Agricultural Operations Manager at Nine Stars Agricultural Company Limited

Nine Stars Limited is a dynamic and innovative agricultural and real estate company committed to transforming Nigeria’s market landscape. Based in Ogere-Remo,Ogun State, our company aims to provide unparalleled agricultural and real estate solutions, offering a wide range of services to meet the diverse needs of individuals and businesses alike.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Agricultural Operations Manager

Location: Ogere-Remo, Ogun
Employment Type: Full-time

Job Overview

• The company is developing a large-scale industrial new city project in Nigeria, currently in the construction and development stage. A large amount of land requires grass cutting, bush clearing, and tree removal, followed by long-term maintenance. In the future, some undeveloped land will be used for agricultural planting and operations.
• We are recruiting an experienced Agricultural Manager who can work hands-on in the field. This person will be responsible for managing land-clearing teams and agricultural planting operations.

Key Responsibilities
Overall Agricultural Planting Planning and Execution (Primary Responsibility):

• Develop annual/quarterly planting plans (crop selection, crop rotation plans)
• Manage the full planting process, including:
• Land preparation
• Sowing / seedling cultivation
• Fertilization and irrigation
• Pest and disease control
• Growth monitoring
• Harvesting and yield management
• Optimize crop output and agricultural profitability
• Establish standardized planting SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)

Agricultural Production System and On-site Management:

• Establish farmland production management systems and operating standards
• Organize agricultural production teams to execute planting plans
• Monitor crop growth quality and yield performance
• Promote demonstration plots / trial fields
• Control production costs and improve input-output ratio

Agricultural Labor Team Management:

• Manage field labor teams (farmers, casual workers, seasonal workers)
• Responsible for recruitment, grouping, scheduling, and attendance tracking
• Establish piece-rate or performance incentive systems
• Manage foreman system
• Resolve labor disputes, conflicts, and discipline issues

Farmland Basic Maintenance:

• Responsible for basic farmland maintenance (weed control, boundary clearing, etc.)
• Ensure stable farming environment in planting areas
• Coordinate the use of basic tools and equipment (brush cutters, farming tools, etc.)

Agricultural Inputs and Cost Control:

• Manage seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and other agricultural inputs
• Establish inventory and usage tracking system
• Control production cost and reduce waste
• Conduct basic review and planning for procurement

Government and Community Coordination:

• Maintain relationships with local communities and coordinate agriculture-related communication
• Support liaison with relevant agricultural government departments
• Assist in resolving basic coordination issues related to land/farmers

Data Recording and Reporting:

• Prepare agricultural production plans and execution reports
• Submit regular yield, cost, and problem analysis reports
• Record crop growth data and production results
• Support management decision-making and analysis

Basic Background Requirements

• Nigerian local candidate
• Recommended age: 40–50 years old
• (too young may lack authority; too old may lack physical strength/execution ability)
• Education: not strict requirement
• Major in agriculture / agronomy / land management / environmental management / forestry is preferred
• Language:
  • Working English communication (must)
  • Plus one major local language (Yoruba / Hausa / Igbo)
  • Most Critical Experience Requirements (Mandatory)
• Real large-scale farmland / farm management experience
• Minimum 5 years agricultural or farm operations experience
• Experience managing 50–200 seasonal workers/farm laborers is ideal
• Practical planting experience in at least one of the following crops:
• maize, cassava, vegetables, rice, banana, palm, etc.
• Experience in land clearing, land development, or forestry/estate management
• Skilled in grass cutting, tree cutting, bush clearing, drainage trench digging
• Familiar with common Nigerian tools such as:
• cutlass, brush cutter, chainsaw, etc.
• Experience in plantation / estate / large land clearing is a strong advantage
• Must Be Able to Manage People and Deliver Execution

The biggest challenge of this role is that the farming/labor workforce is scattered, undisciplined, often lazy, inefficient, and may cause conflicts.
Therefore, the candidate must have:

• Strong leadership and foreman management ability
• Scheduling, piece-rate payment design, and attendance control ability
• Experience handling injuries, conflicts, theft, etc.
• Ability to establish rules and systems (performance management, rewards/punishments, daily reports, weekly plans)
• Personality Traits (Very Important)
• Strong execution ability, willing to work in the field and supervise on site
• Not afraid of dirt, sun, or conflicts with workers
• Used to working closely with frontline laborers, not an office-based “academic type”
• Principle-driven and authoritative, but not violent/aggressive
• Avoid the Following Candidate Types
• Pure academic/research background (university lecturer, researcher) without team management experience
• NGO agricultural officers who only write reports, PPTs, or project proposals
• Small farm owners (only 5–10 acres)
• People overly dependent on connections and kickbacks (common in Nigeria)

Competency Model:
Land Clearing and Maintenance Capability:

• Able to develop clearing plans: which plots first, manpower required, days needed
• Able to estimate tool requirements, fuel usage, blade replacement, brush cutter maintenance
• Understand safety management (especially chainsaws, brush cutters, and controlled burning risks)

Labor Organization Capability:

• Recruit and manage foremen
• Design piece-rate wage system (per acre / per meter / per truckload, etc.)
• Attendance, discipline, and conflict management
• Control theft, tool loss, and material waste

Agricultural Planting Technical Capability:

• Crop and variety selection
• Basic agronomy: sowing, seedling raising, fertilization, irrigation, pest/disease control
• Harvesting and storage
• Able to run small-scale demonstration plots

Government / Community Coordination Capability:

• Able to communicate with village leaders, land communities, and farmer associations
• Understand local community “sensitive issues.”
• Prevent disputes caused by tree cutting/land clearing

Basic Administration and Reporting Capability:

• Able to write simple English reports
• Able to prepare weekly work plans and cost budgets
• Able to use mobile phone photos to record field progress
• Able to report and coordinate with the Chinese management team

Job Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of agricultural/farm/plantation operations management experience
• Experience in large-scale land clearing, land development, or plantation management preferred
• Experience managing large labor teams (50+ people preferred)
• Able to live on site and adapt to high-intensity outdoor field work
• English + local language
• Strong responsibility, execution ability, and ability to independently solve on-site issues.

Salary
N150,000 - N300,000 per month.

Application Closing Date
31st May, 2026.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and cover letter to: ninestars.recruitment@yahoo.com using “Agricultural Operations Manager” as the subject of the email.