| JOB NAME |
Senior Specialist: Agricultural Advisory & Support (FTC until 31 March 2025) [Nelspruit]
POSTED BY: Land & Agricultural Development Bank
REF:LBAF 156
Date Published:Monday, September 18, 2023
Date of Expiration:Saturday, March 16, 2024 EXPIRED
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| LOCATION OF THIS JOB |
 South Africa | NELSPRUIT in South Africa |
| INDUSTRY |
| DEVELOPMENT FINANCE INSTITUTIONS
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| JOB TYPE |
| Contract |
| MAIN JOB DESCRIPTION |
Closing Date 2023/09/20
Reference Number LAN230911-2
Job Title Senior Specialist: Agricultural Advisory & Support (FTC until 31 March 2025) [Nelspruit]
Division Portfolio Management Services
Unit Portfolio Management Services
Job Type Classification Contract
Location - Country South Africa
Location - Province Mpumalanga
Location - Town / City Nelspruit
JOB ADVERT SUMMARY
The Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank) is South Africa’s only specialist agricultural bank established in 1912, the bank’s sole objective is to serve South African commercial and emerging farmers and bring specially designed financial services within their reach. These services enable farmers to finance land, equipment, improve assets and obtain production credit. The Land Bank provides financial services that have moved with the times and continues to provide services to agri-business and constantly reviews its offerings to ensure that they match the needs of an industry. As change has swept across the sector in South Africa the socio-economic makeup of agriculture has altered, bringing new entrants from historically disadvantaged backgrounds on to the land, these new farmers, facing the challenges of establishing sustainable agri-businesses across the agricultural value chain, Land Bank has been a commercial lifeline offering appropriately designed financial products that facilitate personal and commercial viability in a sector that is vital to the sustainability of South Africa and its people.
MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB
To provide agricultural advisory and support service to both Emerging and Commercial Farmers in order to safe guard the bank’s assets through the following:
1. Conduct on Farm Agronomical and Financial Assessments for High Risk and Delinquent Clients and make recommendations to remediate as well as rate the farm/business according to the approved bank’s risk rating models
2. Schedules inspections of the banks security and re-evaluations
3. Where relevant, refer farmers to service providers with technical expertise / advise Farmers and make recommendations to improve the overall Farm status and mitigate potential risks
4. Effectively manage the collateral in terms of the loan agreement and Collateral Management System (CMS) policy thereby identifying collateral shortfalls in order to minimise risk and prevent financial losses.
5. Proactively prevent ex-ante moral hazard by conducting farm visits on new loans and ascertain whether farm funding was utilised as intended in line with the loan agreement.
6. Provide input into the agricultural evaluation norms / best practice across all industries in which Land Bank operates and which are applied in the credit assessment applications.
Key Performance Areas
Monitoring, Advisory and Support
1. Implement Effective Collateral Management by conducting inspections in accordance with the relevant Land Bank policy and procedures and ensure that the banks collateral has the most up to date collateral valuations as per the banks’ requirements per asset class
2. Conduct Collateral Management Inspections
3. Engage external stakeholders including cooperatives, commodity associations, provincial governments departments and farmer’s associations as required in respect of distressed accounts
4. Conduct Visit and monitor properties in possession (repossessed)
5. Compile the farm inspection report and ensure all identified and potential risks are clearly articulated and list remedial actions to mitigate them
6. Provide management with monthly consolidated collateral management status report on the portfolio
Conduct Agronomical and Financial Assessments
1. Perform farm visits to ascertain whether the farm funding was utilised as intended:
1) Ensure that the funds have been used for their stated purpose
2) Monitor and evaluate the progress and financial position of the client for any early warning signs of distress
3) Advise with subject matter experts and link clients with relevant stakeholders in order to provide technical advice to clients where necessary
2. Conduct in-depth on farm Agronomical Assessment specifically for High Risk, Delinquent and Non Performing Accounts
1) Determine factors for delinquency or default.
2) in the event of an identified default or arrears client account make proposals for rectifying the problem
3) List possible interventions for rehabilitations or referral to Legal
4) Provide Possible Resolution Recommendations with a motivation
5) The recommendation must be structured and aligned in accordance with the Credit Policy
6) Provide a detailed assessment report including insights, farm status and possible interventions to rehabilitate
Records Management and Maintenance of the Inspections Database including market trends
1. Collect and process information within the allocated area of responsibility to determine:
1) Market value of property
2) Production cost
3) Establishment cost
4) Profit margins
5) Produce prices
6) Market trends
7) Economic patterns
8) Potential of land
9) Keeps database up to date as appropriately
10) Ensure availability and access to identified Users
11) Quarterly report on farming consultation, also report of any natural disasters in the area
2. Compile and maintain an information database for assistance with technical knowledge
3. Ensure that reports are filed in accordance with the record management system
4. Maintain customer account information and ensure timeous and correct updating of risk classification on the Bank’s systems.
5. Keep records of all correspondence with clients as part of record management policy.
6. Manage client files in terms of the Bank’s record management policy.
7. Compile various reports as required for the different governance structures.
8. Maintain the relevant systems as required.
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| REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS JOB |
PREFERRED MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
1. A relevant 3 year qualification in Agriculture or an equivalent
2. Accreditation as a Valuator
3. Experience in:
1) Agricultural Extension Services or
2) Agricultural Experience in a Co-op or similar organisation.
3) Agricultural Economics and Value Chain
4) Credit Assessment Principles
5) Agronomical and Finacial Assessments
Critical Competencies
1. Advanced Microsoft Office
2. Financial Management and Business Acumen
3. Property and Assets Valuation principles
4. Farm Management Principles
5. Risk Management Principles
6. Report Writing and insights
7. Agricultural economic trends.
Additional Requirements
1. Travel as and when required.
2. Extended hours as and when required.
3. Valid SA Driver’s License
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English 
FRENCH
