A Leading Agricultural company is inviting applications from a suitably qualified and experienced person to fill the following vacant position under its establishment:

TITLE: PLANT MANAGER (x1) – LUSAKA

Key Competencies, Responsibilities & Critical Success Factors

As a Plant Manager, you will be responsible for managing the seed plant facility to ensure financial and operating targets are achieved while maintaining a balance with all internal and external stakeholders ensuring that the plant operates safely and with a safety-first culture in mind. You will also be required to provide top leadership with accurate information on seed quality and production targets. Work closely with management in developing inventory runs, cleaning, processing, and shipping. Comply with both internal and external control requirements and other regulatory requirements.

Your Challenge

Plant Operations: Efficiently run the plant to achieve financial and operating targets and investigate any abnormal variances or trends that are identified. Ensure the plant is operated and maintained in a clean and safe manner in compliance with EH&S company policies at all times. Be accountable for safe and orderly warehousing of carryover and incoming stock, evaluating space, accessibility, and prevention of pilferage. Collaborate with production agronomists, warehouse supervisor, and finance team, ensuring the accuracy of inputs received on primary documentation, and alignment with records in the system.

Seed Sampling & Testing: Analyse results of seed testing and sampling and report finding to the CEO and other stakeholders regarding seed quality and other matters/findings. Resolve any quality issues and quantities with relevant stakeholders without delays.

Inventory: Perform regular stock reconciliation in collaboration with the Finance team and IT. Investigate count variances and provide root cause analysis to resolve issues. Arrange warehouses in preparation for physical inventory counts and ensure proper segregation of duties for count staff at year-end. Supervise received stock for quality and quantity; document variances on waybills and quality issues.

Shipping: Accountable for safe and timely shipment of supply based on production schedules and confirmed customer orders ensuring that there are no mismatches between quantities ordered and loaded quantities.

Process flow & Safety: Conduct, establish, and maintain procedures and process flows for the plant operations. Ensure a clean and safe plant facility at all times in compliance with EH&S policies. Arrange to lease an adequate amount of acreage and production areas in Mkushi and other sites through the Identification of potential business opportunities.

Reporting: Senior Manager – Production

You Will Be Part of a Growing Team

As a team; we grow by putting farmers and consumers at the heart of agriculture, to help reshape the industry for the 21st century. We believe that the future of farming depends on aligning the food chain from end to end so that we can work together to build agriculture into an industry that is more financially secure, sustainable, innovative, and responsive. We are aspiring to shape an industry that’s better able to understand and react to market demands that can effectively harness science, technology, and innovation to optimize productivity, and which has the know-how and resources to help chart its own long-term success in the face of climate challenges and change.

Key Stakeholders and Interactions

External

• Customers
• Agro dealers and distributors
• Distribution Warehouses (hubs) Seed suppliers/growers

Internal

• CEO
• Senior and other employees
• Contract employees

Location: Lusaka

Who Are We Looking For?

To be considered you will need:

• Master’s Degree preferably in Agricultural studies; process engineering, or logistics. Operational focus a plus
• Grade 12 School Certificate with five (5) ‘O’ levels (credit or better) 5+ years of relevant work experience
• Thorough understanding of seed production (operations) processes and sufficient knowledge to identify critical issues and engage effectively with key stakeholders to solve problems
• Understanding and experience with competitive adeptness, inventory management, and product knowledge and proficiency, including fertilizers, agrochemicals, seed, soil science, and field monitoring
• MS Office proficiency

Language Skills

Good knowledge of English (oral and written), & good knowledge of an additional local language

Work Hours: 8

Job application procedure