Plennegy Research: Research Site Manager

Starke Ayres is the foremost African specialist and global supplier of premium vegetable, flower and lawn seed varieties – both for commercial and home garden planting. The following position has become available for a Research Site Manager, based in Greytown.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Directs and coordinates subordinates’ activities, payroll, and recordkeeping.
• Controls the supervision of farm labour (temporary and outsourced) and administration pertaining to contracts, payroll data, including attendance registers, overtime schedules and leave schedules.
• Forwards payroll information through to the payroll department timeously
• Recruit temporary staff in line with labour needs and ensure all company regulations with regards to staff recruitment and contracts are adhered to.
• Supervise day-to-day activities, organise rosters and schedule tasks/activities that need to be undertaken by the farm team.
• Execute breeding activities in tunnels, net houses and open field trials
• Monitor plant health (wilting/heat stress, nutritional abnormalities, chemical burn, physiological abnormalities, physical damage)
• Supervise accurate and timeous data collection (plant, flower, fruit, seed, yield data)
• Provide regular plant health reports including photographs
• Ensure that subordinates maintain a high level of productivity
• Responsible for obtaining quotes, ordering and purchasing of chemicals, coal, fuel, fertilizer, safety equipment, propagation material, packing material, pollination material, stationery and kitchen equipment in line with requirements and budgets.
• Order supplies / equipment once approved by the Research Operations Manager.
• Forwards all invoices and purchase documents to the Office Administrator in Kaalfontein for capturing.
• Ensure compliance with legislation regarding health and safety on the premises.
• Maintain a high level of awareness and vigilance for workplace safety, amongst all staff through implementation & monitoring of Health & Safety policies and procedures.
• Where needed assist the field supervisors with field preparation, fertilization, irrigation and weed and pest control.
• Assist with identifying needs for new equipment / implements and forwards to the Research Operation Manager for inclusion in the annual budget.
• Attends to general and emergency maintenance requirements as and when required which includes, but is not limited to, buildings, equipment, pumps, generators, boilers, irrigation, pipes, tunnel / multi-span structures and pump house.

REQUIREMENTS:

Qualification:

• Grade 12 (Essential)
• Agricultural Diploma or similar (Preferential)

Experience:

• 3+ year experience in farm management

Knowledge:

• Computer literate
• Tunnel Growing