Seedcare Key Account Manager Downstream – Southern Africa

Role purpose

• Lead all Seedcare technical marketing and operational activities to support achieving the Seedcare 5-year ambition.
• Lead Seedcare sales in the downstream market by creating demand, planning and forecasting.
• Manage the Seedcare portfolio lifecycle, including existing products, new product introductions (NPI) and biological products in collaboration with BA Head of Marketing.
• Accelerate the transition to a Digital mindset in Seedcare.
• Ensure smooth cross-functional alignment on Seedcare operations and commercial unit.

Accountabilities

• Manage the life Cycle of the Seedcare portfolio (Seed treatments, post-harvest products, Polymers, Seed applied Biologicals) through collaborations with BA marketing department.
• Lead cross-functional portfolio meetings to identify new portfolio projects, secure successful projects implementation as part of the portfolio development cycle (PDC)
• Support the marketing team to build solid brand plans for key products aligned with the 5-year ambition
• Colaborate with marketing to dsign targeted campaigns to create grower pull/awareness for Seedcare offers. Liaise with BA Marketing & CPD teams, commercial operations team and external agencies to generate content and execute the campaigns
• Translate Seedcare offers to customer (channel, growers) needs and detail including forecasting/supply, pricing and commercial offers) in consultations with the line manager.
• Drive channel sales and GTM for downstream sales (Commercial and Smallholders) to increase adoption and footprint and develop customer database.
• Conduct technical marketing demos in collaborations with CPD and drive the communication.
• Identify and evaluate new business opportunities and previously underserved markets to increase Seedcare market share in collaborations with the CP KAMs.
• Shape the Seedcare Digital strategy (virtual pack offers, customer interactions & trainings, webinars, farmer events, Seedcare One app, internet & social media) and integrate it into campaigns and commercial offers
• Measure strategy and campaigns effectiveness with post-campaign surveys & reviews with all relevant stakeholders
• Collect market intelligence date through relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to use online reporting and business tools such as SFDC

Syngenta Crop Protection

As a world market leader in crop protection, we help farmers to counter these threats and ensure enough safe, nutritious, affordable food for all – while minimizing the use of land and other agricultural inputs.

Syngenta Crop Protection keeps plants safe from planting to harvesting.  From the moment a seed is planted through to harvest, crops need to be protected from weeds, insects and diseases as well as droughts and floods, heat and cold.

Syngenta Crop Protection is headquartered in Switzerland.

Critical Knowledge:  

• Minimum of 5 years work/sales experience in agricultural business.
• Must have a Bachelor of Science degree, preferably in an agronomy related field i.e., Agriculture Economics, Agronomy/ Agricultural Science.
• A master’s degree in business or with an agricultural focus will be an added advantage.
• Qualifications must be ZAQA certified.
• Must be a member of the Agricultural Institute of Zambia
• Demonstrate a sound understanding of the seed industry, crop protection market, Seedcare, and on the farm activities (GAP)
• Well-rounded understanding of commercial and product development concepts
• Deep knowledge and understanding of crop agronomics
• Understanding of key marketing and sales processes
• Understand long term technical concept positioning whilst being able to deliver upon short term campaign imperatives
• General Marketing practices and dynamics including Product Life Cycle Management and Digital marketing.
• Any other duties as required.

Critical Skills:

• In depth understanding of the agriculture industry in the region (BA)
• Strong project management skills a must
• Self-starter with a high-level of self-drive, proactiveness and polished sales skills
• Capability to work across teams with different functional roles
• High level of computer literacy (Power Point, Excel, Word)
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, and presentation skills (local language(s) and English)
• Collaborates effectively across organizational and functional boundaries
• Multicultural sensitivity

Behaviours Critical capabilities for the role:

• Ability to “create” and “connect” in order to exploit opportunities
• Strong Agronomic, marketing and commercial skills
• Understands customer needs
• Fostering a mindset change
• Lead & manage change that positively engages and inspires
• Learning agility
• High ethic, transparent work style

HSE Critical capabilities for the role:

• Completes the work processes according to the Syngenta HSE Policy, Safety Standards and Environmental policy
• Complies with the Syngenta BA Driving Policy

Critical success factors & key challenges

• Transform and shape the market to increase technology adoption
• Change perceptions and image of seed applied technologies
• Collaborate with local teams to leverage all existing industry relationships
• Work in matrix organization
• Gain stakeholder support