Area Manager at Browns Plantations

Job Description

The Area Manager oversees a tea division within the estate, leading the agricultural function in accordance with established company policies and procedures to ensure the estate is managed to the highest agricultural standards while maximizing tea quality and productivity.

Planning

• Participate in the preparation of Estate budgets & performance and ensure that the financial expenditure is in line with the budget
• Jointly with Senior Area Manager, determine the labour requirements and overtime requests for the estate on a monthly basis
• Planning for Estate stocks and stores management
• Maintain Estate Tea, and Indigenous tree nurseries to the required standards in the division
• Responsible for New Tea Development in the Division

Work Allocation

• Coordination and allocation of labour for Kando Jobs and processes in line with the Recruitment Policy and Guidelines; determining number of employees to be deployed to harvesting jobs & harvesting support jobs in area of responsibility
• End to end management of tea harvesting operations and processes in line with the Agricultural Manual
• Planning and supervision of field related Kilimo bora jobs in the area e.g. crop protection and husbandry, roads maintenance, pruning, bush sanitation, infilling, pest and disease management, fertilizer application
• Jointly with the Senior Area Manager, carry out field work plans for agronomy crop protection (daily, weekly, monthly and annually)
• Receiving redeployment requests from employees and forwarding them to Senior Area Manager
• Responsible for the SPH management in the Division 

Tea Harvesting and related accountabilities

• Ensure quality and timely delivery of Green Leaf to the factory
• Effective management of factory post-harvest feedback
• Ensure proper establishment and maintenance of plucking tables at correct times and heights while increasing tea bush productivity without negatively impacting bush health and long-term potential
• Ensure successful implementation of Tea mechanization in line with company strategy
• Maintain optimum plant population by ensuring successful infilling operation is done
• Carries out the best agronomic practices on soil conservation, crop protection, nutrition and new planting
• Planning and supervision of fertilizer application

Training

• Ensure job inductions are done across all harvesting and Kando teams in the division
• In consultation with the Estate Manager, identify and determine training and development needs, and conduct employee training accordingly
• Induct, train and ensure implementation of safety and statutory standards for all contractors in the division

People

• Manages industrial/employee relations in the area of responsibility and reports any incidences that may flout good relations to the HR Department
• Provide guidance and direct employees to the right support system in the Estate
• Participate in the Estate disciplinary processes
• Coordinate cross functional and stakeholder Employee Engagements

Performance management

• Set targets for direct reports and carry out periodic performance reviews and feedback sessions to employees
• Drives productivity improvement programmes amongst employees
• Ensure attainment of the CBA minimum wage by all employees

Document/Records management

• Ensures Estate reconciliation of the green leaf register against the weighment sheet.
• Maintain detailed records of all in-filling, and field sanitation
• Reconciles the muster sheet with the labour distribution sheet & payroll outputs in the division
• Issues register and regularly check all tools and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ensuring their proper maintenance (Monthly-Tools check)
• Responsible that all reports are made accurately and submitted on time
• In consultation with the manager, be responsible for authorisation of Compassionate, sick leave, maternity/paternity leave and annual leave 

Fuelwood Operations

• Maintain eucalyptus plantations to required standards and within the approved budget to maximize yields, including carrying out in-filling in newly planted areas
• Supervises contractors and the collection of firewood to the factories

Assets & Unit machinery

• In collaboration with the Senior Area Manager, ensure all vehicles and equipment are roadworthy, undergo daily checks, and receive regular servicing at the service centers
• Ensure that all the MTH machines are operational and to the required efficiencies
• Responsible for the Company assets in the Estate/Division
• Regular checks of the estate beacons and boundaries to maintain integrity of property ownership in the Division

Collaborations

• Maintain interface with many roles i.e., Estate Manager, Factories, Field Technology, Finance, HR, Unions, Corporate Relations, R & D, Legal, Security etc

Policy

• To ensure that Company Policies, Guidelines, the CBA and labour laws are always adhered to, and to enforce all aspects of the Factories Act and statutes, as well as the Company’s Health & Safety regulations

Job Requirements

• Graduate in Agriculture, Horticulture, Agricultural Engineering or Bachelor of Science
• Minimum of 4 years’ experience
• Agronomy: Crop production planning, field operations, and yield optimization
• Sourcing: Procurement and management of raw materials of agricultural origin
• Plant Breeding: Experience in tea nurseries and propagation management
• Area Infrastructure Management: Maintenance and supervision of estate infrastructure
• Project Management: Planning, execution, and monitoring of agricultural and development projects
• Employee Relations: Workforce supervision, employee engagement, and compliance with labour regulations