Estate Manager – Cinnamon & Agricultural Development

About the role

Nidanwela Estate is a 68-acre property in Weligama, Sri Lanka, being developed into a working Ceylon cinnamon estate. It is appointing its first on-site agricultural leader, a founding, hands-on role that builds the estate's agricultural foundations and working systems rather than maintaining an established property. Phase One establishes about 35-40 acres of cinnamon, supported by a nursery and greenhouse programme, improved soil and water management and estate landscaping, while respecting forest and environmentally sensitive areas.

Key responsibilities

• Assess the agricultural land, set rehabilitation priorities and sequence work into achievable stages.
• Establish the cinnamon nursery and planting programme, covering plant quality, propagation, field preparation, planting schedules and establishment care.
• Develop the cinnamon crop, monitoring plant health, survival and growth and adjusting practices as needed.
• Improve soil health, drainage, irrigation and erosion control, suited to the estate's terrain.
• Set up greenhouses and trial crops, recording results to guide future planting and production.
• Protect forest, biodiversity and environmentally sensitive areas in daily operations.
• Develop the agricultural landscape, estate paths and planted areas.
• Recruit, train and lead a permanent field team, setting standards for safety, attendance, quality and productivity.
• Prepare weekly work plans, allocate labour, inputs and equipment, and control costs against budgets.
• Maintain planting, production and expenditure records, and coordinate agronomists, engineers and other specialists.
• Report progress, risks, expenditure and decisions clearly, raising issues early.

Required profile

• At least eight years of practical agricultural or estate-management experience, including hands-on responsibility for field operations.
• Demonstrated experience developing or rehabilitating agricultural land, able to explain what was delivered and how.
• Experience in nursery operations, planting programmes or commercial horticulture.
• Proven ability to recruit, train, organise and lead field teams.
• Fluency in Sinhala and working proficiency in English.
• Willingness to work full-time on site in Weligama and take direct responsibility for daily agricultural delivery.
• Ceylon cinnamon experience preferred; strong spice, tea, rubber, horticulture or nursery experience may also qualify.

Required skills

• Strong working knowledge of tropical crops, soil, water management and plant health.
• Disciplined planning, budgeting, cost control and record-keeping, with clear communication and reliable follow-through.