Head of Engineering – Agricultural Infrastructure

About the role

Reed is recruiting an experienced Head of Engineering to lead a major agricultural development project in East Africa. This senior leadership position oversees end‑to‑end engineering, construction, project delivery and asset management of extensive farm infrastructure.

Key responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary engineering and project management teams for large‑scale farm and land infrastructure.
• Oversee construction of internal roads, bridges, irrigation, drainage, sewage, farm buildings, shade‑net structures, employee housing and industrial facilities.
• Develop and manage project execution plans, designs, schedules and GANTT charts while ensuring scope, timeline and CAPEX compliance.
• Monitor performance, address delays or cost overruns, and coordinate with Procurement, Finance, HR, Legal and Operations.
• Manage contractors, consultants, suppliers and technical service providers, establishing scopes, standards and milestones.
• Secure statutory, environmental and safety approvals and maintain high HSE and ESG standards.
• Implement automation, instrumentation, modern irrigation control and precision agriculture technologies.
• Lead inspections, testing, commissioning, handover and ongoing asset maintenance programmes.
• Develop and mentor engineering and project management teams, fostering internal capability and succession planning.

Required profile

• Degree in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical or Agricultural Engineering (post‑graduate qualification advantageous).
• 15–20 years of experience delivering large‑scale agricultural or industrial infrastructure projects.
• Proven leadership of multidisciplinary technical teams and management of significant CAPEX budgets.
• Strong practical knowledge of irrigation, drainage, automation and instrumentation systems.
• Experience in Africa and in fresh‑fruit, plantation or intensive agricultural production is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability in contractor, consultant and stakeholder management.
• Understanding of asset management, maintenance planning and operational reliability.
• Exposure to digital transformation, precision agriculture or AgriTech solutions is a plus.

Required skills

• Civil Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Agricultural Engineering
• Project Management
• Six Sigma
• Irrigation Systems
• Drainage Systems
• Automation
• Instrumentation
• CAPEX Budget Management
• Asset Management
• Maintenance Planning
• Digital Transformation
• Precision Agriculture
• AgriTech Solutions