Sales Manager – Central East Africa at Bayer East Africa

Ref No: HR/CS-025/2021

The main purpose of this role is achieving strong and sustainable growth of the Vegetable Seed business in Center East Africa territory by leading the regional sales team and collaboration with Marketing, Market Development R&D, and enabling functions focusing on the main countries and crops defined in the focus strategy.

Develop and lead the team in the region to and ensure realization of our commercial strategy in line with relevant KPI’s.

Major Tasks and Responsibilities

• Responsible for achieving the yearly sales revenue and gross margin budget as well as the LRP.
• Monitor the YTD achievements of the targets and implement proper recovery actions in case they are required.
• Demonstrate strong leadership by leading the local sales team and influencing, winning support within the commercial teams and cross functionally; development of sales team skills set and team appraisal.
• Organizational design to recruit and allocate available resources accordingly to meet current and future business needs optimally.
• Contributing to creating the annual price setting process in cooperation with Marketing department; annual sales budgets for different countries and different distributors as well as the annual incentive and market funding plans for these distributors
• Recruitment and appraisal of distributors and other channel initiatives to optimize route to market; negotiate distributor contracts and terms in line with company policies.
• Constantly seeking for opportunities to improve route to market in the region and growth of business in potential countries e.g., Sudan and Ethiopia
• Build and maintain partnerships with key accounts: distributors, plant raisers, dealers, processors in the region, utilizing Bayer’s internal expertise and strengths across all divisions and functions promoting initiatives to improve company overall customer care and customer satisfaction; participate in community and industry-related events to further develop new business opportunities.
• Provide high representation in relation with local and regional authorities (professional organizations, local NPPO’s, NGOs, Agriculture ministry; as well as industry organizations to champion the interests of Bayer
• Strong participation in IBP and S&OP process in collaboration with other functions: supply chain, demand planning, demand planning.
• Build strong partnership and influence internally with cross functional teams to position Veg seeds as well as participate in the integration projects e.g. One-Horti and CPVS GtM and lead change initiatives.

Experience / Qualification

• MBA degree
• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Business, or related fields
• +5 years’ experience in related role
• Track record in leading people and effective teams
• Track record in sales, marketing, and business development
• Track record in fostering and maintaining strong partnerships.
• Strong customer focus and strategic mindset
• Agricultural knowledge and understanding of regional market environment and dynamics.