Leaf Technician at British American Tobacco

Job Number: 19853BR
Location: Iseyin
Appointment type: Permanent

Job Purpose

• To provide proactive technical and logistical support in green leaf production within defined parameters with guidance from the Leaf Manager.

Key Accountabilities

• Operational/Technical/Professional Results
• Target crop volume purchased.
• Target average yield per hectare achieved.
• Agreed Best practices fully implemented.
• Crop production target allocated to farmers to optimum productivity.
• Hitch free Organisation & distribution of crop inputs with up to date records.
• Leadership Results
• Required number of farmers recruited.
• Farmers well organised to deliver target crop volume.
• Management Results
• Farmers loans kept within Category limits.
• Full recovery of applicable farmers’ loans.
• Relationship Results
• Good relationship with peers and farmers resulting in enhanced productivity.
• Good relationship with other stakeholder in the community for sustained tobacco production.
• Innovation Results
• Open to and accept new ways of doing things.
• Full implementation of alternative to wood fuel experiment and other initiatives.

Business Context:

• The land tenure system prevents large holdings hence farmers’ field plots are small and widely scattered. Bad roads and poor level of development of infrastructure in the rural area, availability of competing crops, rural/urban drift and activities of itinerant tobacco buyers combine to task the jobholder in achieving his set objectives. Intermittent attacks by armed robbers and relatively frequent occurrence of state of insecurity further create unfavourable environment for achieving production objectives.

Relationships:

Internal:

• The job holder has to achieve his crop production target through agreed small-scale independent rural farmers.
• Liaise with Leaf Admin. Coordinator and Leaf Manager for crop funding and supply of crop inputs.
• Liaise with Leaf Manager and Leaf Sustainability Coordinator for timely supply of viable seeds.
• Liaise with Leaf Account Coordinator on accounting records and all forms of returns.
• Liaise with Leaf Admin. Coordinator for staff matters.
• Liaise with Tractor Contractor for tractor services and repairs.
• Liaise with Leaf Sustainability Coordinator for fuel wood supply from company own plantations.
• Liaise with Leaf Admin. Coordinator for delivery of crop inputs to farmers

External:

• Liaise with Commercial and Agricultural Banks in the area for payments to farmers.
• Maintain effective presence and cordiality with community and opinion leaders to promote socially enabling environment for tobacco production with regular assistance from the Leaf the Leaf Manager.
• Liaise with tractor contractors and operators for effective rendering of tractor services to farmers.
• Maintain contact with organised tobacco companies to avoid unhealthy competition practices.

Essential Requirements

• Possess at least ND/NCE in Agriculture.
• Should be mature and physically agile.
• Ability to observe, and diagnose agronomic problems on the crop and proffer workable solution to obtain optimal productivity.
• Ability to recruit, supervise and control farmers for the achievement of production targets.
• Ability to monitor tobacco quality grading, baling and presentation at buying in accordance with agreed grade specification.
• Ability to render accurate production estimates useable for effective management control of operations and planning.
• Ability to monitor loans disbursement to and recovery from farmers for sustained production.
• Ability to effectively understand, implement and “cascade” technical information and new concepts to farmers.
• Knowledge of Yoruba language
• Intermediate level of English language
• Ability to run a motorbike/willingness to learn
• Willingness to live in the rural communities (60-100 Km from Iseyin)