Technical Manager - High Value Crops

SUMMARY:
An established manufacturer of agrochemicals is seeking an experienced Agricultural Specialist to provide highly specialised in-field support and expert knowledge to the Agents and Regional Sales Managers in terms of in-house products with the aim to promote business development.

POSITION INFO:


Minimum requirements for the role:

• Must have a B.Agric or B.Sc. Agric in Crop Science, Agronomy, Plant Pathology, Soil Science or related
• AVCASA and/or BASOS/FERTASA certification will be an added advantage
• A minimum of 8 years’ technical experience in the agricultural market, with a focus on high value crops, will be required
• Must have a valid drivers’ license
• Must be fluent in English and Afrikaans

• Developing spray programs, incorporating in-house products for the Agents which integrate agrochemical and nutritional products, adhering to guidelines and label recommendations.
• Utilising crop programmes and technical support services to drive sales strategies in the region.
• Monitoring the correct implementation of recommendations and liaising with the Advisory Manager in terms of corrective action, where necessary.
• Performing crop inspections during season to find solutions for problems found and making recommendations for corrective action to be taken.
• Performing relevant in-house product trials on specific crops in collaboration with the Product Portfolio Managers to build knowledge and confidence in products.
• Applying functional expertise to organise and facilitate training workshops for Agents on in-house products per crop, integrating the full in-house range with Third Party products.
• Ensuring Agents understand the regulations and management of spray programmes in order to offer growers workable solutions to better manage residues which comply with global standards.
• Training Agents to engage effectively with customers.
• Managing all complaints and claims in the Region by making efficient use of the Advisory personnel.
• Prioritising and allocating resources to investigate whether the correct claim procedure was followed.
• Serving as a mentor to the Advisory Team on how to effectively log and manage a claim.
• Initiating insurance claim procedures and following up with the appointed Loss Adjuster and Insurers as required to deal with the matter timeously and effectively.
• Providing Management with updates of all complaints and insurance matters, providing recommendations to action and manage the complaint effectively.
• Working closely with the Advisory Manager to compile a sales strategy for the Advisory Team.
• Interacting with key influencers in industry to promote in-house products and grow existing client base.
• Acting on leads for new products or new programmes based on the specifics of a crop or region.
• Growing in-house nutritional products and differentiate the company in the market place, in-line with the company strategy.
• Ensuring regional sales budget targets are met as set by the Company.
• Communicating product strategies with Portfolio Managers and RSM’s.
• Liaising with Crop Associations and Exporters to offer solutions for better management of Residues and to create awareness of products and services.
• Liaising with the Technical Advisors and Regional Sales Manager in the area to define the strategy and budget of in-house products.
• Preparing budgets per product and Agent and communicating progress and results on a regular basis.
• Gathering data from customers and industry sources to determine market potential for in-house products.
• Liaising with Portfolio Managers to identify the strategy for the area.
• Within the region, identify key customers to drive a key account strategy with.

NB! This job is now closed. You can apply for other jobs by uploading your CV.