AGRI-TECHNICAL MANAGER

Farm Manager SA; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Farm Manager SA in South Africa seeks an experienced leader to drive technical excellence across crop production, irrigation, nutrition and research. You will lead a multidisciplinary team, set performance standards, and partner with Production, Compliance and HR to optimise yields and quality.

You will design and evaluate trials, translate data into practical improvements, ensure safety and regulatory compliance, and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced agricultural environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture or related field.
• 5+ years in a management/senior leadership role in agriculture or related field.
• Strong crop production, nutrition, irrigation and agronomic management experience.
• Experience designing, managing and evaluating agricultural research and trials.
• Experience leading technical or operational teams.
• Knowledge of chemical application, pre-harvest intervals, MRLs, food safety and compliance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop and motivate a high-performing technical team.
• Set clear performance expectations and promote accountability.
• Conduct regular one-on-one coaching and technical support.
• Develop 2IC capability for operational continuity.
• Foster relationships between Technical, Production, HR and Compliance.
• Set and manage crop yield, quality and loss targets.
• Drive agronomic strategies to maximise yield and quality.
• Monitor crop performance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Lead root-cause analysis of crop health and production issues.
• Develop spray and nutrition programmes using scouting data and weather forecasts.
• Ensure irrigation strategies support targets and collaborate with Production.
• Ensure compliance with safety, pre-harvest intervals and MRL requirements.
• Lead research and trials to improve farming methods and crop quality.
• Design and execute scientifically sound trials with proper controls.
• Manage multiple trials and report results timely.
• Translate research findings into practical recommendations.
• Maintain accurate technical data, reporting and documentation.
• Drive data-based decision-making and trend analysis.
• Collaborate with Compliance to meet audit and safety requirements.
• Build relationships with customers, contractors, suppliers and service providers.
• Communicate effectively and deliver against deadlines.
• Represent the company professionally and uphold technical excellence.

Skills

Team leadership

Analytical thinking

Proactiveness

Research skills

Project management

Communication

Quality focus

Commercial awareness

Decisiveness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Agriculture or related field

Job description

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification in Agriculture, Agronomy, Horticulture, Crop Science, Plant Science or a related agricultural discipline.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in a management or senior leadership role within an agricultural, horticultural, farming or related technical environment.
• Strong practical experience in crop production, nutrition, irrigation and agronomic management.
• Proven experience in designing, managing and evaluating agricultural research and trials.
• Experience managing and developing technical or operational teams.
• Strong understanding of chemical application, pre-harvest intervals, MRLs, food safety and relevant agricultural compliance requirements.

KEY COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

• Strong team leadership skills
• Analytical, data-driven and able to translate technical information into practical action.
• Proactive, self-motivated and passionate about continuous improvement.
• Strong in research, problem-solving and root-cause analysis.
• Able to manage multiple projects, trials and operational priorities simultaneously.
• A strong communicator with the ability to work effectively across departments and with external stakeholders.
• Quality and safety conscious.
• Commercially minded, with an understanding of the relationship between technical decisions, productivity, costs and profitability.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced agricultural environment where decisions need to be made quickly and effectively.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO

Technical Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, develop and motivate a high-performing technical team.
• Set clear performance expectations and promote accountability.
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings and provide coaching, training and technical support.
• Develop strong 2IC capability to ensure operational continuity.
• Build effective working relationships between Technical, Production, HR and Compliance

Crop Yield, Quality & Loss Management

• Set and manage annual crop yield, quality and crop-loss targets aligned with customer and business requirements.
• Drive agronomic strategies to maximise yield and quality while minimising crop losses.
• Monitor crop performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Lead root-cause analysis of recurring crop health and production issues and ensure corrective actions are implemented.

Crop Protection, Nutrition & Irrigation

• Use scouting data, weather forecasts, seasonal knowledge and product information to develop effective spray and nutrition programmes.
• Ensure irrigation strategies support crop quality, yield and loss targets.
• Work closely with Production to identify and resolve irrigation, crop protection and nutrition challenges.
• Ensure chemical applications comply with safety requirements, pre-harvest intervals, MRL requirements and applicable legislation

Research, Trials & Innovation

• Lead research and trials aimed at improving farming methods, yield and crop quality.
• Design and execute scientifically sound trials using appropriate controls, replication and accurate data collection.
• Manage multiple trials simultaneously and ensure results are analysed and reported accurately and timeously.
• Conduct proactive research using industry experts, consultants, laboratories, technology, AI, conferences and other relevant resources.
• Convert research findings into practical recommendations and improvements for the business.

Data, Reporting & Compliance

• Ensure spray, scouting, nutrition and other technical data is accurate, complete and submitted on time.
• Maintain high standards of technical reporting and documentation.
• Drive data-based decision-making and use technical information to identify trends and opportunities.
• Work closely with the Compliance Manager to ensure audit, food safety, chemical safety and legislative requirements are consistently met.

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong professional relationships with customers, contractors, suppliers and service providers.
• Ensure excellent communication, timely responses and delivery against agreed deadlines.
• Represent the company professionally and build a reputation for technical excellence and reliable service.
• Work collaboratively with Production, Compliance and HR to resolve challenges and continuously improve business performance

ONLY short-listed candidates will be contacted.