Hatchery Operations Manager

Hatchery Operations Manager

The Hatchery Operations Manager's role is to manage the Ross Central Africa (RCA) Hatchery Operations. To lead and develop the business of Ross Central Africa and succeed the financial, commercial, and production targets of the business within RCA. Location of the role is Mazabuka, Zambia (on site).

Specific Duties:

• Lead and develop the Ross Central Africa Hatchery team.
• Responsible for establishing and implementing a long-term operations plan and expenditure to achieve agreed business goals.
• Responsible for establishing and implementing long-term requirement forecasts in the context of strategic changes in the market, competitor activity, and specific demand for RCA products.
• Ensuring to regularly update production forecasts within the forecast sales with appropriate detail.
• Ensure direct sales of Parent Stock chicks to customers in the region by developing long-term positive relationships with senior management teams, negotiating product mix, volumes, timing, and pricing.
• Direct and coordinate hatchery activities such as hatching of eggs, sorting, vaccinating, and shipping of chicks and maintenance of facilities and equipment.
• Plan hatching schedules for a variety of chicks considering factors such as customer orders, hatching facilities, and equipment.
• Seek out and act upon opportunities for growth and development of the business, both short and long term.
• Oversee and lead the GP production with the management of the production function to ensure an appropriate balance of meeting high demands for product volumes and quality while controlling costs and operating to established standards of welfare, health, and bio-security.
• Oversee the production planning and customer service functions to ensure that customer requirement is met, always in coordination with the local, European, and international planning teams.
• Lead the management team to ensure that employees are motivated and capable of achieving business goals through appropriate recruitment, training, appraisal, and organizational development strategies.
• Ensure compliance with corporate policies, company agreements, and relevant legal, health & safety, and fiscal regulations.
• Develop relationships with relevant government authorities related to the position as appropriate.
• Drive efficiency through the whole operation using the detailed monthly benchmarking report to highlight areas of focus to improve.
• Full operational responsibility of the hatchery to plan, organize, and control the day-to-day activities of the hatching and delivery of day-old chicks to customers.
• Follow the strictest of welfare, quality, and biosecurity standards of the company.
• Develop and implement policies for the operation of hatcher to ensure attainment of goals and profitable operation.
• Hiring, training, evaluation, and discipline of hatchery staff.
• Maintain/create and interpret hatchery records on biological performance, costs, and bio-security.
• Plan hatching schedules for a variety of chicks considering factors such as customer orders, hatchery facilities, and equipment.
• Produce of all related compliance and production-related reports.
• To be an active member of the RCA management team.
• Implement RCA Mission, Vision, Values as our working ethics.
• Ensure Aviagen Group Compliance regulations implemented and followed.

Staff Management:

• 35 people
• The management must be achieved through influence and leadership rather than direct control.

Financial Management:

• Manage hatchery budget to be within the annual budget plans.

Personal Requirements for the role:

Specific Experience:

• 10-15 years' experience in the poultry industry, including production management (ideally across GP, PS & Broiler generations).
• Experience of working internationally, social, political, and cultural differences.
• Strong problem-solving skills to enable an analysis of issues and identification of possible solutions to a wide range of technical problems.
• Ability to communicate effectively and influentially verbally and in writing with a wide range of management levels, cultures, and personalities.
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrate ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Fluency in English.
• Working experience within Africa.

Personal Qualities:

• Strong management and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Initiative and drive to identify and act on opportunities and respond to business needs.
• Proactive personality exhibiting leadership and team-building qualities.
• High standard of integrity.
• Respectful to all cultures.
• Strategic thinking.
• Continuous improvement approach to maximize efficiency.

Qualifications:

• Formal qualifications in agriculture/poultry husbandry is required.
• Degree level qualification or experience to demonstrate depth of analytical skill.