🌾 DIRECTOR OF IRRIGATION OPERATIONS — GREENBELT AUTHORITY (GBA)

📍 Location: Lilongwe, Malawi
💼 Job Type: 3-Year Renewable Performance-Related Contract
About GBA
Greenbelt Authority (GBA) is a Statutory Corporation established under the Greenbelt Authority Act No. 23 of 2017 — the engine driving the nation's agricultural and economic transformation. Its core mandate is to unlock the country's land and water resources through large-scale commercial irrigation, moving beyond subsistence farming to create a resilient, food-secure, export-driven economy.

About the Role
This role provides overarching technical leadership and operational oversight for all irrigation infrastructure, scheme operations, agricultural production, land management, and commercial agro-processing. The Director is pivotal in transitioning GBA from a subvention-dependent entity to a fully self-sustaining, commercially viable authority.

🎓 Academic & Professional Requirements
👉 Bachelor's Degree in Irrigation Engineering, Civil Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Land Management, or a related field
👉 A Master's Degree in a related field
👉 Full registration with a recognized professional body strongly preferred

💼 Work Experience
👉 Minimum 8 years of post-qualification experience at senior management level, public or private sector
👉 Hands-on experience in agricultural irrigation, major hydraulic infrastructure development, or managing large-scale commercial irrigation projects — a distinct advantage

💡 Core Competencies & Knowledge Base
👉 Demonstrable ability to lead multidisciplinary teams (engineers, agronomists, land experts) toward unified strategic targets
👉 Strong commercial acumen with a proven track record shifting operations toward revenue-generating models
👉 Exceptional negotiation, stakeholder management, and Board-level reporting skills
👉 Technical proficiency with modern management systems (GIS, AutoCAD, project management software, ERPs)
👉 Uncompromising ethics, with zero tolerance for corruption or procedural non-compliance

⚡ Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership:
👉 Develop, implement, and enforce operational policies and SOPs
👉 Partner with Planning and Investment divisions on business turnaround strategies toward full commercial autonomy 👉 Formulate multi-year technical master plans and annual budgets Operational Division Oversight — lead 4 core divisions: 👉 Infrastructure Development — design, construction, and maintenance of hydraulic infrastructure (dams, pump stations, pipelines, networks) 👉 Land Administration — land acquisition, surveying, allocation, and titling per statutory frameworks 👉 Agricultural Production & Business Development — modern agronomic practices, yield optimization, high-efficiency farming 👉 Agro-Processing & Marketing — value-addition, post-harvest technology, market linkage strategies Governance & Stakeholder Engagement: 👉 Ensure all activities comply with Board directives and government policy 👉 Serve as the primary technical authority representing GBA to Government, development partners, investors, and communities