Estate Agriculture Director at Kilombero Sugar

The Estate Agriculture Director will be responsible for developing the country’s estate agriculture strategy with a focus on long-term growth, development, and sustainability. The candidate must ensure that estate agriculture operations are managed within budget and deliver cost synergies. The role also requires optimizing estate agriculture performance by upholding the highest standards of asset management, cane quality (production), and farming productivity, while achieving the required cane crop volume at optimal levels.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and review the Estate Agriculture strategy and long-term yield forecasts, ensuring appropriate initiatives are in place to deliver on strategic goals.
• Prepare annual agriculture operations plans covering crop establishment, husbandry, removal, and implementation of innovations and sustainable practices.
• Build a strong Estate Agriculture leadership team and talent pipeline through continuous coaching, mentoring, and guidance.
• Lead operational excellence by making informed tradeoffs to maximize yields at optimal cost and quality levels.
• Ensure minimum standards and processes are adopted across Crop Production, Agronomy, Engineering, Harvesting, and Haulage.
• Oversee the provision of technical expertise to Grower Agriculture operations.
• Drive cross-functional synergies by partnering with one center counterparts to identify, share, and embed optimization opportunities.
• Manage relationships with key stakeholders and third-party suppliers effectively.
• Report Estate Agriculture performance and key developments to the Country Executive and one center Agriculture teams.
• Develop business cases for key agricultural capital projects and ensure delivery of intended outcomes.
• Coordinate sharing of best practices, frameworks, and standards within the function using one center platforms to support problem-solving and knowledge sharing.
• Drive effective performance and talent management within the agriculture function, focusing on developing future leaders, rewarding high performance, and ensuring accountability for critical behaviours.
• Promote and ensure adherence to SHERQ procedures, policies, and guidelines.
• Ensure enabling systems and processes are in place to support operational success.
• Identify, monitor, and act on key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress and address issues.
• Ensure compliance with ABFS’s policies and procedures, including SHERQ, Competition Law, and Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC)

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture / Agricultural Engineering / Agricultural development or equivalent.
• 15 years’ experience in sugar cane agriculture, at least 10 years in a senior agricultural operations position responsible for greater than 3,000 ha.
• Proven track record of effectively developing and implementing strategies through managing budgets, people and resources to meet business KPIs.
• Good business acumen and agricultural expertise, with ability to anticipate, interpret and respond to changes impacting on functional area.
• A formal business/commercial qualification would be an advantage.
• Strong agriculture data analysis skills.

Terms of Service: The successful candidate will be engaged on a permanent pensionable contract

All interested candidates, who meet the above requirements, please apply for the position on or before 8th August 2025. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Kilombero Sugar Company Limited is an equal opportunity employer. Women and people with disability are highly encouraged to apply.