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Africa Pre-Foundation Manager 

Role purpose:

Accountable for the production resources planning (manpower, machinery, equipment and tools, facilities and raw materials) needed to produce high quality GEN0 seed, on-time to meet supply demands through managing plant and field production operations by subordinate Pre-Foundation staff having full accountabilities in their respective areas.

Overseeing the full Pre-Foundation production cycle, from planning to delivery, strategy, education and resource allocation for field and plant activities whilst developing a cost effective, environmentally sound method of enhancing yields.

Task and Responsibilities:

Provide assistance and resources to ensure compliance with HSE policies and procedures as stipulated as per the internal Bayer HSE policies and ISO45001 standard

Developing strategies to ensure Pre-Foundation seeds network is adequate to meet business growth and provide a reliable supply of high quality GEN0 seed

Leads key planning activities and the execution thereof, from planning, field activities, operations and processing activities, inventory control and consumables management

Support KPI reporting for Petit and Malelane R&D sites, ensuring safety, quality, volume performance, and cost efficiency are met and reported transparently

Oversee safety, sustainability, and quality programs, ensuring compliance with safety, health, and regulatory requirements, including ISO (9001 & 45001) standards, and ensure all personnel use appropriate personal protective equipment

Actively participate in reviewing JSA's and Risk Assessments within areas of responsibility

Responsible for Pre-Foundation operational budget planning, control and execution thereof

Ensure all permit conditions related to the production, processing and storage related to regulated material is adhered to at all times and that all staff authorized to handle regulated material are sufficiently trained and supported to do so

Ensure that all GEN0 seed produced are produced and handled according to the minimum Bayer requirements to ultimately ensure batch identification and traceability

Ensure annual seed production quantity & quality goals are aligned with business needs and perform periodically check-ins with the team to ensure track on the stablished milestones along the season

Embrace a working environment that promotes the building of good working relationships amongst peers and across functions

Plan and execute the CAPEX plan Pre-Foundation operations in collaboration with the necessary engineering teams and resources

Promotes and creates an Operational Excellence Culture to improve customer experience, reliability and/or cost by building & implementing improvements, enabling best practice sharing across sites/teams

Maintain compliance with all regulatory requirements, ethical standards and human rights throughout all operations

Ensure legal requirements are met and maintained across all field and plant operations as per required local and regional legislation

Attends and participates in monthly safety meetings and ensures FT & contract employees follow all safety policies

Act as a catalyst on Internal (Breeding) and external (Supply) stakeholder management

Establish a strong and sustainable collaboration within Breeding Seed Production Team

Active collaboration and contributions to the Africa Corn Product Unit.

Key working relation:

Africa Foundation Seed Lead

Foundation Plant and Field Lead

Finance Costs accountants

Planning

Regulatery & Stewardship compliance

Quality Testing and Assurance

Safety

Production Research

Procurement and External Vendors

Regional Engineering Team

Agronomic Excellence

Produce Team in Breeding

Licensing Business

AATF and TELA

Experience, Skills, and Qualifications:

Master’s degree in Agronomy or related fields

At least 5 years’ experience in seed production and/or Breeding

Extensive ISO9001 experience

Exposure to ISO45001 will be very beneficial

Strong Leadership and Management skills (Cross Functional & Cultural)

Good Interpersonal, Communication, Organizational and Training skills

Strong teamwork (Flexibility to work across areas and positively influencing others)

Results orientated with ability to work on own initiative and under pressured timelines

Establish clear direction and decisions making in a timely manner

Innovation and digitalization oriented

Ability to manage ambiguity

Fluent in English. Any other language proficiency will be very beneficial

Excellent MS Office software (Excel, E-mail, Word, Project etc.)

Location:

South Africa : Gauteng : Petit  

Division:

Crop Science 

Reference Code:

837628 

Bayer welcomes applications from all individuals, regardless of race, national origin, gender, age, physical characteristics, social origin, disability, union membership, religion, family status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or any unlawful criterion under applicable law. We are committed to treating all applicants fairly and avoiding discrimination.