Senior Agronomist —Onion & Horticulture Operations

About Sanghar Exports

Sanghar Exports is a reputed exporter of fresh agricultural produce with a decade-long track record in onion cultivation across Gujarat. As part of the Sanghar Group (www.sanghargroup.com), we operate an integrated farm-to-export supply chain that combines contract farming networks with company-leased and self-managed farms, supplying premium produce to international buyers.

We are now expanding our farming footprint into Maharashtra and scaling our onion operations across both states. To lead this next phase of growth, we are hiring a Senior Agronomist who brings deep agronomic expertise alongside strong commercial discipline.

The Role

As Senior Agronomist, you will own the agronomic strategy and on-ground execution across our onion and horticulture operations in Gujarat and Maharashtra. You will be accountable for crop performance, yield optimisation, cost efficiency, and export-grade quality outcomes — across both our contract farming network and our self-managed/leased farms.

This is a senior, hands-on leadership role for a professional who can balance field-level rigour with commercial ownership, and who is comfortable using modern tools — ERP, MIS, remote sensing, and IoT — to drive farm decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Agronomic leadership: Lead end-to-end agronomic planning and execution for white onion cultivation across Gujarat and Maharashtra — including crop calendar, varietal selection, nursery management, irrigation, nutrition, integrated pest management (IPM), and harvest scheduling.
• Contract farming network: Manage and scale our contract farming operations — farmer onboarding, technical advisory, input planning, yield estimation, and quality conformance against export specifications.
• Self-managed farm operations: Drive both agronomic and commercial performance of leased and company-managed farms, including budgeting, cost-per-acre tracking, and P&L ownership at the farm and cluster level.
• SOPs and traceability: Establish, implement, and refine standard operating procedures across pre-sowing, in-season, and post-harvest stages to ensure consistency, traceability, and audit readiness.
• Technology-led decision making: Use remote sensing data and IoT-based field instrumentation (soil sensors, weather stations, irrigation controllers, etc.) to inform agronomic decisions and improve yield and harvest forecasting.
• ERP and MIS: Maintain rigorous farm records and reporting through the company's ERP and MIS systems; produce timely dashboards and analytics for leadership review.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with the export, procurement, and quality teams to align cultivation plans with buyer specifications and shipment schedules.
• Innovation: Identify and trial new varieties, agronomic practices, and technologies that improve yield, shelf life, and export-grade output.

Required Experience and Skills

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in horticulture, with proven expertise in underground crops — Allium (onion, garlic) and/or the tuber family (potato, etc.). Deep onion-specific experience will be a strong advantage.
• Demonstrated experience managing both contract farms and self-managed/leased farms, with full ownership of agronomic and commercial outcomes.
• Direct, hands-on management of at least 50 acres of cultivation under a single program.
• On-ground working experience in both Gujarat and Maharashtra — familiarity with the soil profiles, agro-climatic zones, farmer ecosystems, mandi structures, and regulatory environments of both states is essential.
• Working knowledge of remote sensing applications in agriculture and practical use of IoT devices for farm monitoring (soil moisture, weather, irrigation control, etc.).
• Proven experience using ERP systems and MIS dashboards for farm management — input tracking, cost accounting, yield reporting, and compliance documentation.
• Strong commercial mindset — comfortable with budgets, unit economics, cost optimisation, and ROI conversations alongside agronomy.
• Willingness to travel extensively across farm locations in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Horticulture, or a related discipline.
• Availability to join by June 1, 2026.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior exposure to export-oriented horticulture supply chains and international buyer requirements.
• Experience scaling farming operations into a new geography or new crop.
• Working proficiency in Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi, and English — to engage effectively with farmers, field teams, and leadership across regions.

What We Offer

• Senior leadership ownership of a fast-growing horticulture vertical within an established and reputed export business.
• Direct access to promoters and decision-making leadership.
• Competitive compensation aligned with experience and performance.
• The opportunity to shape farming operations across two of India's most important horticulture states — and to build the agronomic foundation for the company's next decade of growth.

How to Apply

Interested candidates can apply directly through LinkedIn or send their updated CV to sangharexports@sanghargroup.com with the subject line: "Senior Agronomist — Sanghar Exports".

We will review applications on a rolling basis. Given the June 1, 2026 joining requirement, early applications are encouraged.