OVERVIEW

Illovo Sugar (Malawi) plc is the country's leading producer of raw, refined and specialty sugars; employing more than 9000 employees. Illovo Sugar (Malawi) plc is part of Illovo Sugar Africa Group; a wholly-owned subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc (ABF).

• Unit: Estate Agriculture
• Reporting To: Agric. Optimization Manager

• Develop and oversee the execution of weekly drone flight schedules that align with the plan and yield optimization goals.
• Directly supervise Drone Pilots in the execution of precision application missions to ensure treatments meet standards.
• Validate mission boundaries and flight plans developed by pilots to ensure maximum coverage & georeferenced data accuracy.
• Design and implement SOPs for drone maintenance, battery management and data transfer protocols.
• Lead the adoption of new UAV technology and sensors to drive agronomic modernization and improved cost of production.
• Coordinate with GIS Specialists and Extension Officers to ensure drone-derived field intelligence is integrated into farm management systems for decision-making.
• Monitor and report on drone team KPIs, including total hectares covered, application rate accuracy, and mission success rates.
• Manage the preventative maintenance and calibration schedule for all UAV platforms and sensors to minimize equipment downtime.
• Conduct technical performance reviews and capability gap assessments for Drone Pilots to guide coaching, mentoring and technical training.
• Oversee pre-flight risk assessments and site surveys to ensure all operations adhere to local aviation laws and corporate safety standards.
• Promote and adhere to Illovo's procedures, policies and guidelines, including, without limitation, those relating to SHERQ, Competition Law and Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC).

• Strong agriculture data analysis skills.
• Experience with CanePro (or similar) would be an advantage.

• Bachelor's degree in GIS, Land Surveying, Agricultural Engineering, or Agronomy.
• Valid Drone Pilot Certificate (Remote Pilot License – RPL).