Agricultural Field Supervisor at Diageo, Nairobi

Purpose of the role

Provide technical agricultural extension services and guidance/support to Kenya Brewery Ltd’s LRM growers and value chain actors to ensure timely delivery of competitively priced brewing local raw materials in required quantities and desired quality.

Role Responsibilities:

• Recruit growers and acreage to deliver agreed tonnage of cereals and other brewing starch sources (as tasked from time to time) of desired quantity and quality mainly sorghum.
• Source raw materials in the most cost-effective manner at the same time keeping a good eye on quality.
• Identify and mitigate local raw material sourcing risks inclusive of short, mid, and long-term horizons.
• Discover and partner with trustworthy vendors and suppliers including diverse suppliers as well as devise strategies to develop/empower the suppliers.
• Deploy digital farming platforms to ensure smallholder farmers have accurate records and traceability is guaranteed in our sourcing regions.
• Provide technical agriculture extension services and post-harvest handling training to growers of the required brewing cereals and other brewing starch sources as tasked from time to time
• Work with relevant stakeholders, partners and value chain actors to ensure set targets are met on timely basis and carry out assessments to determine potential yields, adequacy / deficits and storage needs 
• Ensure timely reporting and proper management of company assets
• Implement and operate a safety agenda, risk assessment with mitigation plans and ensure full compliance of all local and applicable Diageo policies.
• Ensure company policies that relate to the agribusiness operations are fully explained and understood by local government authorities and community leaders

Experience / skills required:

Qualifications:

 A university degree in agricultural sciences, Crop Production or a related field 

Required Experience

• Experience working with smallholder farmers and contract farming systems.
• Familiarity with cereals (sorghum) is an advantage
• A minimum of three (3) years’ experience in cereal production preferably small grain cereals and at least (1) one year experience as an Agricultural Extension Worker/Research Officer.
• Knowledge of equipment used in the field planting, spraying and harvesting and post-harvest operations
• Knowledge of the legal implications of the crop contract growing, soil conservation and land tenure systems

Key competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and negotiation abilities
• Familiarity with digital traceability platforms and data management tools
• Demonstrated ability in farmers’ engagement, training, and capacity building.