Head of Farmer Services

Head of Farmer Services Position Details

• Division: Farmer Services
• Reports to: Factory General Manager
• Location: San Miguel, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines
• Employment: Full-time | Positions: One
• Work pattern: Factory-based leadership with regular travel to farming communities, buying stations and twining locations. About Syntegral Global Solutions Syntegral Global Solutions develops coconut processing operations in the Philippines, working with farmers and communities to produce high-quality products for export. The company combines modern processing with practical farming support, fair transactions and opportunities for local livelihoods. Position Purpose The Head of Farmer Services leads the people and services that connect farming communities with the San Miguel factory. The role is accountable for farmer relationships, reliable raw-material supply, buying-station performance, the home-based twining programme and farm sustainability support. The Head turns factory requirements into practical field and collection plans. Current supply planning must support 300,000 whole coconuts and an additional 100,000 husks per operating day. Plans must distinguish whole coconuts from separately supplied husks and coordinate their delivery with factory Operations. Team Leadership The role leads five functions through the Farmer Training Lead, Farmer Productivity & Community Lead, Buying Station Lead, Twining Lead and Sustainability Lead. The field network includes 10 municipality supervisors and approximately 60 field staff. The buying network has 13 mobile stations, with three staff per station and at least one additional person at each of the three stations handling fibre and twine. The Head ensures staffing plans cover these additional duties. Farmer Relationships and Field Services
• Lead a programme of regular visits and community meetings across every sitio, the smaller groups of households and farms within a barangay. Ensure each area has a named field contact and supervisor.
• Build trust before asking farmers to register or supply coconuts. Ensure staff explain contracts, pricing, payment and support in language farmers understand, listen to concerns and follow through on commitments.
• Oversee farmer identification and registration. Ensure field staff collect complete information for Know Your Customer (KYC) checks and submit it to the central Identity and Access Management (IAM) platform for verification and approval.
• Ensure farm records include location, size, crop condition and productivity information. Oversee field checks, Global Positioning System (GPS) mapping and accurate data entry; structured farm data collection forms part of the field staff role.
• Lead practical advice on soil, drainage, planting, crop maintenance, pests, harvesting and post-harvest handling. Ensure advice is suitable for the farm and respects the farmer’s control over their land and crops.
• Ensure fertilizer and seedling needs are assessed and recorded. Field staff check correct application and planting after Buying Station staff distribute the approved inputs.
• Ensure delivery shortages and quality problems reported by buying stations lead to timely farmer follow-up. Resolve recurring concerns and escalate disputes or commitments outside the division’s authority. Supply Planning and Coordination
• Work with Operations to translate daily factory requirements into harvest, collection and delivery schedules. Review expected supply, farmer readiness, collection coverage and potential shortfalls.
• Ensure schedules reflect farm conditions, harvest maturity and realistic travel distances. Coordinate transport requirements with the responsible logistics team and alert the General Manager early to supply risks.
• Prepare recovery plans for weather disruption, missed deliveries and quality problems without pressuring farmers to make commitments they cannot meet. Training and Farmer Support Lead the training plan for field teams, buying stations and Twiners. Include technical skills, clear communication, confidentiality, safe fieldwork and teaching farmers to use the electronic wallet (e. Wallet). Confirm that dedicated KYC and e. Wallet training is available, assess practical competence and arrange coaching where staff need support. Buying Station Operations
• Lead the daily deployment and performance of the 13 mobile buying stations. Ensure locations and schedules are communicated and stations are prepared before departure, including charged batteries, fuel, communications and working equipment.
• Ensure staff scan the farmer’s identification (ID) card, confirm the delivery schedule and agreed quantity, and issue an electronic delivery job ticket before checking the delivery.
• Ensure helpers inspect and count delivered coconuts and staff confirm the accepted quantity before the system triggers an e. Wallet payment. Ensure farmers can check their resulting balance.
• Maintain accurate records of accepted quantities, delivery differences, quality issues and payments. Work with Finance and Digital Payments to investigate missing, delayed, duplicate or disputed transactions.
• Ensure Buying Station staff distribute fertilizer and seedlings against recorded requirements and maintain clear handover records. Review workload so input distribution does not disrupt buying, fibre collection or twine receiving.
• Ensure factory Administration prints ID cards centrally and Buying Station staff complete the separate two-factor authentication (2FA) check at card handover. Keep this check separate from central KYC approval. Home Based Twining Programme
• Lead the Twining Lead and Twining Officers in supporting contractors who convert supplied coconut fibre into finished twine. Align participation, training, quality and return schedules with factory weaving needs.
• Coordinate factory fibre deliveries to the three designated buying stations. Ensure staff record the bags issued to each Twiner and that Twiners are not charged for the supplied fibre.
