Head of Department, Production (Mother Stocks)
This position is no longer accepting applications (closed Oct 31, 2026).
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Description
Our member who is in the floriculture industry business located in Kericho seeks to recruit a highly motivated and experienced grower with
extensive knowledge and expertise in the propagation of summer flowers to join their team as Head of Production – Mother Plants. The ideal candidate should have
proven experience in a similar role within the Kenyan flower industry,
preferably in a breeding and/or plant propagation organisation. The position reports to the Director of Operations.
Job purpose
The Head of
Department, Production (Mother Stocks) is responsible for strategically
managing and overseeing the cultivation and production processes of all mother
plants. The primary objective is to guarantee a consistent, predictable, and
high-quality supply of cuttings in the correct quantities, delivered strictly
on time to meet downstream planning schedules.
This role drives
technical excellence in large-scale commercial floriculture, champions
continuous improvement protocols (such as Root Cause Analysis), ensures
rigorous compliance with phytosanitary and safety regulations, and builds a
collaborative, high-morale work culture through the direct training and
development of production supervisors and floor staff.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
1. Crop Management- Ensure
all crop husbandry activities, including bed preparation, planting,
weeding, irrigation, spraying and related activities, are carried out to
the highest possible standard and within set timelines. Organise
and plan all planting programmes.
2. Pest & Disease Management - Conduct
regular crop walks in liaison with Scouts and report pest and disease
incidences to the Director for appropriate action.Ensure
actions taken in response to pest and disease incidences are documented
and implemented in accordance with established SOPs.
3. Quality Management & Production - Ensure
harvesting procedures, hygiene and quality protocols are followed. Conduct
weekly production forecasts with minimal variance.
4.Irrigation & Spraying - Ensure
the appropriate use of solve to prevent blockage of drip lines .Ensure
timely and correct adjustments to the feeding programme in accordance with
the Director’s recommendations.
5.Record Keeping - Ensure
Team Leaders, Scouts and Supervisors maintain accurate daily records of
all operations carried out within their sections. Ensure
production records and other relevant documentation are maintained and
kept up to date.
6.Production Planning & Resource Management - Plan
departmental operations on a monthly, weekly and daily basis in
consultation with the Director.Set
daily and weekly objectives for Supervisors and communicate production
plans and targets accordingly.
7.Audits & Compliance - Ensure
company field operations comply with applicable regulatory and obligatory
standard requirements and guidelines.
8.People Management - Ensure
production staffs perform their duties in accordance with their job
descriptions and required standards.
9.Maintenance of Machine & Equipment - Ensure
all operational and workplace standards are strictly followed in
accordance with established SOPs. Coordinate
the maintenance and general upkeep of the farm, including the repair of
farm buildings, machinery and equipment.
10.Health & Safety - Ensure
greenhouses are clean both internally and externally, all items are
properly arranged, and unwanted materials are removed. Ensure
a safe working environment by enforcing compliance with applicable health
and safety regulations.
Desired Qualifications, skills and experience;
Academic Qualifications - Must have degree in Horticulture,
Floriculture, Agronomy, or a closely matching plant science discipline from a
recognized institution.
Experience & Track Record - Minimum of 3 to 5 years of proven
hands-on leadership experience specifically focused on the propagation and
management of flower mother stock within a commercial environment.
Demonstrated experience dealing with
high-volume cutting protocols, managing complex stock turnover, and handling
strict export/phytosanitary requirements.
Proven track record of managing structured
teams, including supervising mid-level supervisors and coordinating diverse
workforce.
Technical Skills & Competencies - Strong working knowledge of greenhouse
climate control systems, irrigation delivery mechanisms, and fertigation.
Practical knowledge of Integrated Pest
Management (IPM), chemical application protocols, biological controls, and
early crop disease detection.
Competency in building crop prognoses, analysing
yield variances, and managing spreadsheet-based metrics and running formal
problem-solving frameworks (e.g., Root Cause Analysis)
Behavioural & Leadership Attributes - Ability to translate complex agronomic
realities into simple instructions for workers, and high-level summaries for
the Management.
Team collaborative and ability to work with
other departments (Planning, Logistics, Maintenance, HR) to solve systemic
challenges.
Only qualified candidates should apply by uploading their detailed curriculum vitae and cover letter by Wednesday 30th September 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
The client is an equal opportunity employer. Selection will be based on qualifications, experience, competence and suitability for the role.