Manager - Research & Development - Potato

Responsibilities and Accountability:

Knowledge Transfer:

- Gain a comprehensive understanding of Agri business operations and objectives, including supplier contracts and the impact of raw quality.

- Utilize various communication and demonstration methods to advise and train the regional supplier group.

- Assist growers in identifying opportunities to improve crop yield and delivered quality by developing enhanced Package of Practices based on historical data.

- Support seed grower compliance with sustainability reporting through AgPortal, GMS, and other means, including pesticide records, fertilization records, and water usage.

Trials:

- Conduct variety evaluation trials for new variety establishment, address emerging seed issues and find effective solutions.

- Engage with growers and the regional agriculture community to conduct research. Identifying and cross-checking disease and pest issues with relevant literature and institutes.

- Provide guidance on achieving optimal plant health and productivity through best practices related to crop nutrients, crop protectants, and storage management techniques.

- Assist in developing regionalized variety management profiles for testing on a commercial scale.

- Conduct sustainability and survey audits and promote practices to enhance sustainability, such as IPM adoption.

Collaboration:

- Gather knowledge from various sources, including institutions, senior management,SAU, and practical insights from farmers, to train the contract farming team effectively.

- Promptly seek input from the contract farming team to understand challenges and design yield improvement trials for practical solutions.

- Address potato storage-related issues, comply with local regulations, and conduct chemical trials or recommend best management practices to the supply team.

- Identify and diagnose storage-related diseases, conduct storage experiments using analytical experimental design, and propose appropriate solutions

- Maintain a strong relationship with the operation team involved in processing potatoes to understand seed-related concerns.

- Provide efficient support to the supply chain team and contract farming team.

Team: Skillfully train and engage the team to empower them to manage their responsibilities independently.

Academic:

- Must have: A Master/Ph.D. degree in Agriculture/Horticulture with 8-10 years of experience in variety trial and or breeding and or crop production, preferably in potato crop.