact.
Qualifications:
• A Master’s degree in soil science, geology, physical geography, ecology, environmental science, or a related field.
• Valid Driver’s Licence (off-road driving experience advantageous).
• This role requires driving a company vehicle. The successful candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment driving assessment at an approved testing centre; any offer of employment will be conditional on a successful outcome, and employment will not commence until this has been confirmed.
Knowledge and Experience:
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in ecological or environmental monitoring, ecological restoration, or related field and laboratory work (relevant postgraduate research experience may be considered).
• Proven experience leading or coordinating small teams in a technical, field, or laboratory context.
• Strong understanding of soil sampling, sample processing, and SOC measurement methodologies (including bulk density determination and carbon stock calculations), together with sound laboratory practice.
• Experience setting up or managing a soil or sediment processing laboratory, including the development of SOPs and quality control procedures, is highly advantageous.
• Proficiency in GIS (e.g. ArcGIS or QGIS) and data-analytical software (e.g. R or Excel) is advantageous.
• Familiarity with carbon standards and monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) requirements for soil and biomass carbon pools is advantageous.
• Knowledge of Thicket Biome ecology and the ability to identify key plant species is advantageous.
Working Conditions:
• Regular travel within the Eastern and Western Cape anticipated, including to remote locations. Travel may on occasion cross weekends and holidays to accommodate project schedules. Work hours may be irregular.
• Regular laboratory work involving the handling of soil samples and laboratory equipment.
• Embrace a culture of continuous learning by adapting to evolving job responsibilities, driven by NatCarbon Africa’s commitment to innovation, personal growth, and shifting project priorities.
• This outline of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be exhaustive. The employer reserves the right to assign the employee additional duties or responsibilities at any time, provided they are reasonably aligned with the scope of the role or necessitated by project requirements.
You will join a great team! We are:
• From diverse locations and backgrounds, but all experts in our respective fields. We bring together a wide range of cross-sector experiences, ideas, and skills.
• Relentless in our pursuit of excellence and innovation, always pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo. We also believe in celebrating our successes, recognising individual contributions, and taking time to support each other’s growth and development.
• At our core, explorers, constantly learning, evolving, and seeking new ways to deliver impactful solutions. We are not afraid to dream big, take risks, and step out of our comfort zones because we know that together, we can achieve great things.
Compensation:
To help us attract and retain top talent, NatCarbon Africa pays employees competitively to the market, depending on experience. Salary is one component of the compensation package, which further includes health care and life insurance, contributions to each employee’s retirement plan, paid time off and support for professional development. We will recognise employees who go beyond expected performance with salary increases and/or promotions.
In return, we expect each employee to, at a minimum:
• Meet expectations in terms of work effort and performance.
• Take the initiative to build the skills and knowledge needed to do their job effectively; and
• Embody the values of NatCarbon Africa.
How to Apply:
To apply, please send us the following:
• Cover letter (not to exceed one page).
• Resume/CV (not to exceed three pages).
NatCarbon Africa provides equal opportunity for all job applicants and employees and is committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination.