Trainee Planter Program - Estate Accounting & Financial Controls

Role Overview

This position oversees day-to-day operations on a plantation estate, directly supervising field teams to ensure crop quality, yield targets, and safety standards are met. You will act as the bridge between senior management and ground-level workers, translating production goals into actionable daily plans and monitoring progress across multiple blocks. The role is critical to maintaining consistent harvest output and controlling operational costs, making your leadership and problem-solving skills essential to the estate's overall performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise and coordinate field labour teams, assigning tasks and monitoring work quality across planting, pruning, fertilising, and harvesting activities.
• Conduct regular inspections of crop health, pest pressure, and soil conditions, then recommend timely interventions to field management.
• Prepare accurate daily and weekly reports on production volumes, labour attendance, and resource usage for review by estate managers.
• Enforce workplace safety procedures and ensure all workers comply with company agricultural standards and local regulations.
• Assist in training new and existing workers on proper harvesting techniques, equipment handling, and record-keeping.
• Manage inventory of inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides, and tools, and raise requisitions to avoid shortages.
• Liaise with local community representatives and workers in their preferred language to resolve issues and maintain positive relations.
• Identify and escalate operational bottlenecks or equipment failures to ensure minimal disruption to daily workflows.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Degree holder in agriculture, agribusiness, or a related field; or A/L passes combined with successful completion of the NIPM Plantations Management Course (advantage).
• Demonstrated leadership potential with previous experience supervising teams in an agricultural or plantation setting.
• Excellent command of English, both written and verbal, for reporting and communication with senior management.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to make quick, sound decisions under field conditions.
• High attention to detail when inspecting crops, recording data, and reviewing worker output.
• Effective team coordination abilities, including conflict resolution and motivating diverse groups.
• Ability to communicate in Sinhala and Tamil is a distinct advantage for daily interaction with the local workforce.