Job Purpose
To provide strategic, cost-effective leadership, as well as the introduction and maintenance of agricultural best practices for both the company and third-party outgrower operations.
Roles and Responsibilities
Agronomy
- This role assumes executive responsibility for sustainable vertical and horizontal growth initiatives across the catchment, as well as driving efficiency and accountability for resource utilization in the agricultural divisions
- Provide scientific agronomic support in the development of annual crop estimates, as well as plough out and replant programs.
- Formulate plant protection and nutrition programmes and ensures adherence to good agronomic practices.
- Implement strategies to enhance the productivity of the outgrower operations.
- Develop and manage agricultural information systems for use in the setting up of crop production targets and resource utilization efficiency parameters.
- Set and compile budgets and recommend production parameters for the Agriculture division to the Head of Agricultural Operations.
- Determine Agricultural Information Systems that are in conformity with the company guidelines.
Water Management.
- Lead, coordinate and manage the industry irrigation catchments (and related strategic stakeholder engagements and/or strategic business cases), including the optimization of reticulation, application, water demand and power supply through appropriate measurement, commercial contracting, control and benchmarking processes.
- Approve and monitor irrigation and drainage policies, as well as the cost-effectiveness thereof.
- Approve and monitor the annual company water tariffs.
Land preparation & Infrastructure
- Approve annual land preparation activities in line with budgeted cropping program.
- Manage and monitor third-party service providers against efficiency, cost, quality and governance parameters. Determine the agricultural mechanization strategies and plans.
- Manage all land preparation, internal water civil infrastructure including roads through formulating and implementing machinery utilization programmes, sourcing, servicing and maintenance programmes.
- Determine on introduction of cost effective and high yielding irrigation systems and harvesting technologies.
Outgrowers
- Develop and implement horizontal and vertical growth initiatives geared towards the sustainable increase in third-party out grower production. This explicitly includes the staffing structure, service offering and implementation models of the department.
- Lead and develop a strong working relationship with third-party outgrowers and assume accountability for their operational performance.
- Sensitivity towards the socio-political environment, ensuring that the business unit recognizes and is responsive to this reality
Projects
- Lead, design and manage company development projects - ensuring they are competitively priced, within budget and quality standard, and follow appropriate governance and accountability protocols.
- Undertake post-implementation reviews to evaluate actual performance against project feasibilities.
- Source development-oriented finance for new projects.
Qualifications and Experience
- BSc degree in Agriculture/ Agricultural Engineering.
- MSc in Agricultural Engineering an added advantage.
- Minimum of ten years’ senior management and operational experience directly in commercial agriculture, agribusiness, agricultural projects and/or support.
Technical Competencies
- Commercial acumen.
- Strong mathematical, analytical and scientific aptitude.
- Strong problem-solving abilities.
- Strong research and organizational skills.
- Wide business network in the agricultural sector.
Behavioural Competencies
- Assertive.
- Very strong sapiential influence.
- Results and detail oriented.
- Persistence and patience.
- Ability to work in a highly matrixed structure and to influence others.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.