Crop Production Manager Job Vacancy at Kilombero Sugar Company Ltd | July 2024

Job Purpose
The Crop Production Manager will provide direction, technical guidance and leadership for Farm Managers in designated crop production areas to ensure long-term growth, development and sustainability.  Champion and embed  the “Kilombero Estate Agriculture (KeA) way in sugar cane production” by leveraging available support from the Engineering and Optimisation teams and the Centre Agricultural Team (CAT), to ensure KeA  is the best in class sugar producer in the Country. CPM will also Optimise crop production performance by promoting a culture of continuous improvement and hold teams accountable to the highest standards of cane quality and farming productivity to meet the required cane yield and crop volume at the optimal cost.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ensure a culture of operational excellence that drives a Focused Improvement approach to initiatives for cost effective way to optimise profitability and achieve yield forecasts and quality levels, in collaboration with Crop Removal and Farm Managers and service departments.
• Develop, monitor and manage cane harvest plans, crop establishment, resource plan and production budget, including innovation and new technology adoption and implementation, which complies with ESG legislation and best practices.
• Monitor all farm activity data is captured accurately and consistently in CanePro and is used for data-based decision making.
• Develop and implement a Continuous Improvement program to identify and address problems and improvement opportunities at the field level with Farm Managers and Supervisors.
• Manage agricultural risk using agreed systems and processes for mitigation
• Build a strong leadership team and talent pipeline for crop production through ongoing coaching, mentoring and guidance
• Drive effective talent and rigorous performance management within function, by identifying and monitoring KPIs to track performance, with a bias towards rewarding strong performance and compliance with critical behaviours and including managing consequences where required.
• Manage sharing of identified best practices, frameworks and minimum standards, to ensure adoption of group minimum standards, processes and ways of working.
• Contribute to reviewing Standards and operating procedures to sustainably improve yield and financial performance
• Report on production performance and key adverse or positive developments to Crop Manager.
• Manage relationships with communities adjacent to Estate
• Promote and adhere to KSCL, ISA & ABFS  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 Development / Agricultural Engineering. A Masters Degree is an added advantage
• 5-10 years’ experience in sugarcane agriculture, responsible for managing at least 1,000 ha having demonstrated ability to lead and manage outcomes through team members
• Able to build, develop and manage teams effectively
• Able to capture, interpret and analyse agricultural performance data (cost, productivity & technical)
• Good business acumen and agricultural expertise, with ability to anticipate, interpret and respond to changes impacting on functional areas

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

All interested candidates, who meet the above requirements, please apply for the position on or before 03rd August 2024. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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