Description
About the Company
A leading UK-based agribusiness, providing end-to-end agricultural solutions. With decades of partnership across Kenya’s farming sector — from smallholders to large-scale growers — the company has become a trusted “one-stop shop” for agricultural needs.
Its core business integrates market-leading products (consumables, equipment, and IT) from global suppliers with technical support, agronomy expertise, and after-sales service tailored to local market requirements.
Role Purpose
The Technical Manager — Irrigation & Greenhouses is a senior leadership role driving technical excellence and market positioning in irrigation and greenhouse solutions across Kenya and East Africa. As the company’s subject matter expert, the role bridges commercial strategy and technical delivery, ensuring design, engineering, and after-sales support meet the highest standards.
Reporting directly to the Managing Director, this position shapes growth strategy, product portfolio, and key client relationships as part of the Senior Leadership Team.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Contribute technical insight to company strategy and commercial decisions.
- Define and execute the technical roadmap for irrigation and greenhouse solutions.
- Represent the company at industry forums, government engagements, and client meetings.
- Identify emerging technologies and suppliers to enhance offerings.
Team Leadership & Management
- Lead and develop Design, Technical, and Project teams.
- Set objectives, KPIs, and development plans.
- Manage workload, resourcing, and capacity planning.
- Mentor senior staff and build internal capability.
Technical & Engineering Oversight
- Oversee design and engineering of irrigation systems (drip, sprinkler, micro-irrigation, fertigation) and greenhouse structures.
- Review and approve technical designs, BOQs, and drawings.
- Ensure compliance with industry standards, regulations, and best practices.
- Conduct technical due diligence on new products and systems.
Client & Project Engagement
- Work directly with clients, agribusinesses, and development organisations.
- Lead technical presentations, site assessments, and feasibility studies.
- Provide expert guidance during implementation and troubleshooting.
- Support sales with pre-sales technical advice and proposals.
Quality, Standards & Compliance
- Establish and enforce quality standards and SOPs.
- Monitor post-installation performance and client satisfaction.
- Ensure health, safety, and environmental compliance.
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural, Irrigation, Civil/Water Engineering, or related field.
- 8+ years’ experience in irrigation design, technical sales, or engineering, with 4+ years in leadership.
- Expertise in irrigation technologies (drip, sprinkler, pivots, fertigation, automation).
- Proven experience managing multi-disciplinary technical teams.
- Strong knowledge of Kenyan/East African agribusiness, crops, and climate.
- Track record of stakeholder engagement with farms, exporters, development partners, or government.
Key Competencies
- Irrigation system design & greenhouse engineering
- Agronomy & water resource management
- Leadership & team development
- Strategic and commercial acumen
- Executive communication & stakeholder influence
- Regulatory compliance & technical standards
- Project management & client relationship management.
Apply online. For more information contact marianne@agrijob.co.za