About:

We are seeking an energetic and dedicated Spices Manager for our client that is active in the agriculture sector in Malawi. The Spices Manager will oversee the development, implementation, and ongoing operation of our community smallholder farmer scheme. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in elevating the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, working with the local community to build relations that ensure the sustainability of the scheme and the delivery of high-quality crops to our customers.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Development and Implementation:
- Plan and implement a scalable smallholder farmer scheme which will efficiently and safely grow product of the right quality in a sustainable way to be available at the right time to meet our customers’ needs.
- Build an environment conducive to the training and development of farmers and personnel.
- Collaborate with district agriculture officials, area extension officers, community leaders (e.g. village heads), village development committees, water user authorities and other local farming entities to ensure the scheme integrates with local agricultural practices, cultural norms and objectives of local government offices.

Operational Management:
- Ensure effective recruitment and registration process accompanied by an efficient seed delivery and disbursement program.
- Follow up to confirm successful germination of seed and record effective hectares of crop transplanted for the growing season.
- Oversee the daily operations of the scheme, ensuring that resources are efficiently utilized.
- Manage a team of field officers and support staff, setting objectives and appraising performance providing regular feedback, mentoring and training as needed.
- Establish a robust system for monitoring crop growth and report on crop estimates.
- Regularly report on the scheme’s progress, challenges, and successes to the Agriculture Director, Finance Director, General Managers, and Human Resources Manager.
- Gather and disseminate practical farming techniques and seek to identify technological and agricultural improvements to drive higher quality, yields and reduce the per kg costs of outgrower production.
- Build good relationships with farm operations to obtain information on grading quality and provide feedback of information to farmers on issues originating from the fields.

Health and Safety:
- Encourage proper Health and Safety practices amongst farmers and always adopt a safety-first approach when undertaking farm visits, buying and transporting of product back to the farms for processing.

Supply Chain Awareness:
- Develop connections with farmers and share opportunities in supporting the company’s markets, ensuring fair prices and access to new market opportunities.
- Work with farmers to build trust and better understanding of the benefits of a stable market being provided by the company.
- Ensure compliance of farmers with the company’s child labour policies and code of conduct to ensure all farming sites are always audit ready in case of any unannounced audit.

Stakeholder Engagement:
- Establish and maintain relationships with local smallholder farmers, community leaders, NGOs, and government entities.
- Organize training sessions, workshops, and feedback sessions to ensure continuous improvement.
- Interact with customers during site visits.
- Support Investor Relations as required.

Financial Management:
- Prepare and manage the scheme's budget, ensuring financial sustainability.
- Ensure timely registration and signing of contracts with all farmers on an annual basis.
- Prepare KPI and statistics reports for communication to relevant stakeholders.
- Prepare weekly debtors reports to show the status of any outstanding inputs loans with farmers categorised by risk of possible short payment for the season.
- Seek out grant opportunities and other funding sources to expand the scheme’s reach and impact.
- Identify potential risks related to climate, pests, market fluctuations, etc., and work with the Ag Director and Commercial manager develop strategies to mitigate them.

Required qualifications and experience:

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Agriculture, Rural Development, Business Management, or related field.
- Minimum of 5 years' experience in agricultural program management, community development, or a related field.
- Proven track record in team management and stakeholder engagement.
- Proficient in local languages and dialects (as applicable).

Your profile:

- You have excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills.
- You have a strong understanding of smallholder farming challenges and opportunities in the region.
- You have the ability to work in challenging conditions and remote locations.

Are you interested in becoming the Spices Manager for our client in Malawi? Apply now at the top or bottom of our page.