Tata Consumer Product - Agro Operations Manager

Role Overview: We are looking for an experienced Agro Operations Manager to manage and optimize end-to-end agricultural operations, sourcing, procurement, supply chain coordination, and field-level execution. The role will be responsible for ensuring operational efficiency, quality, productivity, cost optimization, and timely availability of agricultural produce and raw materials. The ideal candidate should have strong experience in agro operations, farmer and vendor management, procurement, supply chain coordination, quality management, and data-driven operational improvement. Key Responsibilities: Agro Operations Management: - Manage end-to-end agro operations across assigned regions, ensuring efficient execution of sourcing, procurement, aggregation, handling, storage, and movement of agricultural produce. - Develop and implement operational processes to improve productivity, quality, cost efficiency, and turnaround time. - Coordinate with field teams, farmers, aggregators, vendors, warehouses, logistics partners, and internal stakeholders to ensure smooth operations. - Monitor daily operational performance and resolve field-level challenges and bottlenecks. Procurement & Sourcing: - Drive procurement and sourcing of agricultural commodities in line with business requirements. - Develop and maintain strong relationships with farmers, farmer groups, aggregators, suppliers, and other sourcing partners. - Monitor procurement volumes, pricing, quality, availability, and seasonality of agricultural commodities. - Identify new sourcing opportunities and strengthen the supplier and farmer network. Quality & Compliance: - Ensure agricultural produce meets defined quality specifications and business standards. - Implement quality checks across sourcing, collection, handling, storage, and transportation processes. - Monitor rejection, wastage, damage, and quality-related losses and implement corrective actions. - Ensure adherence to applicable regulatory, safety, quality, and operational requirements. Supply Chain & Logistics: - Coordinate movement of agricultural produce from sourcing locations to warehouses, processing facilities, or designated destinations. - Optimize transportation routes, vehicle utilization, handling costs, and logistics turnaround time. - Monitor inventory levels, storage capacity, material movement, and stock reconciliation. - Work closely with warehouse and logistics teams to ensure timely and efficient movement of produce. Cost & Operational Excellence: - Identify opportunities for cost reduction across procurement, handling, storage, transportation, and field operations. - Track operational expenses and ensure effective utilization of resources. - Analyze operational data to identify inefficiencies, cost leakages, productivity gaps, and opportunities for improvement. - Develop performance metrics and dashboards to monitor operational KPIs. Stakeholder Management: - Manage relationships with farmers, suppliers, aggregators, logistics partners, warehouses, field teams, and internal business stakeholders. - Lead regular performance reviews and ensure timely resolution of operational issues. - Coordinate with procurement, finance, quality, supply chain, sales, and business teams to achieve operational objectives. Data Analytics & Reporting: - Use Excel and other analytical tools to monitor procurement, commodity movement, inventory, quality, cost, and operational performance. - Prepare regular MIS and management reports. - Use data-driven insights to improve forecasting, procurement planning, resource allocation, and operational efficiency. Key Performance Indicators: - Procurement volume and value - Farmer and supplier network growth - Procurement cost optimization - Quality compliance - Rejection and wastage percentage - Inventory accuracy - Transportation and logistics efficiency - Operational turnaround time - Cost per unit or MT - Supplier and farmer performance - Process compliance - Overall operational productivity Required Skills & Experience: - 6 - 10 years of experience in Agro Operations, Agriculture, Agri Supply Chain, Procurement, Commodity Operations, or related fields. - Strong hands-on experience in managing agricultural sourcing and field operations. - Experience in farmer, supplier, aggregator, and vendor management. - Strong understanding of agricultural commodities, procurement cycles, seasonality, quality parameters, and supply chain processes. - Experience in logistics, warehousing, inventory, and commodity movement. - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. - Advanced proficiency in MS Excel and operational reporting. - Strong stakeholder management, negotiation, and communication skills. - Ability to manage multiple locations, teams, vendors, and operational priorities. Preferred Experience: - Experience with large-scale agricultural procurement or commodity operations. - Exposure to digital agriculture, farm-to-market operations, or technology-enabled supply chains. - Experience in process improvement, cost optimization, and operational excellence. - Strong understanding of regional agricultural ecosystems and supplier networks. - Ability to work in dynamic field-oriented environments and manage complex operational situations.