Agricultural Equipment Engineering Manager

Agriculture, Fishing & Forestry

Lagos

The job holder will ensure precision in design, construction, and effectiveness in field operations. Also, create the path for comprehensive future engineering development.

• Minimum Qualification: Degree
• Experience Level: Management level
• Experience Length: 15 years

• Research every minutest operation in the production process of crops such as maize, rice, soybeans, sorghum, millet, wheat, sesame, cassava, ginger, tomato, etc. 
• Study the prevailing practices (manual & mechanical) starting from land clearance & land preparation, through planting, fertilizer application, herbicide, insecticide and fungicide application, manual & mechanical weeding to harvest and post-harvest. 
• Travel extensively across the country’s agricultural areas to capture all critical & relevant parameters such as climatic conditions, soil structure(triangle of clay, silt  & sand), dust, temperature, humidity, water accessibility, power accessibility, the specific variety of each crop – plant structure - foliage, root system, grain, husk, shell, seeds, foreign matter, planting window, harvest window, etc.  
• Analyze ridging, bed, flat field, plant-to-plant & row-to-row spacing, germination rate, plant density, irrigation practices, average field size, margins for turning radius, field accessibility, loading/offloading facilities, etc. 
• Identify opportunities in each operation to migrate the farmers from prevailing practices to contemporary operations by designing precise mechanization solutions. 
• Collaborate with the design engineers at the manufacturing works to develop cost-effective equipment suited precisely to the field applications. 
• Factor in every element including but not limited to metallurgy, the strength of the material, metal gauge, engine ratings, fuel quality, electric motor ratings, power transmission & gearbox design, lubrication, oil seal, heat dissipation.
• Connectivity adaptation of overseas equipment to local sockets/parts, speed ratios, torque, HP, capacities, hours of operation, etc. 
• Design the complete solution encompassing principal equipment, implements, and accessories. 
• Cooperate with the Sales team, Service team, and Logistics team to understand their needs, actively seek genuine feedback, and institute continuous improvement processes for field trials & performance. 
• Prepare comprehensive operating, maintenance & safety manuals for all equipment in coordination with the principal manufacturer. 
• Conduct exhaustive theory & practical training programs for internal staff on each critical equipment to ensure total familiarity with equipment operations. Extend similar training programs to select external stakeholders as required from time to time by sales & service teams. 
• Prepare the company equipment portfolio and update it at periodic intervals in line with the business plan and in coordination with the Business Head and sales manager. 
• Prepare the spare parts inventory program in coordination with the service manager with due regard to critical parts and routine replacement parts. 
• Place regular orders on the manufacturing works for equipment & spares in coordination with the Business Head, Sales Manager, Service Manager, and Logistics Manager. Coordinate with the manufacturing works for order registration, manufacturing, inspection, and dispatch; manage the lead times jointly with the sales and logistics to ensure timely arrival & optimal inventory levels.  
• Lead the development of an in-house workshop including blueprint design, location identification & selection, sourcing of machine tools, fabrication equipment & material handling, selection of vendors & contractors, negotiation and finalization, supervision of erection & commission, etc.  
• Lead the development of manufacturing facilities including import vs domestic assessment, ancillary industry, fabrication contractors, metalworking, machine shop, design engineering, assembly line, surface protection & coatings, QA & QC, necessary licenses, manpower & supply chain planning, etc.

• Minimum 15 - 20 years experience in managing agricultural equipment. 
• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering. 
• Specialization or added qualification in agricultural mechanization is preferable. 
• Agricultural Engineering, Engineering Design, Metallurgy, Metal Working, Fabrication, Engine, Soil Structure, Crop Processing.

26 Apr, 2022