Job Purpose

The Speedling Production Manager is responsible for providing direction, technical guidance, and leadership in Speedling nursery production, to ensure long-term growth, development, and sustainability as well as optimising Speedling production and planting programs by holding teams accountable to the highest standards of Speedling production and delivery, whilst meeting the required volume and quality at the optimal cost.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Drive operational excellence by making informed trade-offs and driving initiatives that will deliver targeted Speedling production figures at optimal cost and quality levels
• Adopt and embed agreed best practices, frameworks, minimum standards, and processes for all aspects of Nursery production and replant programs
• Achieve annual Speedling production targets ensuring that replant activities are prioritized and planned in a systematic and cost-effective way to optimise profitability
• Contribute to the development of production plans, goals and KPI’s where required
• Coordinate and approve annual Speedling production and replant plans with Agric Engineering, Crop Production and Agric Optimisation
• Provide input into business cases for key capital projects in Kilombero Estate Agriculture (KeA) and support delivery
• Develop, monitor, and manage Speedling and replant budget and resource plan, with inputs from managers in all sections
• Drive rigorous performance management, biased towards rewarding strong performance and compliance with critical behaviours, and including managing consequences where required
• Drive synergies across the group, effectively partnering with KeA sections and group counterparts to identify, share and embed opportunities for optimisation
• Oversee effective talent and performance management, and build a strong leadership team and talent pipeline within the nursery team
• Identify and monitor KPIs and balanced scorecards, track performance and flag any issues with individuals
• Promote and adhere to Illovo’s 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 Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering, Horticulture or equivalent from a recognized institution
• 7 years’ minimum in large-scale agriculture/horticulture operations
• 5 years’ minimum managing a large-scale horticulture nursery
• Experience in a research and laboratory environment (preferably involving tissue culture)
• Proficient knowledge in project planning and management, logistics and nursery programs
• Ability to build, develop and manage teams effectively
• Ability to capture, interpret and analyze agricultural data
• A high level of self-motivation and attention to detail
• Above-average digital literacy

Terms of Service: The successful candidate will be engaged on a permanent contract.

All interested candidates, who meet the above requirements, please fill the form https://forms.gle/sGF3iwEPYtiX8k8B7 to apply for the position before 7 th February 2023. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted