Technical Manager

Reference: 10839 MLR Consultant: Michelle le Roux Job Description:

• Provide orchard management advisory services to producers, including best practices in irrigation, nutrition, pruning, canopy management, pest and disease control, and harvest readiness.
• Manage the performance of the technical team through leadership, coaching, objective setting, and skills development.
• Oversee implementation of all technical programmes, ensuring consistent rollout of production, monitoring, and phytosanitary initiatives across growers.
• Compile and distribute production and industry information, including crop estimates, maturity data, technical updates, and market insights.
• Ensure adherence to QC protocols from orchard through packhouse operations, working closely with quality teams to maintain export standards.
• Oversee producer accreditation compliance across Global G.A.P., SIZA, PPECB and other relevant schemes, including audit preparation and corrective action management.
• Provide advice on claims, investigating fruit quality issues, conducting root-cause analysis, and recommending corrective actions.
• Identify new citrus cultivars and evaluate their suitability for future production and market programmes.
• Manage procurement of packaging materials, forecasting needs, negotiating with suppliers, and ensuring compliance with export specifications.

• Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Plant Production, or a related field (Honours advantageous).
• Additional training in post-harvest physiology, quality systems, or food safety management beneficial.
• 7-10 years experience in the citrus or broader fruit export industry, covering both production and post-harvest environments.
• Deep knowledge of citrus production practices, crop protection, nutrition, and maturity indexing.
• Strong understanding of export market standards, phytosanitary requirements, and cold-chain principles.
• Proven experience providing technical advisory services to growers.
• Prior involvement with export compliance, including GlobalG.A.P., SIZA, and PPECB requirements.
• Experience working with packhouses, QC teams, logistics, or export partners.
• Demonstrated ability to manage or coordinate a technical team.
• Exposure to marketing programmes or procurement of packaging materials is an advantage.

• Email your comprehensive CV to .
• If you are already registered, please forward your CV and the relevant reference number to the consultant with whom you are currently registered in order to avoid duplicity on our system.
• We reserve the right to only conduct interviews with candidates of choice.
• Applicants who have not received feedback within 30 days from the closing date must please accept their application as unsuccessful.