Alliance One Tobacco (Malawi) Limited is a subsidiary of a trusted provider of responsibly sourced, independently verified, sustainable and traceable agricultural products and ingredients, operating in Malawi servicing the needs of its shareholders and their customers.

Alliance One Tobacco (Malawi) Ltd is seeking applications for the position of

Technical Manager

The successful applicant will ensure optimal factory performance through comprehensive technical leadership across all tobacco processing operations, including threshing, redrying, packing, and quality assurance. The role encompasses strategic process optimization, customer technical liaison, cross-functional management capability, and engineering principals to deliver products according to customer specifications while optimizing operational efficiencies, yield performance, and regulatory compliance.

Reporting to the Factory Director, key responsibilities will include the following;-

Key responsibilities: –

• Ensures comprehensive tobacco processing excellence through provision of technical expertise and leadership oversight for all tobacco processing operations including threshing, hand stemming, bundles, butted loose leaf, loose leaf, Butt Tip Cut, and wrapper processing while ensuring operational teams maintain proficiency and safety standards across all processes
• Collaborates and supports colleagues in the production domain while fostering effective inter-departmental cooperation as required.
• Effectively manages personnel assigned to support production and inculcate values centered around best practices and workplace safety
• Establishes technical standards and provides strategic oversight for all by-products generated from processing operations, ensuring operational teams implement optimal handling, storage, and value recovery procedures
• Facilitates technical liaison with customers to understand customer standards and procedures and future requirements, facilitating proactive factory preparation for process changes and special requirements
• Conducts customer factory inspections, pre-season verifications, and maintains compliance with social responsibility programs
• Provides timely and accurate technical reports to customers while addressing inquiries and resolving technical issues promptly
• Designs and implements process and procedural changes to comply with customer demands while ensuring maximum factory efficiency and minimal downtime
• Analyses factory performance metrics and implements continuous improvement initiatives to optimize yield, throughput, and cost-effectiveness .

Qualifications & Experience:

• A Degree or Relevant Tertiary studies in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or Chemical Engineering)
• Master’s Degree in Engineering or Business Administration may be an added advantage
• At least ten (10) years of management experience in an Agri-processing environment, preferably with prior tobacco processing experience
• Customer relationship management and technical liaison experience
• Process design and equipment specification experience
• Excellent computer skills and Data-driven and analytical capabilities.

The Person: –

The successful candidate must have an excellent Engineering background with hands-on technical experience of at least ten (10) years, excellent Interaction Management skills and ability to relate with a diverse group of people; capacity for Stakeholder engagement, with experience in managing engineering, production and/or operational teams.

Tenable in Lilongwe, Malawi, the job offers a competitive pay and benefits package.Malawi job market

• Ensures comprehensive tobacco processing excellence through provision of technical expertise and leadership oversight for all tobacco processing operations including threshing, hand stemming, bundles, butted loose leaf, loose leaf, Butt Tip Cut, and wrapper processing while ensuring operational teams maintain proficiency and safety standards across all processes
• Collaborates and supports colleagues in the production domain while fostering effective inter-departmental cooperation as required.
• Effectively manages personnel assigned to support production and inculcate values centered around best practices and workplace safety
• Establishes technical standards and provides strategic oversight for all by-products generated from processing operations, ensuring operational teams implement optimal handling, storage, and value recovery procedures
• Facilitates technical liaison with customers to understand customer standards and procedures and future requirements, facilitating proactive factory preparation for process changes and special requirements
• Conducts customer factory inspections, pre-season verifications, and maintains compliance with social responsibility programs
• Provides timely and accurate technical reports to customers while addressing inquiries and resolving technical issues promptly
• Designs and implements process and procedural changes to comply with customer demands while ensuring maximum factory efficiency and minimal downtime
• Analyses factory performance metrics and implements continuous improvement initiatives to optimize yield, throughput, and cost-effectiveness .

• Customer relationship management
• Technical liaison
• Process design
• Equipment specification
• Excellent computer skills
• Data-driven and analytical capabilities
• Interaction Management skills
• Stakeholder engagement

• A Degree or Relevant Tertiary studies in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or Chemical Engineering)
• Master’s Degree in Engineering or Business Administration may be an added advantage
• At least ten (10) years of management experience in an Agri-processing environment, preferably with prior tobacco processing experience
• Customer relationship management and technical liaison experience
• Process design and equipment specification experience
• Excellent computer skills and Data-driven and analytical capabilities.
• Excellent Engineering background with hands-on technical experience of at least ten (10) years
• Excellent Interaction Management skills and ability to relate with a diverse group of people
• Capacity for Stakeholder engagement, with experience in managing engineering, production and/or operational teams.