Job Description

The Role

JOB TITLE: NBS Researcher \xe2\x80\x93 Soil Chemistry As Shell seeks to reduce its carbon footprint, you will develop and implement solutions that will enable Shell to thrive in the Energy Transition. The avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions and capture & storage of CO2 by biomass in natural ecosystems underpins our Nature Based Solutions (NBS) business which enables our customers to decarbonise. Shell has also chosen to approach the challenges of decarbonization through a sectoral approach and has created a new Agriculture and Forestry (A&F) business sector. The mandate of Agriculture & Forestry is to enhance quality of life \xe2\x80\x93 clean air, water, soil and food production\xe2\x80\x93 by becoming the partner of choice in offering sustainable and integrated solutions to solve challenges across A&F value chains, accelerating the transition to Net Zero Emissions. You will deliver the R&D upon which these businesses, and Shell\xe2\x80\x99s Net Carbon Footprint (NCF) reduction ambitions, depend. Where you fit You will provide deep technical expertise in soil sciences to the rapidly growing NBS and A&F activities across Shell, including helping the businesses to achieve its goals. There is also a significant R&D programme in this area. The scope of this work is global, with special focus on key regions where Shell\xe2\x80\x99s NBS businesses are pursuing opportunities including US, EU, India, Africa and Brazil. Your responsibilities will include designing and implementation of experimental programs as well as collaborating with colleagues on, agriculture, forestry, remote sensing, GIS, LCA modelling, eco-system services, environmental regulations and policy. The successful candidate will be expected to work with Shell scientists and engineers globally, with external partners and with Shell\xe2\x80\x99s NBS and A&F decarbonization businesses. What\xe2\x80\x99s the role? You will be instrumental in enabling Shell to meet its strategic objectives in decarbonisation through your technical expertise in soil sciences and related areas. You will form part of a community of deep technical experts in NBS, whose skills are unique within Shell, located in Shell Technology Centre Amsterdam (NL), Shell Technology Centre Bangalore (India) and Shell Technology Centre Houston (USA).

• Delivery of the experimental, technical, and theoretical components of the R&D programme in soil chemistry, including fertility and technical support NBS and A&F decarbonization projects globally within agreed time, cost, and quality parameters. A key aspect is to design and implement experimental programs in the lab and in the field.
• Develop partnership with internal & external stakeholders to address challenges related to soil chemistry/fertility that are important for NBS and A&F sectoral decarbonization business.
• Ensure that Shell maintains a current and insightful position in soil sciences relevant to its businesses, including soil mapping, chemistry, fertility, analytical chemistry, plant nutrition, crop-soil models and MRV (measurement, reporting and verification) for NBS and A&F projects.
• Support Shell\xe2\x80\x99s NBS and A&F businesses in assessing, screening, and developing new project opportunities and subsequently in monitoring the projects that are deployed.
• Contribute to the development of knowledgebase at Shell, develop content, based on science, to support advocacy, informing stakeholder and outreach around NBS.
• Develop deep insights on the regulatory framework, including in voluntary and compliance carbon markets and use those insights to support future NBS and A&F projects and growth opportunities.
• Guide and support screening of third-party technologies and companies \xe2\x80\x93 including supporting Shell Ventures in investment opportunities.
• Maintaining Shell\xe2\x80\x99s scientific credibility by publishing the results of your work in peer-reviewed journals, internal technical reports, conference presentations, and patent filings.

What we need from you

• PhD in soil sciences, with specialization in soil chemistry or fertility or in a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience working in relevant area with ability to design experiments to test hypothesis, conduct independent research, and publish manuscript(s) in peer-reviewed journals.
• Field and/or R&D experience in soil chemistry/fertility, with its application in agriculture (e.g., enhancing soil C, reducing GHG emissions, plant nutrition management, new nutrient solutions/ products, analytic method development and measurement of soil chemical properties/fertility using advanced measurement technologies, etc.), forestry, coastal ecology, ecosystem services, etc.
• Demonstrated a willingness to learn and apply cross-disciplinary approaches to solving problems and be happy working in a tight-knit, but globally dispersed team.
• Excellent oral and written presentation skills; capable of effective and impactful communications across topics, audiences, and formats at various organisational levels.