Stanford /Overberg area, Western Cape Province – South Africa: The role demands a high level of expertise in planning, executing, and monitoring critical
farming operations to drive operational excellence and sustainable performance.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelors degree or equivalent qualification in Agriculture, Agronomy, Horticulture, Crop Science, Plant Science or a related agricultural discipline.
- Minimum 5 years experience in a management or senior leadership role within an agricultural, horticultural, farming or related technical environment.
- Strong practical experience in crop production, nutrition, irrigation and agronomic management.
- Proven experience in designing, managing and evaluating agricultural research and trials.
- Experience managing and developing technical or operational teams.
- Strong understanding of chemical application, pre-harvest intervals, MRLs, food safety and relevant agricultural compliance requirements.
KEY COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:
- Strong team leadership skills.
- Analytical, data-driven and able to translate technical information into practical action.
- Proactive, self-motivated and passionate about continuous improvement.
- Strong in research, problem-solving and root-cause analysis.
- Able to manage multiple projects, trials and operational priorities simultaneously.
- A strong communicator with the ability to work effectively across departments and with external stakeholders.
- Quality and safety conscious.
- Commercially minded, with an understanding of the relationship between technical decisions, productivity, costs and profitability.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced agricultural environment where decisions need to be made quickly and effectively.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
Technical Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, develop and motivate a high-performing technical team.
- Set clear performance expectations and promote accountability.
- Conduct regular one-on-one meetings and provide coaching, training and technical support.
- Develop strong 2IC capability to ensure operational continuity.
- Build effective working relationships between Technical, Production, HR and Compliance.
Crop Yield, Quality & Loss Management
- Set and manage annual crop yield, quality and crop-loss targets aligned with customer and business requirements.
- Drive agronomic strategies to maximise yield and quality while minimising crop losses.
- Monitor crop performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Lead root-cause analysis of recurring crop health and production issues and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
Crop Protection, Nutrition & Irrigation
- Use scouting data, weather forecasts, seasonal knowledge and product information to develop effective spray and nutrition programmes.
- Ensure irrigation strategies support crop quality, yield and loss targets.
- Work closely with Production to identify and resolve irrigation, crop protection and nutrition challenges.
- Ensure chemical applications comply with safety requirements, pre-harvest intervals, MRL requirements and applicable legislation.
Research, Trials & Innovation
- Lead research and trials aimed at improving farming methods, yield and crop quality.
- Design and execute scientifically sound trials using appropriate controls, replication and accurate data collection.
- Manage multiple trials simultaneously and ensure results are analysed and reported accurately and timeously.
- Conduct proactive research using industry experts, consultants, laboratories, technology, AI, conferences and other relevant resources.
- Convert research findings into practical recommendations and improvements for the business.
Data, Reporting & Compliance
- Ensure spray, scouting, nutrition and other technical data is accurate, complete and submitted on time.
- Maintain high standards of technical reporting and documentation.
- Drive data-based decision-making and use technical information to identify trends and opportunities.
- Work closely with the Compliance Manager to ensure audit, food safety, chemical safety and legislative requirements are consistently met.
Stakeholder Management
- Build and maintain strong professional relationships with customers, contractors, suppliers and service providers.
- Ensure excellent communication, timely responses and delivery against agreed deadlines.
- Represent the company professionally and build a reputation for technical excellence and reliable service.
- Work collaboratively with Production, Compliance and HR to resolve challenges and continuously improve business performance.
ONLY short-listed candidates will be contacted
