Plant Operations Lead

About the role

The Plant Operations Lead will report to the RC Production Lead for East Africa and be responsible for planning, executing, and overseeing the manufacturing process of commercial maize seed in Kenya. The role focuses on delivering high‑quality seed outputs, ensuring operational excellence, and maintaining strict compliance with internal and regulatory standards.

Key responsibilities

• Act as the key account manager for all third‑party Processing Service Providers (PSP), handling full contract administration and SLA compliance.
• Ensure plant processes, seed storage, and preservation meet regulatory, business, and customer specifications.
• Secure all required production consumables and regulatory approvals before each processing campaign, including packaging, labels, raw seeds, and plant certification.
• Collaborate with the Warehouse Lead to segregate non‑conforming seeds and report for mass balancing and financial reporting.
• Provide technical advice to third‑party plant operations to maintain high seed quality during processing.
• Serve as the single point of contact for quality issues at tolling sites and drive internal collaboration to uphold the highest quality standards.
• Implement and maintain the Quality Management System, collecting reliable quality data for traceability and continuous improvement.
• Monitor seed production processes from receipt to final product, ensuring compliance with testing strategies and releasing only compliant batches.
• Work with field mission teams to analyse seed quality trends and investigate non‑conformances.

Required profile

• Proven experience in seed processing or agricultural production operations.
• Strong knowledge of regulatory, quality, safety, and human‑rights standards applicable to seed manufacturing.
• Demonstrated ability to manage third‑party service providers and contractual agreements.
• Experience collaborating with warehouse, laboratory, and quality release teams.
• Ability to drive continuous improvement initiatives and maintain high operational performance.

Required skills

• Quality Management System (QMS) implementation and upkeep.
• Seed processing equipment operation and maintenance.
• Contract administration and SLA monitoring.

What we offer

• Opportunity to work within a global leader in agriculture and health.
• Dynamic environment focused on innovation and sustainability.
• Professional growth through exposure to international best practices.