Head of Agronomy Job Description, KRAs and Skills

A Head of Agronomy leads the crop science and field advisory of an agri company, driving better yields and practices across the farmers it works with. The role reports to the Head of Agri Business or Chief Executive Officer. A good head of agronomy builds crop programs that lift yield and quality, gets farmers to adopt better practices, leads the agronomists and field teams, runs demonstration and trial plots, keeps advisory scientifically sound and locally practical, and turns agronomy into a service that improves farmer incomes and secures the produce the business needs.

Detail	For this role
Department	Agriculture and Food Processing
Level	Senior management
Reports to	Head of Agri Business
Direct reports	Agronomist, Soil Scientist, Plant Protection Officer
Experience	12+ years in agronomy with field and leadership roles

Head of Agronomy job description template

Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.

Job title: Head of Agronomy

Department: Agriculture and Food Processing

Reports to: Head of Agri Business

Location: [City], [office, branch or site]

About the role

Key responsibilities

Set crop programs and agronomy advisory to lift yield and quality for the farmers.
Lead the agronomists and field teams and hold them to advisory coverage and outcomes.
Design demonstration and trial plots to prove and spread better practices.
Drive farmer adoption of improved seeds, nutrition and crop protection practices.
Keep advisory scientifically sound, locally suited and safe on input use.
Build crop calendars and package of practices for the key crops and regions.
Coordinate soil health, nutrition and pest management programs across the field.
Support procurement by improving the quality and volume of produce grown.
Track yield improvement and adoption and act on the areas that lag.
Develop the agronomists through training, field coaching and clear performance goals.

Requirements

Postgraduate in agronomy or agriculture science
Deep knowledge of the region crops and soils
Experience leading field agronomy teams
12+ years in agronomy with field and leadership roles

KRAs and KPIs for a Head of Agronomy

Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.

Key result area	How to measure it
Yield improvement	Yield improvement on program farms against the agreed target
Practice adoption	Farmer adoption of recommended practices above the agreed level
Advisory coverage	Farmers covered by agronomy advisory against the seasonal target
Demonstrations	Demonstration and trial plots run against the agreed plan
Produce quality	Quality of produce from program farms above the agreed level
Team capability	Agronomist competence and coverage improved against plan

Skills and tools

Agronomy and crop sciencePackage of practicesYield improvementTrial and demonstration designSoil and nutrition managementPest managementFarmer extensionLeadershipAnalytical thinkingCoaching

Tools used day to day: Crop advisory tools, Soil and weather data, Trial data software, MS Excel, Farmer management systems.

Reporting line and career path

Moves up from: Agronomist, Soil Scientist, Agri Business Manager
Next roles: Head of Agri Business, Chief Executive Officer, Research Head

Interview questions for a Head of Agronomy

How do you design a crop program that actually lifts farmer yields?
How do you get farmers to adopt a new practice they are wary of?
How do you use demonstration plots to spread better practices?
How do you keep advisory scientifically sound yet practical for small farmers?
How do you coordinate soil, nutrition and pest programs across a region?
How do you develop agronomists into strong field advisers?

Managing a Head of Agronomy in ZeniaHR

AttendanceField and office based on general hours with heavy field travel in the crop season. Use mobile app punch with location and check in spots for farm and demo visits, and web punch on office days, with on duty requests for field travel.LeavePlan leave away from sowing, key growth stages and harvest when field advisory peaks. The leave ledger tracks balances and the team leave calendar shows field cover across regions.Performance and KRAsSet yield improvement, practice adoption and advisory coverage as goals in an annual review cycle with seasonal reviews. Rate probation reviews for new agronomists on the one to five scale with a comment.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a Head of Agronomy do?

A Head of Agronomy leads the crop science and field advisory of an agri company. They set crop programs, lead agronomists, run demonstration plots and drive farmers to adopt better practices. They lift yield and quality, keep advisory sound and practical, and improve the produce the business sources.

What is the difference between a Head of Agronomy and a Head of Agri Business?

A Head of Agri Business owns the commercial side: revenue, procurement, input sales and market linkage. A Head of Agronomy owns the crop science: advisory, yield, practices and field programs. Agronomy improves how farmers grow; agri business turns that into a profitable operation. They work closely together.

What qualifications does a Head of Agronomy need?

Most roles ask for a postgraduate degree in agronomy or agriculture science with deep knowledge of the region crops and soils and long field experience. Employers value a record of lifting yields and driving practice adoption, plus the leadership to build and coach a field agronomy team.