Agriculture Optimisation Manager

Job Purpose: Provide direction, technical guidance and leadership in estate agricultural optimisation, including agronomic business systems and data management, to ensure the estate realizes its full potential.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the development and implementation of the agriculture strategy especially with respect to the optimisation of the sugarcane production and supply chain
• Evaluate, provide direction and guidance on all Agricultural Opex projects (PIP Projects), including from Field Improvement Teams, to ensure projects are delivered on-time, in full and within budget (OTIFQC)
• Manage the crop maintenance and drone contracts including the Fertilizer and chemicals mixing plants
• Drive agricultural modernisation and optimisation improvement plans through innovation and new farming systems
• Reduce the cost of production through yield and efficiency improvement
• Develop best practice adoption and embedding methodologies with HR to support capability building in the Agricultural team
• Develop and update standardized work procedures in line with Head Office best practices and on-site constraints
• Ensure the crop nutrition, pest and disease and variety specialists fully leverage available support from the Illovo Group (Head Office and other Countries)
• Optimise crop production performance by holding agronomy teams accountable to the highest standards, whilst meeting the required cane crop volume and yield at the optimal cost
• Ensure accurate agricultural data is managed effectively in all data management systems, and is used effectively in farm management, estate performance monitoring, and decision making
• Ensure Agricultural Optimisation is managed profitably (yield and cost synergies)
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement across all farms
• Ensure talent and performance management are embedded in local ways of working, whilst leveraging support functions and resources to develop capability
• Model Leadership behaviours, collaborating, partnering and communicating effectively within and between teams and support functions
• Promote cross-functional and stakeholder engagement & teamwork
• When requested, to provide assistance to Grower Agriculture at Kilombero
• Promote and adhere to ABFSugar procedures, policies and guidelines, including, without limitation, those relating to SHERQ, Competition Law and Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC)

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in or equivalent in Agriculture, Agronomy or Agricultural Engineering
• 5-10 years of experience in sugar cane production on an estate size or equivalent enterprise, with 5 years in a leadership/management role
• Proven track record of effectively developing and implementing strategies through managing budgets, people and resources to meet business KPIs
• Good business acumen and agricultural expertise, with ability to anticipate and interpret changes impacting on functional area
• Strong agriculture data analysis skills
• Experience in addressing multi-variable agronomic problems
• Ability to translate ways of working into standard tools and templates
• Presentation and facilitation skills to be able to engage with diverse stakeholders and communicate concepts to enable decisions to be made
• Proven ability to effectively engage, and positively influence, a range of stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability in delivering results and meeting business expectations
• Self-driven, with the ability to work independently
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written)
• Professional, dedicated and a good team player
• Above average proficiency in MS office / CanePro
• Proven track record within an ABFSugar Company, aligning with the company culture, is an added advantage

Terms Of Service: The successful candidate will be engaged on a Permanent contract.

Kilombero Sugar Company Limited is an equal opportunity employer. Women and people with disability are highly encouraged to apply.