Business Context
Established in 1947, Devagiri is one of the oldest tea estates in the Low Grown Elevation; in its heyday it was amongst the top 10.
In January 2022, Devagiri was bought by GB Ceylon Tea Holdings (pvt) Ltd, a Sri Lankan company with UK and US backing, and a British Managing Director. And, under this new ownership, the estate is undergoing transformational change.
The scale of manufacture has more than doubled so far and an ambitious agricultural programme is underway to increase the field yields over the coming 3 years. The owners have also developed an export brand with ambitious growth targets. And, beyond this, they have a vision of modernising the approach to tea cultivation and production, such that it is more in-step with modern approaches to production lines and people (like the garment industry!).
Role Description
As part of this, we wish to recruit a trainee field officer. Over a period of 12 months they will be taught the complete tea agricultural process and will develop skills in the following areas:
Cultivation of new saplings and nursery management
Planting / replanting
Field maintenance for crop maximisation- pruning cycles / weeding cycles / fertilising cycles
Harvesting
People management
Quality assurance metrics
Use of agriculture related software
At the end of this period, they will have acquired the skills and experience to be considered a competent Junior Field Manager. And if performance is satisfactory, they will be offered this role at Devagiri (at a significantly higher salary).
As such, this is the ideal opportunity for a talented school-leaver who wishes to build a career in the tea industry.
The successful candidate will be an energetic and ambitious individual who takes pride in the quality of their work and is happy to work hard. They will have a genuine interest in tea agriculture and will take a modern and empathetic approach to people management.
The chosen individual will be provided with accommodation at Devagiri, and we are offering a salary of LKR 45,000 per month during this training period. This will increase to 60,000 once the training period is complete and they take on the role of Junior Manager.
Desired Attributes
3 A levels gained within the last 2 years
A history of playing team sports and an interest in fitness
A genuine interest in learning about tea agriculture
High energy and willingness to work hard
An inclusive and empathetic approach to working with others
Basic proficiency in English and use of IT.
