Deputy Head of Agronomy

Job Description

BACKGROUND

Our company will develop, in Ethiopia, an oilseeds clusters program to source from contracted out-growers (cluster of farmers, commercial farmers) and oilseeds grains integrators (traders/coops/…) large quantities various oilseeds (sesame, soybeans, sunflower, rapeseeds, groundnuts) to supply its Solvent Extraction Plants.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensuring and coordinating, year-on-year, the identification, forming of and support to the farmers clusters, commercial farms unions/cooperative as harvest objectives,
• Designing the SOP for out-growers contracting – Signature procedure, supporting documents to be attached etc.
• Designing the R&D program – in-situ trials- , planning its execution and coordinating the agronomical data collection and reporting,
• Designing the demonstration fields program – number of demonstrations, types, methodology etc.-, planning its execution and coordinate the data collection – type of agronomical data to be collected, frequency etc.- and reporting – report schedule,
• Planning and coordinating the varieties registration process in collaboration with local and international breeders,
• Proposing a critical analysis and reports on the contracted fields agronomical conditions - Input usage, crop status & conditions, package of good agricultural practices, yield estimation, harvest quantity and quality etc.-
• Ensuring in each region the elaboration of technical and economic references - Gross Margin Calculation, Profit analysis etc.-  for adequate commercial development and relevant crops -sesame, maize, wheat, malt barley, oilseeds etc.-
• Designing recommended package of practices based on R&D program and collected data from agro-follow up for each major agroecology,
• Developing advisory service strategy and design the agronomical training content and coordinating the execution of the trainings and demonstrations,
• Developing the inputs requirement, specific fertilizer blends (if any) and organizing the order for local and international purchases,
• Executing the recruitment plan for subordinates at headquarters and oilseeds storage centers,
• Supporting the compilation of agronomical data and generation of all necessary figures, tables, charts etc. for the periodical agronomy report,
• Supporting the execution of the contracted fields crop agronomical data collection,
• Leading , motivating and training the collaborators, subordinates and partners.

Expected results

• Timely sharing of relevant yearly out-growers sourcing target plan per geographical area, implementation strategy and expansion plan,
• All subordinates have met the year-on-year target of hectarage to be contracted from out growers per oilseeds as per the schedule define (number of contracts/month/oilseeds/subordinates over the defined contracting period),
• All subordinates have met the year-on-year target of oilseeds production and delivery from out growers per oilseeds - in quality and quantity- as per the schedule defined (quantity and quality of grains delivered to collection center/month/oilseeds/subordinates over the defined procurement period),
• Relevance of trial methodology and quality of its execution / 100% of trials planted / 75% of trials results are statistically relevant
• 85% of demonstration fields can be used for capacity building (training, coaching etc.) and promotional purposes (field days, visit by investors, management or local/international authorities etc.)
• Excluding due to significant agronomical reasons, all varieties submitted for registration are registered,
• Timely submission, quality and accuracy of the reports (Crop status, Yield assessment, qualitative analysis of weather and practices),
• Timely submission, quality and accuracy of yearly technical and economic references report,
• Agronomical pertinence of the training content, quality of the developed materials
• Improvement of oilseeds crops performance (Yield, quality of the crop) and Gross Margin for contracted clusters year after year,
• Timely organization of oilseeds supply team recruitment and their  good management,
• Number of trainings delivered and number of contractee trained as per yearly plan
• Timely definition of inputs specifications, agronomical pertinence of proposed inputs and blends
• Technical improvement of subordinates, technical focal persons and partners

Job Requirement

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

Experience:

• 10 years of experience of which at least 5 in the sector relevant to the JD.

Education

• BSC/Msc degree Plant science/Agronomy/Agribusiness and/or related fields

  • Proficiency in English, Amharic and Afan Oromo