Plantation Manager

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Commercial Plantation Operations

• Overall management of coffee, pepper, cocoa, arecanut and herb cultivation across 250 acres
• Implementation of organic and natural farming practices; organic certification attainment and renewal
• Yield optimisation through precision agronomy, soil health management and crop scheduling
• Management of wet and dry processing facilities, drying yards and bonded storage
• Small-batch production management for the Roastery's retail and guest take-away programme
• Plantation P&L accountability: budgeting, capex management and profitability reporting to PHVL
• Market relationships and offtake arrangements for premium estate produce

2. Ecology, Hydrology & Wildlife

• Stewardship of the gravity-fed interconnected waterbody network monitoring, balancing and maintenance
• Pisciculture programme management across estate lakes
• Elephant early-warning system (acoustic sensors, CCTV) — operation and maintenance
• Elephant-grade fencing management with designated wildlife corridor preservation
• Reptile management programme and rapid-response coordination
• Biodiversity monitoring; liaison with Karnataka Forest Department and wildlife authorities
• Compliance with all environmental and water extraction statutory requirements

3. Infrastructure & Statutory Compliance

• Maintenance of 11km internal road and pathway network to all-weather standard
• Boundary fencing, CCTV surveillance and estate security management
• Landscape lighting programme — low-lux, controlled, ecologically sensitive
• Management and preservation of historical temple sites within estate boundaries
• Full compliance with Karnataka Plantation Labour Act, FSSAI, forest regulations and water permits
• Coordination with construction contractors (L&T, K2K, MEP teams) during the active build phase

4. Labour, Welfare & Community Development

• Recruitment, training and retention of plantation workforce
• Labour colony management: housing standards, sanitation, community facilities
• Workforce welfare: medical access, crche, grievance redressal, mental health support
• Staff attire and guest-interaction training for all estate-facing workers
• Delivery of the CSR programme for adjoining villages: school support, medical camps, street lighting, water supply, crche
• Relationship management with village communities, panchayat leaders and district authorities

5. Guest Experience Curation

• Design and delivery of the plantation's guest experience programme — in close partnership with the hotel team
• Bean-to-cup journey, harvest participation, ecology walks, waterbody and pisciculture tours
• Cocoa and chocolatery trail; cooking and herb garden experiences; temple and heritage walks
• Sustainability masterclass for engaged guests — certifiable completion pathway
• Ensuring all guest interaction protocols are trained, maintained and consistently delivered across estate staff
• Continuous innovation in experience programming — level-progression model encouraging return visits

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Degree or post-graduate qualification in Agriculture, Plantation Management, Agronomy, Ecology or related discipline
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in plantation or large-scale agricultural estate management
• Demonstrated experience managing coffee and/or other cash crops in Western Ghats or comparable terrain
• Proven track record in organic or sustainable farming — certification experience preferred
• Experience managing large workforces — recruitment, welfare, compliance and productivity
• Working knowledge of Karnataka Plantation Labour Act, FSSAI regulations, forest and wildlife protocols
• Ability to manage P&L, prepare budgets and report to senior management

Highly Desirable

• Exposure to premium hospitality or eco-tourism projects where the plantation/farm interfaces with guests
• Experience with waterbody management, pisciculture or hydrological systems
• Exposure to wildlife management, forest department liaison or biodiversity monitoring
• CSR programme design and delivery in rural or tribal community settings
• Familiarity with BIM, LADAR or digital agronomy tools is an advantage
• Experience in the Sakleshpur / Hassan / Western Ghats region.