Manager – Agri Business (Sourcing, Procurement & Biomass)

Manager – Agri Business (Sourcing, Procurement & Biomass)

Department: Operations
Location: Lahore, with frequent field travel across Punjab
Reporting To: COO

Key Responsibilities

1. Agricultural Sourcing & Market Intelligence

• Identify and develop sourcing networks across major agricultural and crop-producing regions of Punjab.

• Maintain a practical understanding of crop calendars, harvesting seasons, production clusters, mandi networks, market prices, crop yields and regional commodity availability.

• Develop crop-wise and area-wise sourcing strategies for wheat, maize/corn, paddy/rice, sesame and other relevant agricultural commodities and their by-products.

• Recommend what to buy, from which area, at what time, in what quantity and at what indicative price, considering seasonality, market trends, quality, logistics and expected demand.

• Monitor commodity price movements, supply-demand trends, crop estimates and market risks.

2. Procurement & Commercial Management

• Lead end-to-end procurement, including supplier identification, negotiations, rate finalization, contracting, purchase planning, quality checks, weighing, documentation and delivery.

• Develop long-term relationships with farmers, aggregators, commission agents, millers, processors and other suppliers.

• Prepare procurement budgets, buying plans, commodity-wise cost sheets and landed-cost analysis.

• Ensure transparent procurement practices, accurate weight measurement, reconciliation and compliance with approved commercial controls.

• Monitor supplier performance, procurement margins, working capital utilization and inventory exposure.

3. Biomass & Agricultural Residue Business

• Develop sourcing, procurement and sales strategies for wheat straw, corn cobs, rice husk, sesame straw and other commercially viable agricultural residues.

• Identify residue-producing regions, seasonal availability, aggregation points, competing buyers and potential sales destinations.

• Evaluate biomass quality, moisture, contamination, bulk density, storage requirements, transportation economics and suitability for different end users.

• Build relationships with biomass consumers, industrial boilers, biomass fuel users, processors and other relevant buyers.

• Develop profitable collection, baling, handling, storage, transportation and distribution models.

• Establish residue-specific pricing, quality specifications and commercial viability assessments.

4. Commodity Quality & Post-Harvest Management

• Establish commodity-wise quality standards, sampling procedures, inspection protocols and acceptance/rejection criteria.

• Develop practical knowledge of moisture content, foreign matter, broken/damaged grains, infestation, mold, discoloration, odor and other quality parameters.

• Understand the quality requirements of wheat, maize, paddy, sesame and other commodities, including grading and relevant food/feed safety requirements.

• Develop storage and preservation SOPs for grains, paddy, straw, corn cobs, rice husk and sesame straw, addressing moisture, aeration, drying, ventilation, temperature, pests, contamination and fire risks.

• Monitor stock condition through regular warehouse inspections, moisture checks, temperature monitoring where appropriate, stock rotation and inventory reconciliation.

• Reduce storage losses, deterioration, shrinkage, infestation and quality claims.

5. Warehousing, Fumigation & Inventory Control

• Supervise warehouse selection, capacity planning, stacking, bagging/bulk handling, stock segregation, housekeeping and storage conditions.

• Establish warehouse SOPs for receiving, sampling, weighing, stacking, dispatch, stock counts, traceability and documentation.

• Understand fumigation requirements, pest-risk assessment, treatment planning, exposure periods, monitoring, clearance and post-treatment inspection.

• Ensure fumigation is carried out only by qualified/authorized service providers, using approved products and applicable safety procedures.

• Ensure warehouse sealing, opening, aeration and re-entry are determined by the approved treatment protocol, gas monitoring and verified safe clearance—not by a fixed routine or smell.

• Maintain complete fumigation records, treatment certificates, stock inspection reports and warehouse safety documentation.

6. Contract Farming & Farmer Engagement

• Develop and manage contract farming and direct farmer sourcing models for selected crops and production areas.

• Identify suitable farmer clusters, growers, producer groups and service partners.

• Develop crop-wise farmer agreements covering acreage/quantity, varieties, input arrangements where applicable, quality specifications, pricing/formula, delivery schedules, weighing, payment terms and dispute resolution.

• Monitor crop progress, expected yields, harvesting timelines, production risks and committed supply.

• Establish transparent farmer engagement practices and reduce side-selling, default and delivery risks through commercially viable agreements.

7. Supply Chain & Distribution

• Plan the movement of commodities from farms, mandis and aggregation centers to warehouses, mills, processors and end customers.

• Optimize transport routes, vehicle utilization, freight costs, loading/unloading, turnaround time and delivery schedules.

• Coordinate procurement, warehousing, logistics, finance, quality and sales teams to maintain smooth operations.

• Develop supplier-to-customer supply chain visibility, stock availability reporting and traceability.

• Plan inventory levels based on demand forecasts, seasonal buying opportunities, storage capacity and working capital requirements.

8. Electronic Warehouse Receipts (EWR) & Commodity Financing

• Understand Pakistan's applicable Electronic Warehouse Receipt (EWR) framework and its operational requirements.

• Coordinate with eligible/licensed warehouses, collateral managers, banks and relevant stakeholders for warehouse eligibility, commodity grading, stock verification and receipt issuance.

• Understand EWR-backed financing, collateral valuation, margin requirements, insurance, stock monitoring, release procedures and reconciliation.

• Identify opportunities to improve commodity financing, inventory liquidity and working capital efficiency.

• Ensure proper controls over pledged, financed and unencumbered inventory.

Key Deliverables / KPIs

• Procurement volumes and achievement against approved plans.

• Gross margin and contribution per MT / commodity.

• Procurement cost competitiveness and landed cost accuracy.

• Supplier network development and contracted supply coverage.

• Commodity quality acceptance rate and customer claims.

• Storage losses and inventory discrepancies.

• Biomass sourcing volumes, sales realization and profitability.

• Inventory turnover, stock aging and working capital utilization.

• On-time procurement, delivery and fulfillment.

• Contract farming performance and committed supply realization.

• Warehouse compliance, safety and documentation.

• EWR readiness, eligible inventory coverage and reconciliation accuracy.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Business, Supply Chain, or a relevant discipline.

• 5–8 years of relevant experience in agricultural commodity sourcing, procurement, trading, warehousing, agri supply chain or biomass business; preferably with demonstrated managerial responsibility.

• Practical exposure to Pakistan's agricultural markets, crop-producing regions, crop calendars and seasonal procurement cycles.

• Proven experience in commodity quality assessment, post-harvest management, warehouse operations and inventory control.

• Working knowledge of contract farming, farmer engagement, biomass procurement and commodity commercialization.

• Familiarity with EWR systems, collateral management and commodity financing will be a strong advantage.

Required Competencies

• Strong commercial judgment and negotiation skills.

• Practical knowledge of agricultural commodities and their preservation.

• Strong analytical, planning and cost-management abilities.

• Market intelligence, supplier relationship management and team leadership.

• Willingness to travel extensively to sourcing areas and warehouses.

• High integrity, transparency and ownership.

We Offer

• Company car with fuel.

• Handsome salary.

• Customized lunch/ food allowance.

• Group Health Facility (IPD) for self and family.

• Gratuity.

• Paid leaves

• Opportunity to grow.