Managing Director

Boardroom Appointments; Noord-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 2,000,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Boardroom Appointments seeks a senior leader to oversee agriculture/food production operations, driving process optimization and high-performance teams. You will guide producer relations, pricing communication, and budgeting while aligning departments to meet market demand.

The role emphasizes strategic scenario planning, geographic footprint assessment, and strengthening technology and HR to sustain growth and shareholder value.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in agriculture/food production.
• Proven track record in optimizing processes and leading teams.
• Experience engaging with producers and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Producer relations and financial oversight including budgets and market targets.
• Communicate pricing policies and market trends to producers.
• Monitor revenues, margins, and costs against budgets and projections.
• Oversee internal processes including product processing, procurement, and marketing.
• Develop agile structure and align staff with company goals.
• Align company with 3- and 5-year pecan industry trends and scenarios.
• Strengthen tech infrastructure and human resources to meet market challenges.

Skills

Senior leadership

Operational optimization

Team leadership

Strategic mindset

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Tertiary qualification in Agriculture or Business Management

Job description

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Agriculture, Business Management, or a related field (postgraduate qualifications preferred).

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years in a senior leadership role, preferably in the agricultural or food production sector.
• Proven track record of optimizing operational processes and leading high-performance teams.

Technical and Soft Skills:

• Strong understanding of international agricultural and forex markets and hedging mechanisms.
• Experience in process optimization and technological integration within a production environment.
• Exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Strong problem-solving abilities with a strategic mindset.
• Excellent communication skills to engage effectively with internal teams, producers, and stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Producer Relations and Financial Oversight:

• Serve as the primary contact for producers, providing guidance on exchange rate hedging and administrative processes.
• Communicate pricing policies and market trends to producers.
• Ensure annual financial goals, including budgets and market share targets (producers and consumers), are established and approved by the Board.
• Monitor and optimize all revenues, margins, and costs against approved budgets or projections, identifying areas requiring corrective action.
• Distinguish between factors within and outside the companys control, implementing corrective measures as needed.

Operational and Process Management:

• Oversee and ensure optimal functioning of all internal processes and departments, including product processing, procurement, and marketing.
• Identify and address underperforming areas, optimizing processes for efficiency and quality.
• Ensure departmental collaboration to meet production and market demands.

Leadership and Team Development:

• Develop an agile organizational structure and align staff with company goals and strategies.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, and high-performance work environment.

Strategic Alignment:

• Align the company with three- and five-year trends in the global pecan industry and market dynamics through scenario modeling.
• Develop and implement proactive actions to manage these scenarios and their expected outcomes effectively.
• Evaluate the company's capacity and geographic footprint relative to the industry and expected production growth to ensure optimal operations.
• Strengthen technological infrastructure and human resources to meet evolving market challenges.
• Build trust with stakeholders by increasing market share among producers and buyers annually, securing shareholder returns and confidence.