Associate Director – Zahura Facility & Agro R&D Head

Location: Hoshiārpur

Responsibilities

Accountabilities –

Develop and manage a team of strong professionals for Agro R&D & Zahura mini-tuber seed facility.
Developing protocols for maintaining germplasm of existing and new clones follow up agronomy of AHT production and storage of minitubers produced, pathological testing lab to produce disease/virus free clean mini tubers.
Drive TPM culture to ensure effective planning and achievement of production targets from Zahura facility (including export requirement from Zahura) as per AOP (Annual Operating Plan) and enable PSP (strategic plan) delivery.
Ensure mini-tuber/ product quality, purity, hygiene and people safety as per FL standards, harmonious industrial relations for uninterrupted operations.
Build the AOP for Zahura plant efficiencies optimization.
Expand the facility to increase the production capacity to meet the future / PSP needs.
Maintain the germplasm bank and the facility as per international standards.
Lead people capability agenda for Zahura facility and India Agro R&D team members.
Analyze production and report progress against a clearly identified plan
Maintain and understanding of technical developments that may impact on productivity
Establish key performance indicators on cost and production efficiencies
Comply all the Statutory requirements
Creating region and variety wise POPs and conduct trials and demonstration in the fields to prove new varieties with a view to get higher yield.
Develop training manuals and provide technical support and training to the field staff in providing extension services.
Lead SUPER SITE variety evaluation program for AMENA region.
Drive New Variety Registration under PPV & FRA to protect new varieties imported from USA.
Conducting long term storage trials to evaluate storage potential of new varieties and identifying best varieties for long storage and ideal storage conditions to meet potato requirement from stored potato during the most critical supply window of PAN India.
Drive farm mechanization agenda by bringing in new technologies, develop farmers friendly farm equipment like planter, harvester, soil movers for proper earthing-up operations to increase the yield, improve the quality of potato by reducing defect level and bring down cost of cultivation.
Identify new geographies for Potato Seed & Chipgarde production in the country suitable for potato production during offseason and conduct demonstration to prove success.

People Accountabilities

Taking new recruits through the agro R&D and mini-tuber process as part of the induction training
Conducting regular performance reviews and providing regular feedback to the employees
Identifying gap areas and opportunities of development in consultation with the HR department
Ensuring training plan compliance along with his Direct reports.
Working with HR dept to put in place a system for reward and recognition of subordinates
Empowering the team members so that they can take their own decisions.
Maintain linkages with local ICAR/IARI/CPRI/CIP/PPV&FRA/Agriculture Universities and institutions to cross leverage knowledge and resources in Potato/Corn/Citrus & other new Crops.
Collaborate with NBPGR & Regional Research institutes for import of new varieties and evaluate them in Indian conditions and recommend best performers.
Work closely with authority in PPV and FR and ensure completion of variety registration process.
Work with CPRI and regional Institutes to bring in new technologies and improved farm practices and transfer them to the contract farmers by demonstrating success by conducting on farm demonstrations.
Build necessary internal/international business network to manage R&D activities effectively
The person will have a strong Agro interaction with regional teams for capability development.
Scaling up technical knowledge of agro teams by sharing new findings from research trials conducted in various geographies
Work with regional teams to organize POP training programs to share POP improvement and new variety performance with farmers.
Interact with Pepsi Co Global Research team to bring in newer technologies to India program
Recruit, lead, manage and direct a team for R&D
Lead all agro R&D…