This is a remote role preferred in the Cape Town area.Global Nursery Agronomist will support and assist the Global Nursery Program Manager to refine, optimize and standardize best practices necessary for delivering plant supply requirements that meet fruit demand by aligning global nurseries on processes to support uniformity and consistency in finished products globally. The position will work under the responsibility of the Global Nursery Program Manager and together with the Agronomy tech transfer team to create, maintain, and champion an open collaborative environment conducive to knowledge and technology sharing with all necessary stakeholders.Under the leadership of the Nursery Program Manager, the Global Nursery Agronomist will be responsible for maintaining interconnectivity and continuity between nursery and fruiting agronomy tech transfer team members to optimize both functions and finished products. The Global Nursery Agronomist will be required to travel globally in a planned and structured way to meet in person with nursery teams. The position will require the ability to manage multiple initiatives and facilitate positive and solution-oriented discussions with key stakeholders at all levels. Time management flexibility to accommodate different time zones, and some weekend/out of hours travel will be required.Responsibilities:Foster and build strong working relationships with Global Nursery teams founded on trust.Foster and build strong working relationships with fruit agronomy Tech Transfer and Applied Research teams.Act as a conduit to connect all relevant parties to key initiatives and opportunities for collaboration and networking.Work with Nursery team members to gather information on regional BMP and Cultivation guides for key nursery practices and use these to benchmark, refine, and standardize best practices globally, including supporting Nursery team members in revising existing documents and developing new ones where they don't exist.Identify knowledge gaps and facilitate or train directly global Nursery colleagues in the execution of key production processes and techniques to elevate uniformity and consistency of plant material within different Business Units.Improve efficiencies with key nursery processes by working closely with the Global Nursery Program Manager and collaborating with Nursery leads on innovation, mechanization, and automation opportunities.Enable the deployment of innovations and sustainable growing methods that foster automation, mechanization, and increased efficiencies required to deliver nursery excellence and ultimately deliver more berries with fewer resources.Plan schedule and maintain a required cadence of MS Teams meetings with relevant stakeholders.Work with GNPM to identify and quantify any requirement for consultancy services of external industry experts.Plan all global travel with GNPM and be prepared to travel independently to visit Driscoll's nurseries embedded within Global Business Units.Write and share comprehensive and succinct reports after each visit.Help plan and facilitate visitor nursery trips to his/her own or other host countries/regions.Follow company policies and practices while representing Driscoll's in an ethical and business-like manner in all interactions with employees, governmental agencies, growers, customers, etc.Ensure the security of Driscoll's confidential and proprietary information and materials.Candidate Profile:Bachelor's Degree in Horticulture, Horticultural Science, Agronomy, or Ag Business Management or related field, or equivalent experience in production management.Minimum of 5 years' experience in the soft fruit industry, with strong business knowledge of fruit and nursery harvest, production management, agronomy, grower economics, research, product quality/food safety, and customer service.A proven ability to identify, focus, and prioritize key tasks.Excellent written and communication skills and ability to distil complex issues down into palatable and usable information.Must use sound judgment with the ability to recognize and act upon good ideas, making competent decisions in a fast-moving strategic environment.Extensive travel will be required (up to 50% internationally).Current driver's license and the ability to be covered under the company-sponsored vehicle insurance program.A valid passport and ability to travel extensively, often weekly, for both short and long haul.TO APPLY, please submit your resume via this link: https://www.driscolls.com/about/careers/job?id=R0006298&returnUrl=%2Fabout%2FcareersAbout Driscoll's:Driscoll's is the global market leader for fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. With more than 100 years of farming heritage and hundreds of independent growers around the world, Driscoll's is passionate about growing fresh, beautiful, and delicious berries. Our values of humility, passion, and trustworthiness have guided our mission to delight consumers around the world.Driscoll's exclusive patented berry varieties are developed through years of research using only natural breeding methods – meaning, no GMOs. From farm to table, we focus on delivering a high-quality, premium berry experience with our many supply chain partners. Driscoll's is the trusted brand for Only the Finest Berries.Driscoll's es el proveedor líder en la comercialización de Fresas, Frambuesas, Zarzamoras y Arándanos Azules en el mundo. Con más de 100 años de herencia en agricultura y cientos de productores independientes alrededor del mundo, Driscoll's es una compañía apasionada por cultivar berries frescas, hermosas y deliciosas. Nuestros valores de humildad, pasión y confianza han guiado nuestra misión de deleitar a los consumidores en el mundo.Las variedades exclusivas de Driscoll's han sido desarrolladas a través de años de investigación usando sólo métodos de mejoramiento natural. De la granja a la mesa, nos enfocamos en ofrecer una experiencia de alta calidad con el apoyo de nuestros socios de la cadena de suministro. Driscoll's es la marca de confianza de sólo las mejores berries.
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