Agriculture Tech Lead: Yield, Trials & Compliance

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

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.