Zambia Breweries
Dreaming big is in our DNA. It’s who we are as a company. It’s our culture. It’s our heritage. And more than ever, it’s our future. A future where we’re always looking forward. Always serving up new ways to meet life’s moments. A future where we keep dreaming bigger. We look for people with passion, talent, and curiosity, and provide them with the teammates, resources and opportunities to unleash their full potential. The power we create together – when we combine your strengths with ours – is unstoppable. Are you ready to join a team that dreams as big as you do?
The Key Purpose of this role is to enhance sustainable agricultural practices among farmers in Zambia. Reporting directly to the Crop Agronomist and the Agricultural Manager, this position focuses on engaging with farmers to promote the cultivation of cassava and other alternative crops. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in agronomy and a passion for improving agricultural practices to support farmer livelihoods and environmental sustainability.
Key Roles & Responsibilities:
Farmer Engagement
- Mobilization & Recruitment: Recruit and register farmers for cassava cultivation, ensuring timely land preparation, planting, weeding, and harvesting according to best practices.
- Soil & Crop Management: Promote soil moisture conservation and crop rotation practices. Ensure farmers plant only pure cassava varieties sourced from recommended seed suppliers.
- Data Management: Maintain a comprehensive database tracking seed distribution, uptake, planted area, and crop yield.
- Input Management: Advise farmers on the correct application of fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides to ensure optimal crop health.
Project Execution & Supervision
- Research Trials: Implement research trials across various agro-climatic zones in Zambia, adhering to scientific rigor and best practices.
- Sustainable Practices: Ensure projects promoting responsible sourcing and regenerative farming are executed effectively.
Data Collection & Reporting
- Activity Reporting: Provide weekly updates on activities and timely monthly reports on sustainability goals.
- Crop Monitoring: Monitor crops throughout their growth cycle, providing regular updates on crop estimations and maintaining accurate crop reports.
Capacity Building & Knowledge Transfer
- Training: Train and mentor farmers on best practices and business skills.
- Workshops: Develop knowledge-sharing materials and conduct workshops to enhance the skills of agronomy teams.
Harvest & Aggregation
- Harvest Interaction: Engage with farmers during harvest to ensure high-quality processing.
- Buying Process Oversight: Monitor the buying process to minimize losses and ensure fair practices.
Cooperative Empowerment and Capacity Building:
- Cooperative engagement: Will be a Key point of contact, and responsible in working with farmer cooperativities that are contracted to Zambian Breweries.
- Empowerment and capacity building: The gaps especially around financial management and the buying program, they will need to ensure that there is compliance and risk management process are embraced by the cooperative management.
- Member trainings: the candidate will need to develop the relationship with the cooperative membership and see that they are trained in best practice.
Minimum Requirements:
- Degree: Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Plant Science, or a related field.
- Familiarity: Understanding of African agricultural systems and a commitment to sustainable practices.
- Research Experience: Previous experience working with research organizations is an advantage.
- Smallholder and Village traditions: Has worked in areas where there are traditional farming and smallholder farming
- Computer Literacy: Proficient in using computer software for data management and reporting.
- Driver Competence: Has a valid motorbike license, with more than 4 years’ experience
- Professional Background: 3–5 years of experience in the agricultural sector, with a proven track record in field crop supervision.
- Expertise: Knowledge of cassava farming, agro-chemical application, and research methodologies.
- Communication: Fluent in English and local languages, with strong interpersonal skills.
- Mobility: This position requires frequent travel across Northern Zambia to conduct farmer engagement, research trials and engage with stakeholders.
Additional Information:
- Band: X
SAB/ABInBev is an equal opportunity employer and all appointments will be made in line with SAB/ABInBev employment equity plan and talent requirements. The advert has minimum requirements listed. Management reserves the right to use additional/ relevant information as criteria for short-listing