Business Development Manager

Job Description

ROLE PURPOSE 

To identify and develop business cases for targeted opportunities and to lead the design, planning, implementation and scale up of initiatives in prioritized countries & crops.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

  • Originate potentially interesting business ideas and opportunities, developing solid business cases for approval.
  • Provide reality check in the opportunity assessment phase for pre-selected ideas or extension of existing projects.
  • Fully engage with Commercial teams from the outset (Head, Sales, Marketing, Technical and P&S teams)  to ensure awareness and develop buy in, and ultimately plan / drive hand-over of initiatives within max 2 years of commencement.
  • Develop project plans, detailed actions plans, KPIs and milestones, ensure line management approval before implementation begins and provide regular updates of progress to line management.
  • Develop processes, criteria and approach for the implementation and scale up of business opportunities.
  • Allocate resources efficiently and effectively to reflect initiative prioritization and be prepared to defend requirements in line with budget cycles and recruitment policies.
  • Lead and drive implementation of project with local teams, customers, growers and value chain
  • Manage the team of operational resources tasked with the set up/scale up of initiatives.
  • Ensure consistent approach to operations across projects and countries, leveraging synergies.
  • Identify external partners who can contribute to projects and aim to selectively develop relationships to optimize their involvement.
  • Execute the agreed initiatives and evaluate against the agreed set KPI’s, suggesting adaptions based on learnings.
  • Ensure all aspects of business development are conducted in fully compliant manner.

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & CAPABILITIES

Critical experience and knowledge

  • Good understanding of agronomy and farm operations
  • Operational experience with solid understanding of business drivers
  • Country/ region experience
  • Project management experience
  • Knowledge of agribusiness markets, crop protection industry and customer needs
  • Ability to influence indirect relationships throughout the global business
  • Record of successful mgmt. of people/processes
  • Proven track record of developing/running businesses in complex and demanding environments
  • Experience drafting/negotiating agreements with 3rd parties

Critical leadership capabilities

  • Sets ambitious strategic goals
  • Communicates with impact
  • Leads change and holds ambiguity
  • Builds a culture of innovation
  • Resilience and persistence
  • Manages for performance
  • Develops people, organization and self
  • Collaborates across boundaries

Critical technical and professional capabilities

  • Good understanding of key success factors for real-life success
  • Sound business acumen
  • Manage ambiguity
  • Understands market dynamics and competitive environment
  • Able to use market research effectively to understand customer, markets, channels
  • Understands customer needs
  • Has crop and product knowledge
  • Anticipates changes in the market and adjusts strategies accordingly
  • Analytical thinking
  • Communication and presentation skills