Rijk Zwaan logo featuring a stylized green design, representing the agricultural seed company in Tanzania.

Rijk Zwaan

Horticulture

Production Manager

Arusha, Tanzania

Our client

Rijk Zwaan is an international family-owned company with a people-oriented culture. The company develops vegetable varieties and supplies seeds to growers and other chain partners worldwide, employing over 4,400 people in more than 30 countries.

In Tanzania, Rijk Zwaan is active in seed production, breeding and product development, with 504 employees across three stations. Mutual respect, responsibility and employee involvement are central to the company’s culture.

The role

As Production Manager, you will lead production and operations at one of Rijk Zwaan’s stations in Arusha. You will be responsible for the station’s overall performance and development, aligning people, processes and resources with production objectives and long-term ambitions.

This is a hands-on leadership position. You will spend approximately 80% of your time on the ground, working alongside your teams in the greenhouses, extraction facilities and seed processing operations. You will stay close to daily activities, coach your teams and help resolve operational challenges. The remaining 20% will focus on administration and planning.

Key responsibilities

  • Lead and develop multidisciplinary production and operational teams.
  • Manage greenhouse, nursery, seed production, seed processing, inventory and shipment activities to achieve production and quality targets.
  • Drive strategic planning, budgeting, resource allocation and continuous improvement.
  • Ensure compliance with quality, safety, hygiene and environmental standards.
  • Lead innovation, sustainability and infrastructure development projects.
  • Coach and support teams through visible, hands-on involvement in daily operations.
  • Translate long-term station objectives into operational plans, aligning people, processes and resources.

Candidate profile

  • Proven experience managing teams in greenhouse, seed production, horticultural, agricultural or comparable production environments.
  • The ability to motivate, coach and develop multidisciplinary teams.
  • Operational expertise combined with strategic thinking.
  • Clear communication skills and the ability to build collaborative relationships.
  • Experience managing budgets, operational planning and performance improvement.
  • Solid knowledge of production processes, quality management, health and safety, and resource planning.
  • Experience in East Africa or a similar international agricultural environment is an advantage.
  • A bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Agronomy, Agricultural Engineering, Production Management or a related field.

We are committed to safeguarding candidate privacy and do our best to provide feedback to all applicants.

Location

Arusha, Tanzania

Sector

Horticulture

Company

Rijk Zwaan

Travel

Limited Domestic Travel

Apply now

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