• Ensure returned twine is inspected and weighed, the accepted quantity is recorded, and payment is triggered through the approved e. Wallet process. Monitor issued fibre, returned twine, outstanding material and quality trends.
• Address contractor concerns and production difficulties with the Twining team, and coordinate with Operations when shortages or quality issues could affect weaving. Sustainability and Farm Inputs Lead the factory sustainability programme, including nursery, seedling and fertilizer activities. Coordinate demand from farm assessments with corporate Sustainability and the nursery and fertilizer teams. Plan supply, monitor distribution and farmer uptake, and ensure field staff follow up on planting and application. Work with the designated community and government liaison functions on matters requiring their involvement. People Budget and Operating Controls
• Set clear work plans and responsibilities for each lead. Recruit, coach and review staff with Human Resources, and ensure coverage, supervision and succession arrangements support the division’s work.
• Prepare and manage the division’s budget, staffing, equipment and travel requirements. Approve expenditure only within delegated limits and explain material variances to the General Manager.
• Ensure safe field visits, equipment use and station operations. Include preparation checks, a buddy system for higher-risk locations, and clear arrangements for reporting incidents and obtaining emergency help.
• Ensure staff obtain informed consent before collecting personal and farm information and permission before taking photographs. Restrict access to sensitive records and follow company privacy and security procedures.
• Review operational results with the leads, assign corrective actions and track completion. Report supply risks, farmer concerns, payment issues, safety incidents and resource needs to the General Manager. Information and Systems Ensure farmer records, assessments, harvest schedules and fertilizer and seedling requirements are complete and current in the Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing (SAP) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, referred to as SAP CRM. Ensure delivery observations reach field staff and are used in follow-up. Work with the central identity, Digital Payments, Finance and Information Technology teams to resolve system and transaction problems. The division uses the systems and is accountable for the quality of its entries; central teams retain responsibility for platform administration, identity approval and payment-system controls. Authority and Accountability
• Direct the division’s daily work and allocate people and equipment within approved plans and budgets. Refer changes to staffing, major expenditure and commitments beyond delegated authority to the General Manager.
• Ensure centrally approved purchase prices are applied consistently. Do not permit field negotiation of prices or changes to farmer contracts outside the approved authority.
• Do not bypass KYC approval, card-handover checks or payment controls. Field staff do not approve identity records, print or issue cards, confirm delivery quantities or trigger payments.
• Keep cash handling outside field staff duties. Cash withdrawals are provided through controlled Cash Teller Machines (CTMs); cash access and payment infrastructure remain under the designated corporate functions. Performance Measures Agree targets and review periods with the General Manager. Evaluate both operational results and the relationship-building work needed to sustain them. Measures should include:
• Supply reliability: Accepted whole-coconut and husk quantities against plan, delivery timing, forecast accuracy and recovery of shortfalls.
• Farmer relationships: Active and retained suppliers, sitio coverage, follow-through on commitments, and resolution of farmer concerns.
• Farm support: Record accuracy, completed assessments, harvest schedules, input follow-up and evidence of changes in farm productivity and quality.
• Buying stations and payments: Readiness, transaction accuracy, payment exceptions, quality records and effective use of staff time.
• Twining and sustainability: Fibre and twine reconciliation, accepted twine output, contractor participation, nursery output, input distribution and farmer uptake.
• People and controls: Demonstrated staff competence, safe working practices, privacy compliance, completion of corrective actions and budget performance.

Qualifications

and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Agricultural Engineering, Business Administration or a related field. A relevant master’s degree is an advantage.
• At least 10 years of experience in agriculture, agribusiness, procurement or supply-chain management, including at least five years leading farmer engagement, agricultural operations or buying stations.
• Experience managing dispersed teams, farmer relationships, supply planning and operating budgets. Experience with contract farming, cooperatives or plantation operations is highly desirable.
• Practical understanding of coconut farming, harvest quality, rural livelihoods and community engagement. Ability to lead technical staff and turn specialist advice into clear work plans.
• Ability to oversee digital records, transaction controls and performance reporting, and to work effectively with Finance, Digital Payments and technology teams. Must be fluent in Bisaya. Key Capabilities Clear and respectful communication; sound judgement; reliable follow-through; people leadership; planning and problem-solving; budget management; and the ability to resolve concerns while maintaining farmer trust and company controls. Working Relationships Work closely with the Factory General Manager, Heads of Operations and Support Services, logistics teams, corporate Sustainability and Digital Payments, and the relevant government, community and Indigenous Peoples liaison functions. Maintain constructive relationships with farmers, Twiners, cooperatives and local leaders.