Lead Cultivation & Harvest Operations

Mayfly Agri (Pty) Ltd; Somerset West; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Mayfly Agri (Pty) Ltd, Somerset West, seeks an experienced cultivation leader to plan and manage greenhouse and tunnel activities, oversee crop cycles from planting to harvest, and optimise capacity, resources and scheduling across operations.

You will control environmental conditions, irrigation, fertigation and climate systems, maintain infrastructure, drive safety and continuous improvement, and mentor cultivation teams while coordinating with Production, Quality Control and Maintenance.

Qualifications

• National Senior Certificate and a higher diploma or degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Plant Science, Mycology or related field.
• 5+ years hands-on experience in agricultural or cultivation environments.
• Experience managing teams in production, farming or cultivation settings.
• Experience with controlled environments (greenhouses, tunnels, indoor farming) preferred.
• Strong understanding of plant biology, horticulture, agronomy and cultivation principles.
• Knowledge of mycology and fungal cultivation is advantageous.
• Understanding of quality standards, contamination control, SOPs and SHEQ.
• Strong analytical, planning and problem-solving skills.
• Solid computer literacy to interpret and manage operational data.

Responsibilities

• Plan and manage cultivation activities across greenhouse and tunnel environments.
• Oversee crop cycles from planting through harvest readiness.
• Optimise cultivation capacity, resources and scheduling.
• Align cultivation output with production requirements.
• Manage environmental conditions to ensure optimal crop growth.
• Oversee irrigation, fertigation, climate control and monitoring systems.
• Ensure cultivation infrastructure and equipment are maintained and operate efficiently.
• Identify and mitigate environmental and infrastructure-related risks.
• Monitor crop health, yield and quality performance.
• Analyse cultivation data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Implement corrective and preventative actions to improve productivity and reduce losses.
• Support cultivation trials and innovation initiatives.
• Manage cultivation inputs including seed, media, nutrients and biological materials.
• Maintain accurate records and full traceability of crops and environmental conditions.
• Ensure compliance with SOPs, SHEQ standards, hygiene, and contamination control procedures.
• Maintain audit readiness and effective reporting systems.
• Coordinate maintenance activities and manage maintenance-related risks.
• Lead, develop and motivate cultivation teams; manage workforce planning and labour utilisation.
• Drive accountability, performance and continuous development.
• Promote safety, operational discipline and continuous improvement.
• Partner with Production, Quality Control, Maintenance and Technical teams.
• Lead cultivation forecasting, scheduling and planning; contribute to budgeting and cost optimisation.
• Identify opportunities to improve yields, efficiencies and operational performance.

Skills

Team leadership

Plant biology

Horticulture

Agronomy

Cultivation systems

Quality standards

Data analysis

SOPs & SHEQ

Controlled environments

Operational data literacy

Education

National Senior Certificate

Higher Diploma in Agriculture

Degree in Agriculture / related field

Job description

Mayfly Agri (Pty) Ltd, Somerset West, seeks an experienced cultivation leader to plan and manage greenhouse and tunnel activities, oversee crop cycles from planting to harvest, and optimise capacity, resources and scheduling across operations.

You will control environmental conditions, irrigation, fertigation and climate systems, maintain infrastructure, drive safety and continuous improvement, and mentor cultivation teams while coordinating with Production, Quality Control and Maintenance.