Plantation Project Lead at Fadac Resources

Job Summary

• The Plantation Projects Lead, Agro-Industrial Projects is responsible for driving the end-to-end development and execution of large-scale, multi-crop plantation projects (including cocoa, soya, maize, and cashew).
• The role ensures successful transition from project development to operational readiness by integrating agronomic, financial, operational, and commercial requirements. It serves as the key coordinator between internal teams, external consultants, and stakeholders to deliver bankable, scalable, and economically viable agro-industrial plantation systems.

Job Responsibilities
Programme & Project Delivery:

• Lead end-to-end execution of plantation development projects from initiation to operational handover
• Manage integrated project plans covering land acquisition, site preparation, nurseries, planting, infrastructure, and utilities
• Coordinate internal teams (PMO, Operations, Procurement, Finance, Legal) and external contractors
• Ensure alignment of plantation design, scale, and phasing with long-term operational and economic goals

Plantation Establishment & Field Operations:

• Oversee plantation setup including land preparation, nursery development, planting, and early yield stages
• Integrate agronomic guidance from research institutions and consultants into field operations
• Implement good agricultural practices (GAP) for large-scale commercial farming
• Ensure scalability, consistency, and cost efficiency across plantation sites

Research, Benchmarking & Strategy:

• Benchmark plantation models against global and regional best practices
• Translate research findings into practical operational and economic decisions
• Conduct market, value-chain, SWOT, and scenario analysis for crop prioritisation
• Support strategic decision-making across multi-crop portfolio development

Financing & Investment Support:

• Contribute to development of bankable business cases for DFIs and development finance institutions
• Provide agro-economic inputs for investment memoranda and financial models
• Support funding discussions with internal finance teams and external partners
• Track key plantation financial metrics such as cost per hectare, yield ramp-up, and ROI

Public-Private Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Support engagement with government bodies, research institutes, and development partners
• Assist in land acquisition and community engagement processes
• Ensure partnerships are commercially viable and operationally implementable
• Align projects with national priorities such as food security and export growth

Technology, Mechanisation & Infrastructure:

• Evaluate mechanisation, irrigation, and agricultural technologies for scalability and ROI
• Collaborate with engineering teams on infrastructure investment decisions
• Ensure technology adoption improves productivity and long-term operational efficiency

Operational Readiness & Transition:

• Develop SOPs, operational workflows, and staffing structures for plantation operations
• Support recruitment and training of operations teams
• Ensure smooth transition from project phase to steady-state operations

Performance, Risk & Governance:

• Monitor KPIs such as yield per hectare, cost efficiency, and operational milestones
• Identify and manage agronomic, financial, and operational risks
• Provide structured performance reporting to senior management
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory standards

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Engineering, or related field
• 8–12+ years’ experience in plantation development or agro-industrial project delivery
• Strong understanding of plantation economics and large-scale agribusiness operations
• Experience working with cross-functional teams, consultants, and external stakeholders
• Strong project management and execution capability in complex environments
• Proficiency in MS Office, Excel, project tools, and reporting systems
• Knowledge of sustainable agriculture and ESG principles.