Head of Sales - East Africa at Syngenta

Job Description

Role Profile

• To lead and deliver the East Africa Countries team and business (KE, TZ, UG, RW, BU) as per 5 year plan.
• To contribute to the development of the business strategy and ensure as a member of the country management team it is delivered in line with agreed business targets and timelines
• Manage customer relationships to gain a deeper understanding of their business and business needs to enable development of customized value offers that build a successful and sustainable business partnership.
• Work with the Commercial Operations & Marketing teams to implement the agreed customer strategy, monitor effectiveness and adjust as required, to ensure marketing and sales targets are achieved.
• To achieve agreed sales targets in accordance with the BA strategy and objectives.

Accountabilities

• To define the CP strategy including sales plans, targets and expense budgets; working in close collaboration with the Commercial Ops team
• To implement agreed sales & budget plans and ensure that targeted market share is achieved.
• To assume responsibility for realising the required growth of the business in East Africa with due consideration/assessment/management of all (financial) risks involved.
• Works within the sales and support teams for the achievement of customer satisfaction, revenue generation, and long-term account goals in line with company vision and values
• To fully understand market evolutions & key competitors’ offers, adjusting our GTM and/or developing new sales strategy accordingly
• To define channel strategy, review channels’ capabilities and role within the value chain to customer and regularly review our pool of channels partners based on agreed criteria
• Act as key contact / interface for all Syngenta businesses to customer.
• To successfully lead the sales team, developing a growth mindset, ensuring trainings & growth opportunities for all
• To ensure sales teams develop close customer relationships & are strongly accountable for their sales
• To work closely with marketing, Commercial Operations & other functions to ensure appropriate customer segmentation and appropriate value offers are communicated as part of the field support programme.
• To overview sales budgeting and product forecasting
• Works in compliance with commercial policy of the country, HSE requirements, local legislation and competition law.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Critical Experience And Knowledge

• Extensive knowledge of the Eastern Africa agricultural sales environment, sales techniques and approaches
• Strong people management and leadership skills
• Language skills - must have excellent language skills of Swahili and English.
• Key sales management skills; strong understanding of customer needs, structure and business drivers
• Understanding of the agricultural competitive environment
• Education level of undergraduate in BSc. Agriculture as a minimum

Critical Leadership Capabilities And Skills

• Sets ambitious business goals and demonstrates a high degree of ownership of agreed goals
• Communicates with impact
• Manages for performance and demonstrates a high degree of ownership
• Strategic thinking and a good team player
• Leadership – ability to lead, coach, drive and motivate individuals, teams and customers
• Business delivery orientation
• Develops people, organization and self
• Focuses on customers

Additional Information

Critical Success Factors in the First 6 months

• Finalize & implement the new channel strategy in Kenya, ensuring minimal business disturbance and a positive communication on the ground
• Create a sustainable and profitable relationship with our channel
• Deliver on the BA targets
• Working closely with other functions, to review and implement the sales strategy (sales team organization, customers segmentation & targeting, sales KPIs)
• Develop, motivate and mentor the sales team
• Relationships developed with key stakeholders in the crop protection and seed business
• Support design of systematic ways of collecting grower/ channel data