Senior Agronomy & Crop Performance Manager

Job description summary

The Senior Agronomy & Crop Performance Manager reports to the Head of Production & Agronomy and provides strategic & technical leadership for assigned crops across Marginpar Kenya, driving excellence in productivity, quality, consistency, and sustainability. The role is responsible for optimising crop performance through agronomic expertise, innovation, data-driven decision-making, and cross-functional collaboration, while supporting the successful introduction of new crops and varieties. By developing technical capability across farm teams and championing continuous improvement, the role ensures world-class crop performance and contributes to Marginpar's purpose of growing people and unique flowers.

Key accountabilities & deliveries

• Crop Ownership & Agronomy Excellence: Provide end-to-end agronomic leadership and technical ownership of assigned strategic and newly introduced crops by developing standardised production protocols, monitoring crop performance, leading trials and varietal evaluations, and implementing continuous improvement initiatives that optimise plant health, yield, quality and long-term crop sustainability across all production sites.
• Farm Performance Support and Collaboration: Partner closely with farm agronomists, production managers, and farm managers to ensure consistent implementation of agronomic standards and crop protocols through coaching, technical guidance, problem-solving, and knowledge sharing, thereby driving uniform crop performance and operational excellence across all farms.
• New Product Development Integration: Lead the agronomic planning, evaluation, and commercial transition of new crops and varieties by collaborating with the New Product Development team on trial design, site selection, performance assessment, scaling strategies, and commercialisation decisions to ensure successful introduction of innovative and commercially viable products.
• Bio Assets Collaboration: Work collaboratively with the Bio Assets team to ensure high-quality plant material, effective propagation practices, and sustainable crop establishment through alignment of propagation protocols, plant health standards, and production requirements that support long-term crop success and field performance.
• Data analytics and Performance Management: Drive informed agronomic decisions through the effective use of digital tools, field data, and key performance indicators by monitoring crop performance, conducting root-cause analyses, identifying improvement opportunities, and providing actionable recommendations and reports that enhance productivity, quality, and resource efficiency.
• Sustainability, Risk Management and Compliance: Promote environmentally responsible and sustainable agronomic practices by safeguarding soil health, biodiversity, water resources, and crop resilience while ensuring compliance with relevant certification standards and supporting climate-risk mitigation initiatives that protect long-term business performance.
• People Development and Knowledge Leadership: Build the technical capability of farm agronomy teams by coaching, mentoring, facilitating training programmes, and promoting cross-farm learning and best-practice sharing, while role-modelling Marginpar's values and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and servant leadership.

Criteria

Academic and professional qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Agronomy, Horticulture, Crop Science, Plant Science, Agricultural Science, or a related agricultural discipline.
• Master's Degree in Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Production, Soil Science, Crop Physiology, Agricultural Research, or a related field will be an added advantage.
• BASIS & FACTS a must
• Professional certification or training in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Plant Nutrition, Irrigation Management, Crop Protection, Soil Fertility Management, or Sustainable Agriculture.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years' experience in Agronomy, Horticulture, Floriculture, or Intensive Crop Production.
• Proven experience managing crop performance through irrigation, nutrition, pest and disease management, and sustainable farming practices.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams, coaching agronomists, and influencing operational teams across multiple sites.
• Demonstrated experience in crop trials, varietal evaluation, new crop introduction, and commercial crop production.
• Strong expertise in crop physiology, soil science, irrigation, crop nutrition, and pest and disease management.
• Knowledge of sustainability standards and agricultural certifications. 

Role competencies

(1-6 required, minimum of 7 competencies)

1. Ownership and accountability
2. Collaboration and influence
3. Results orientation
4. Coaching and people development
5. Strategic thinking
6. Effective communication
7. Strong data analytical
8. Problem solving
9. Stakeholder management skills
10. Continuous learning and innovation
11. Resilience and adaptability

Essentials

• Ability to travel across different farm locations and engage with all employees.
• Ability to adapt and drive change projects in a shifting business environment.

Would you like to know more?

Contact: Bobby Sandeman
Head of Production & Agronomy via: bobby.sandeman@marginpar.biz

Interested?

Apply via recruitment@marginpar.biz
Application deadline: 16th July 2026