Minimum Qualifications and Experience
The ideal candidate must possess the following qualification and competencies:
Degree in Agriculture or Horticulture, Master’s degree in Crop Protection will be an added advantage
Must have at least 5 years’ relevant work experience in the Horticulture Industry
Demonstrates openness in communication to others and make timely communication
Track record for building trust and giving reliable and correct information
Data entry and analytical skills with progressive analytical and reporting tools
Good interpersonal and communication skills
Strong supervisory and managerial skills with a growth mindset
Proactiveness in taking precautionary measures in the quality control and quality assurance process
Demonstrated experience in Microsoft Office with excellent organizational skills.
Must possess a proven track record of leading teams with good problem-solving skills.
Responsibilities
1. Plan, organize and direct the pest prevention, pest control and crop protection strategy for the three East Africa Flowers sites
2. Study and monitor crop protection trends as well as customer requirements and legislations governing crop protection products in order to inform the decision on the crop protection programs
3. Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for the sites
4. Lead the crop protection team and foster a culture of one team within the crop protection departments in the three sites
5. Evaluate and test efficacy of various crop protection products and recommend the same for use at the farms
6. Develop and review the standard operating procedures for the delivery and application of pesticide products to field locations in a safe and secure manner
7. Equip the Crop protection team with knowledge and skills to ensure spray coverage is achieved in all specified areas, applying knowledge of weather conditions, spray volumes, droplet sizes, application speed and apparatus in use
8. Act as the link between the Flowers crop protection teams globally and the east African teams.
9. Develop monitoring and evaluation plans for spray programs specifically on spray coverage
10. Design and implement pest resistance management strategy
11. Create and maintain a strong connection with IPM service providers to secure good service delivery
12. Keep abreast of the global trends in the Crop Protection industry and advise the business accordingly
13. Collaborate with the Production teams and put in place processes and procedures to ensure that the Chemical Use Report is forwarded to the Production Managers after each session
14. Direct and coordinate the routine calibration of all the measurement tools and spraying equipment
15. Lead and take ownership of the integrated pest management programs at the farm
16. Train the team to enhance productivity and efficiency
17. Evaluate the team to measure performance and identify areas of improvement
18. Enforce the HSE rules and regulations and champion the implementation of Syngenta HSE policy and standards in your area of operation by integrating HSE considerations in all activitiesa