Field Manager Assist

**Vacancy**: Field Manager Assist

**Department**: Farming Operations

**Contract**: Permanent

**Location**: Bethlehem, Free State

COFCO International South Africa (Pty) Ltd has an opportunity for a dynamic individual to fulfill a role in this Company’s farming division.
Minimum qualifications and experience

Duties & Responsibilities
Learn and assist our Senior Farming Field Manager responsible for the units in FS and grow and develop to be able to handle his/her own units and area over time.
Assistance will be needed in planning, executing, managing, and reporting on designated COFCO South Africa Farming units for the region detailed, but not limited, as:
**1. Planning**:
a. Construct crop production plans for maize, soybeans, sunflower, wheat, and cotton for designated COFCO farming units in conjunction with the COFCO Operations Manager/Agronomy Lead and COFCO Independent Contractors.
- The production plan includes making chemical
- and fertilizer recommendations in conjunction with respective chemical representatives and agronomists.

b. Building a set budget for each unit covering all necessary scenarios within an achievable cost range with the COFCO Operations Manager/Agronomy Lead.
- Evaluate different input prices and farming practice to determine the most efficient production plan.

**2. Execution**:
a. Execute the production plans within the set budget together with COFCO Operations Manager/Agronomy Lead and Farming Contractors.
b. Oversee that land preparations are done accurately and on time.
d. Ensure timely and accurate delivery of inputs and contracting services rendered.
e. Ensure accurate delivery of harvested crops into designated silos and/or coordinating on-farm loading of harvested crops to end-point destinations.

**3. Managing**:
a. Coordinate Independent Contractors by assisting with their day-to-day crop production activities and decision making.
b. Continuously visiting designated farming units to follow up and help solve challenges, problems and monitor general progress.

c. On-farm stock management with safe stock storage, regular stock taking and implementation of inputs.

**4. Reporting**:
a. Frequent updating and reporting on crop progress as well as projecting production outcomes based on agronomical characteristics and facts for designated COFCO South Africa Farming units.
b. Reporting on factors that influence the crops during the season and potential damage and/or solutions to it.
c. Reporting on the planned budget and any factors that may influence it toward potential over or under spending for each designated farming unit.
d. On-farm as well as COFCO storage facility stock quantities.
e. Report daily rainfall from farms.
f. Complete, report and update crop estimates pre-harvest.
g. Report deliveries into designated delivery points of harvested crops and reconcile with reports from Support from Stellenbosch.

Essential skills
- Excellent people skills and understand the value of stakeholder relationships.
- Solid administrative discipline with some understanding of accounting.
- Ability to function independently.

Core Competencies
- Customer focus: Strong external/internal customer orientation.
- Communication: Listens well and shares ideas and solutions.
- Teamwork: Seeks involvement and input from other people.
- Initiative: Proactive, drives processes and tasks to achieve results.
- Innovation: Comes up with resourceful ideas and solutions.
- Ownership & Accountability: Takes ownership of own decisions and actions - successes and mistakes.
- Management: Gives timely, constructive and specific feedback.
- Detail orientation: Organized, methodical, good attention to detail.

Desirable skills
- Knowledge of the grain industry.
- Experience in farming and/or agriculture.
- Experience in a row crop production environment.
- Basic knowledge of inputs associated with crop production and ability to do research to evaluate alternatives.
- ERP systems experience.

General
- Based in Bethlehem, Free State.
- Reports to Senior Farming Field Manager.
- Salary is market related basic salary with Travel Allowance and claiming of business kilometres travelled, provident fund and medical aid benefits.
- Must have reliable vehicle, preferably a utility (4x4/bakkie).
- Expenses for relocation will be covered as required.