Production Lead Third Party

Role Overview

This position oversees the complete outsourced production cycle for hybrid vegetable seeds, acting as the bridge between the company’s global planning team and contracted growers. Day to day, you will coordinate planting schedules, monitor crop health, manage vendor performance, and safeguard seed quality from nursery through harvest and packing. Your work directly determines whether the company meets its seed supply commitments on time and to specification, while upholding strict agricultural, safety, and labour standards across all third-party operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate global seed demand forecasts into detailed, seasonal crop plans, including land and greenhouse allocation, plant density, acreage, and basic seed requirements for each contracted grower.
• Issue precise weekly and seasonal schedules to vendors covering planting timelines, labour needs, and activity milestones, then verify adherence throughout the production cycle.
• Collect, dispatch, and reconcile seed lots from the central store, ensuring correct quantities are handed over for tray sowing and field planting, with any surplus returned and documented.
• Compile and submit monthly Vendor Progress Reports to Seed Production Specialists, keeping planning and marketing teams informed of any risks or deviations.
• Inspect field operations at critical stages—including de-suckering, defoliation, rouging, emasculation, pollination, and harvest—intervening when protocols are not followed.
• Manage consumable inventory levels, raising purchase requests for supplies needed by both internal teams and external growers.
• Coordinate crop protection, irrigation, and nutrition programs, working with agronomists to implement corrective actions when pest or disease pressures appear.
• Ensure vendor contracts are signed in advance, maintain up-to-date documentation for regulatory inspections, and support fair labour and KEPHIS audits by facilitating access and records.
• Enforce health, safety, and environmental rules across all third-party sites, and lead training sessions for grower teams on planting, harvesting, hygiene, and phytosanitary procedures.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Master’s degree in agriculture, horticulture, agronomy, or crop protection.
• At least five years of hands-on field production experience, ideally in vegetable seed or related cropping systems.
• Valid driving licence with defensive driving certification, as travel between the home farm and external grower sites is required.
• Working knowledge of fertigation, crop planning, and pest/disease symptom identification.
• Strong skills in MS Excel, SmartSheet, and Power BI for tracking production data and preparing progress reports.
• Proven ability to manage vendor relationships, lead teams, and handle pressure during peak planting and harvest periods.
• Familiarity with basic genetics and seed science, plus a working understanding of fair labour standards and regulatory inspection protocols.