Senior Farming Field Manager – North West, Northern Free State & Western Free State at Agricruitment Limited

Minimum qualifications and experience

Ideal candidate must have a minimum tertiary qualification, B.SC Agriculture or B.Comm Agricultural Economics degree. Demonstrated work experience of minimum 5 to 8 years will be an advantage.

Duties & Responsibilities :

Plan, execute, manage, and report on the designated South Africa Farming units.

Planning:

• Oversee the construction of crop production plans by Field Managers for maize, soybeans, sunflower, wheat, and canola for designated farming units in conjunction with the Contractor.
• The production plan includes making chemical-, seed, fertilizer & lime recommendations in conjunction with respective chemical representatives and agronomists.
• Oversee the building of a set budget for each unit covering all necessary scenarios within an achievable cost range with the Field Manager.
• Evaluate different input prices and farming practice to determine the most efficient production plan.

Execution:

• Oversee the execution of the production plans within the set budget together with Field Manager and Farming Contractor.
• Oversee that land preparations are done accurately and on time.
• Ensure timely planting and application of inputs within correct procedure and circumstances as set out in the production plan with Farming Contractor and Field Manager.
• Ensure timely and accurate delivery of inputs and contracting services rendered by Field Managers
• Ensure accurate delivery of harvested crops into designated silos and/or coordinating on-farm loading of harvested crops to end-point destinations.

Managing:

• Assist Field Managers with advice on how to coordinate his/her Farming Contractors with their day-to-day crop production activities and decision making.
• Continuously visiting fields planted to follow up and help solve challenges, problems and monitor general progress.
• Ensure that Field Managers arrange continuous farm visits by agronomists and representatives to the farms to evaluate crop development.
• Ensure that Field Managers manage on-farm stock, do regular stock taking and implement correct inputs.

Reporting:

• Frequent updating and reporting on crop progress as well as projecting production outcomes based on agronomical characteristics and facts for the designated area.
• Reporting on factors that influence the crops during the season and potential damage and/or solutions to it.
• Reporting on the planned budget and any factors that may influence it toward potential over or under spending for the designated farming unit.
• On-farm as well as storage facility stock quantities and making use of Shed to assist with inventory management.
• Ensure that crop estimates are complete, reported and updated pre-harvest.
• Ensure correct reporting by Field Managers of deliveries into designated delivery points of harvested crops and reconcile with reports from Support in Stellenbosch Head Office.

Qualifications and Experience :

• B.SC Agriculture or B. Comm Agricultural Economics degree.
• 5 to 8 years in related Industry
• Management of  teams across a widespread geography area
• Leadership experience

Essential skills

• Self-Driven and Results orientated.
• Planning and Organizing
• Management of people skills
• Communication skills
• Teamwork
• Innovative
• Ownership & Accountability
• Decision making, initiate action.
• Detail orientated.
• Customer orientation
• Effective change management skills
• Computer skills, Microsoft Office

Desirable skills

• Knowledge of the grain industry and/or experience in farming / agriculture in South Africa
• Agility
• Able to stay focused in a high intensity- and pace working environment.

General

• Reports to Agronomy Lead.
• Salary is market related basic salary with provident fund and medical aid benefits