Agronomist — Rain-Fed Operations Job FinAgra

Agricultural Jobs. FinAgra KE Limited Jobs

Department:  Agronomy

Reports to:  Head of Ag Ops — Rain-Fed (Anthony Muiruri Njoroge) / CFOO (Gabriel Chinembiri)

Location:  Nairobi (with extensive field travel to active farm counties)

Contract type:  Full-time

Start date:  Immediate

About FinAgra

FinAgra KE Limited is a technology-driven shared farming company operating across Kenya. We partner with Rural Entrepreneur Partners (REPs) — local operators who manage commercial farming projects on our behalf under a profit-sharing model. FinAgra provides all working capital, agronomy, procurement, and market access. REPs provide land access and on-ground management.

We operate FinAgra OS — a proprietary farm management operating system built on ERPNext and X-Farm — that digitises every aspect of crop planning, input management, field monitoring, and financial performance tracking.

The Role

• The Agronomist is the technical backbone of FinAgra’s field operations. You will design and implement Crop Production Plans for every active REP Project site, provide direct agronomic advisory to REPs and field officers throughout the farming cycle, conduct field visits and formal crop audits, manage pest and disease interventions, validate inputs, and ensure all agronomic data is captured accurately and in real time on X-Farm and ERPNext.
• This is not a desk role. You will be in the field. You will also be expected to build farm operational plans, cost models, and yield projections with the same rigour and precision that you apply in the field — using our digital tools, not spreadsheets alone.
• The Agronomist reports to the Head of Ag Ops (Rain-Fed) and works closely with the CFOO, Operations, Procurement, and Controls & Performance teams.

Key Responsibilities

Crop Production Planning

• Design, prepare, and own the written Crop Production Plan for each active and upcoming REP Project site, covering crop selection, variety, planting and harvest windows, fertilizer programme, agrochemical protocols, irrigation schedule, seed rates, and equipment specifications.
• Develop seasonal crop calendars for each Project site, specifying precise timing for every agronomic activity from land preparation through post-harvest, aligned to the specific agro-climatic conditions of each location.
• Build detailed fertilizer programmes, pest and disease management plans, and irrigation schedules for each crop and site.
• Submit Crop Production Plans to the CFOO for approval before any REP commences planting. No planting without an approved CPP.
• Input all Crop Production Plans into X-Farm and ERPNext as the master operational record for each season.

Agronomic Support to REPs & Field Officers

• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for all active REPs on all crop production matters throughout the farming cycle.
• Provide direct, hands-on agronomic advisory and technical support to REPs — visiting farms, diagnosing problems, prescribing interventions, and verifying implementation.
• Train REPs and Field Officers before each planting season on FinAgra’s agronomic protocols, SOP compliance requirements, and X-Farm usage for field data capture.
• Support REPs in achieving target yields, quality standards, and market specifications required under FinAgra’s offtake agreements.

Farm Visits, Audits & Crop Performance Monitoring

• Conduct regular scheduled and unannounced farm visits to all active REP Project sites.
• Conduct formal technical audits at each critical agronomic milestone: land preparation completion, germination assessment (within 14 days of planting), mid-season crop health, pre-harvest yield estimation, and post-harvest loss assessment.
• Upload all field visit findings, photographs, and agronomic data to X-Farm within 48 hours of each visit. No exceptions.
• Flag all material deviations from the Crop Production Plan — germination failures, pest outbreaks, yield shortfalls — to the Head of Ag Ops and Controls & Performance Department within 24 hours of identification.

Farm Economics, Yield Projections & Crop Planning Models

• Build farm-level financial models and yield projection models for each new and existing Project site, working from the Crop Production Plan to project expected Production Costs, Net Revenue, and profit share outcomes.
• Prepare Input & Services Requisition calculations for each Project site as the primary basis for Procurement to plan seasonal input orders.
• Conduct end-of-season yield vs. CPP forecast variance analysis for every active Project site and submit a formal written agronomic performance report to the Head of Ag Ops and CFOO.
• Contribute to the development of crop economic benchmarks — minimum yield thresholds, maximum Production Cost budgets — for use in REP screening and investment appraisal.

Input Validation & ESG Compliance

• Verify all input deliveries at REP farm warehouses before distribution — confirming product identity, quantity, condition, and compliance with KEPHIS, PCPB, and KEBS standards.
• Conduct or supervise incoming quality control inspections for seeds received at the farm warehouse — checking germination viability, seed purity, moisture content, and KEPHIS certification documentation. Record QC outcomes in ERPNext Quality Inspection records. Reject non-conforming batches and notify the Procurement team and Warehouse Manager immediately.
• Maintain complete records of all agrochemical applications on each Project site, including product, rate, date, and applicator.
• Enforce zero tolerance for prohibited inputs or practices. Escalate any ESG compliance breaches immediately.

Input Product Specifications to Procurement

• Prepare and submit detailed written product specifications for every farm input required each season — seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals, irrigation materials, and crop-specific inputs — to the Procurement team before any procurement process is initiated.
• Each specificatio