Giraffe Bioenergy is looking for an experienced leader to serve as their Full-time Agri- Business and Farm Manager, who will oversee Giraffe’s Center of Cassava Excellence Nursery and expansion into its first 100+ hectares of commercial cassava farming . They will be responsible for personnel hiring and management, overseeing cassava seedlings sales,farm operations, meeting agricultural growing requirements and running a block farmer program with a strong emphasis on data collection at all stages of the business. Giraffe Bioenergy is a fast-growing start-up, and our Agri-Business and Farm Manager will be at the heart of our work, ensuring we meet critical early-stage revenue targets and company milestones. We need a leader who can work independently, problem-solve, and be a thought partner to envision the future of our nucleus farm and related programming. This position reports to the Chief Operations Officer and will be based in Kilifi County, Kenya.

Key Job Responsibilities:

Cassava Nursery and Seedling Sales:

● Oversee the agricultural management of the Giraffe Bioenergy Cassava Nursery (approx. 20 hectares in size, named the Center of Cassava Excellence), ensuring the plant health of various cassava varieties being grown for seedling stock.

● Manage the business operations of the cassava nursery, fulfilling customer orders of various volumes and varieties of seedlings.

○ Ensure the seedling harvesting schedule aligns with order book(s) and also matches the internal demand for seedlings to expand the Giraffe Bioenergy Production Farm (100 hectares)

● Follow all necessary agronomic practices to ensure plant health and retain KEPHIS certification for cassava seedling sales

● Manage expenses and budgetary processes accordingly to ensure profitability of the cassava seedling sales

Production Farm Development and Management:

● Oversee the management and growth of Giraffe Bioenergy’s Cassava Production Farm at Dodosa - Baricho to ensure internal planting targets are met.

○ Ensure all infrastructure (i.e. irrigation, road networks, etc.) and proper agricultural planning (i.e. land preparation, crop rotation, etc.) is demonstrated on land owned and/or leased by Giraffe Bioenergy

○ Create a farm work plan (i.e. planting and harvesting schedule) linked to future offtake agreements for cassava roots, beans and chillies

○ Lead the installation of new agricultural equipment and ensure fluency with its use

○ Ensure proper maintenance and upkeep of all assets including heavy machinery

○ Lead on necessary HR-related work, including contract negotiations, terminations, etc.

○ Maintain compliance with all relevant regulations and safety standards.

○ Ensure a culture of professionalism, respect, equity and inclusion at all times.

● Lead and manage the Block Farmer Program on the Giraffe Bioenergy Production Farm

○ Develop agricultural best practices for our multi-crop block farming strategy, consisting of the 1 hectare plots of cassava, beans and bird’s eye chillies, managed by individual women who have completed the Giraffe Bioenergy training program.

○ Develop and manage a clear, organised schedule and reporting structure for the workforce.

○ Provide clear guidance and direction to all workers and regular feedback on performance.

● Lead on farm surveying and data collection of pertinent growth and yield data of cassava, beans and chillies on Giraffe Bioenergy Production Farm

○ Develop and implement standard operating procedures for all farm activities to ensure compliance with agronomic requirements and relevant research protocols.

○ Plan, collect and maintain accurate records of all research activities, including data on crop yields, plant growth, and other relevant metrics.

● Plan and review a quarterly budget for staffing, equipment maintenance, and other expenses.

○ Track and ensure we stay on budget through monthly reconciliations.

○ Develop and implement cost savings measures where appropriate.

● Liaise with critical local political and community organisations and individuals.

Qualifications:

● Bachelor's degree at an accredited college or university in agronomy or agricultural science.

● 10+ years of experience building a fast-growing agricultural venture and management experience in Africa.

● Experience managing small-scale farms and responsible for agri-business operations with relevant knowledge and experience in land preparation and operational management.

● Demonstration of early-stage agricultural business development and management practices.

● Experience with proper and diverse irrigation management.

● Knowledge in sourcing hard-to-find talent, administering the disciplinary procedure, managing budgets and handling personnel administration.

● Experienced with computers, can create and maintain spreadsheets and proper reporting.

● Experience with data collection and strong numeric skills.

● Demonstrated ability to contribute to a strong team culture and build and maintain strong working relationships with various stakeholders, including the local community and political organisations.

● A team player comfortable self-managing multiple priorities and partners concurrently thrives in the face of change and uncertainty and is motivated to drive projects forward in the field.

● A humble, hardworking leader with a track record of producing results and attention to detail.

● Strong professional verbal, written, visual communication and presentation skills.

● Tech-savvy and experienced in Google Workspace,Microsoft Office, social media and PR.

● Positive, encouraging, collaborative attitude.