Agriculture Operations Specialist – Coconut Production

Duties

• Develop and implement strategic operational plans for coconut cultivation, focusing on maximizing biofuel production while ensuring sustainability, food production (food security) and environmental stewardship
• Manage all stages of coconut farming, including land preparation, planting, irrigation, pest, and disease control, and harvesting, focusing on small scale farmers
• Conduct research and stay updated on innovative techniques and technologies in coconut farming and biofuel production to improve yields and efficiency
• Collaborate with agricultural researchers, agronomists, and other stakeholders to optimize crop performance and mitigate environmental impact
• Establish and maintain relationships with coconut farmers, suppliers, and partners to ensure a consistent and high-quality supply of raw materials for biofuel production
• Monitor and analyse key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the progress of coconut production and biofuel extraction operations
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and standards related to agricultural practices, biofuel production, food production and environmental protection
• Provide training and support to local farmers, farm workers and technicians to enhance their skills and knowledge in coconut farming
• Troubleshoot issues related to crop health, quality, or production efficiency and implement corrective measures as needed

Accountabilities

• Able to work with the complexity of the time and cost management accuracy
• Able to work in the Mozambican agriculture landscape
• Contribute to the conceptualization of local market development and integration under assigned projects, by using available data, relevant analyses, and documents
• Contribute to the implementation of feasible and sustainable local value chain development projects
• Integrate and its contractors demands with the local market

Requisites

• Qualifications/Experience required:
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in agriculture, agronomy, or a related field
• Proven experience in coconut farming, preferably with a focus on biofuel production
• Proven experience on agroforestry for parallel food and energy production
• Strong knowledge of agricultural best practices, crop management techniques, and sustainable farming methods
• Familiarity with biofuel production processes, including extraction, refining, and conversion
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data, report and make data-driven decisions
• Project management experience with a focus on the implementation of management systems, planning skills, and workload management
• Management skills and developing collaborative relationships with co-workers’ workforce, stakeholders, and community partners
• Detail-oriented and organized, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively
• Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and work in a dynamic agricultural environment
• Knowledge of relevant regulations and compliance standards related to agriculture and biofuel production
• Passion for sustainability and environmental conservation
• Ability to plan, implement and track project results and performance measures with the creation and monitoring of robust indicators
• Fluent English and Portuguese, oral and written. French is a plus

Notes

• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted