At Genomines, our mission is to pioneer a new era of sustainable metal production by farming plants that hyperaccumulate metal. Through synthetic biology and cutting-edge technology, we harness the power of nature to create plants that can farm for metals while decontaminating soils and creating cleaner lands for agriculture. Our ultimate goal is to become the world's first carbon-negative nickel producer, using sustainable, cost-competitive methods to extract the valuable resources our society needs for the
energy transition.
Yellow Flower Agriculture (Pty) Ltd. (YFA), Genomines’ South African subsidiary, is responsible for launching Genomines’ first production fields (currently in Mpumalanga), advancing agronomic knowledge of our plants and overseeing local operations. YFA is led by the group Head of Operations, a former CEO in the mining industry with 15+ years of experience.
ROLE OVERVIEW
The Head of Agriculture is a senior leadership role responsible for translating Genomines’ laboratory-developed hyperaccumulator plant technology into robust, scalable and compliant field operations. The role offers a rare opportunity to shape the agricultural foundation of a new critical metals industry.
The VP of Agriculture will:
Lead field operations, nursery propagation systems and agricultural trials for both wild and genetically enhanced plant lines;
Develop agricultural operating models, systems and procedures;
Build the agronomic model that enables scaling across multiple sites, geographies and plant systems; and
Bridge the gap between R&D, operations and field execution in a first-of-its-kind industrial application of biotechnology.
This is a hands-on role with both strategic oversight and field-based responsibilities, requiring strong technical judgment, operational discipline, and comfort working in early-stage, non-standard agricultural systems.
The ideal candidate brings strong experience deploying biotechnology from controlled environments into open-field conditions, with particular strength in managing wild or non-crop plant systems. Prior experience with cannabis or similar regulated, high-complexity plant operations is strongly preferred.