Agronomist – Mogadishu, Somalia

A starter Seed Company looking for an Agronomist

Background:

HornAgro is a seed company whose foundation are drawn from various agricultural disciplines (food security, climate resilience, agri-finance, agri-tech, policy development, etc) working together towards wholesome solutions to challenges encountered in agricultural systems in Horn of Africa. The company is founded on the premise that agriculture is a system, a set of interconnected components working together as a complex whole. This realization has enabled us to tailor practical and effective solutions that address the unique complexities of different agricultural sectors enabling its participants to realize their full productivity and value.

Key Roles and Responsibilities.

• Provide support in the overall oversight of the company seed crops, harvesting, aggregation ready for processing;
• Oversee production activities including planting and harvesting schedules, input procurement (fertilizers and pesticides), training of direct reports, demo site establishment of the company varieties;

• Ensure the agronomic variables for each crop such as such fertilizer requirements, planting density, pesticide requirements, isolation distances, restriction of pollen flow are adhered to;

• Work closely with the breeder, the processing engineer to ensure that the basic seed requirements are aligned to the market requirements for the various varieties and the seed is harvested at the right moisture content for processing and packing;

• Ensure that all the seed regulatory protocols are adhered to in order to guarantee disease free seed with the right genetic quality;

• Ensure that the volumes of various crop varieties are adequately aligned to the market demand; o Work with the breeder to ensure that the forecasting of various crop varieties is aligned from breeders’ seed to commercial seed.

o  Facilitate valuable partnerships with main stakeholders and ensure that the value chain actors communicate plans and take actions relevant to the development and success of the business;

o Follow up, track crop and variety activities and address any bottlenecks and de-bottleneck accordingly to avoid hurting the business adversely.

o  Develop communication briefs to assist the board with planning;

o  Organize peer learning sessions, experience sharing and scale up to grow the business.

o Demonstrate your ability to scout for cutting edge and fast-moving, science and translate ideas from scientific literature into new approaches to solve breeding problems;

o Demonstrate good problem-solving and flexible approach skills; o Demonstrate computer literacy and technical skills.

Educational qualifications:

Master’s Degree in Agronomy with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA) or a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from a recognized University. A Master’s in Agronomy with more than 5 years of experience gained in a seed company will also be considered.

Work experience:

• 5+ years of experience in Agronomy for a seed business;
• Experience with fundraising and partnership development will be an added advantage; o Well-rounded experience in commercial seed production;

o Well-rounded experience in data collection and management, data analysis and development reports for the Board;

o Experience working with international donors and non-profit industry associations. o Willingness to travel up to 10% time.

Salary

• Entry level will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Personal Skills:

• Strong operational capability with a passion for mentoring staff.
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders. o Commitment to continuing development of self and team members.

o Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. o Strong analytical skills.

o  Business acumen and financial literacy.

o Ability to maintain official records and documents and ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

• Ability to maintain a working knowledge of significant developments and trends in the field.

Staff Relations:

• Ensure job descriptions are developed for your direct reports and that regular performance evaluations are held, based on SMART targets;
• See that an effective support team, with appropriate skills and experience are, in place; o Maintain a climate which attracts, keeps, and motivates your team members.

Application Information

Qualified applicants are required to send a CV and a cover letter to support their application along with salary requirements to Director, Horn Agro Email: hornagroafrica@gmail.com

The subject line for this post should read: Plant Breeder 01/3/22.

The closing date for submission of applications is 01/ March/ 2022.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

 

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