Commercial Manager | Fertilizers Agrochemicals Biostimulants

Please note: this vacancy has already been filled in!!

Rovensa Next is the Rovensa Group’s new global business unit, specialising in biosolutions for agriculture. It is made up of ten pioneering Rovensa Group companies: Agrichembio, Agrotecnología, Idai Nature, Microquimica, MIP Agro, Oro Agri, OGT, Rodel, SDP and Tradecorp, with a consolidated background in sustainable crop nutrition and biocontrol management.
Rovensa Next combines local technical knowledge, innovation and teams that work alongside growers and distributors in the field to solve their sustainability challenges, backed by the global expertise and leadership of the Rovensa Group. Our aim is to shape a sustainable future for agriculture and drive its biotransformation.
As a unique new brand, Rovensa Next is a pragmatic, innovative solution-partner helping growers drive the green transition without compromising on performance and yield output. Our powerful, holistic portfolio of innovative biosolutions is the answer to growers' needs for the entire plant life cycle, from seed to shelf, and for all types of crops. Rovensa Next sells its products in over 90 countries. It has a global network of over 3,000 employees, 14 production plants, 30 R&D laboratories, excellence centres, field stations and greenhouses, and over 850 field experts.
Rovensa Group is a global leader in agricultural solutions for sustainable agriculture. It develops, manufactures and markets its product portfolio to help farmers produce safe, healthy and nutritious food for all. Let’s grow greener together!

This will be a key appointment within the company and the appointed candidate will be expected to provide leadership and direction to sales growth across DACH. Based in Germany, the successful candidate will ensure a high standard of professional performance throughout the commercial function.
Key tasks for the Commercial Manager will initially be to learn the fundamentals of a complex 365 days-a-year operation as quickly as possible, to understand the primary operational and financial drivers of the company, and to appreciate how the various parts of the business interact. The aim is then for this person to support the aggressive growth strategy and drive commercial business development and sales through the distributors and take the company to a new level of performance, so improving margins.
The ideal candidate will have a commercial background with agrochemical products gained in a multinational organization or a high growth challenger business. She/he will be analytical and entrepreneurial with exceptional communication and influencing skills and will have managed a team. Additionally, success gained in new product development and innovation is critical.
The Commercial Manager will support the business in two key areas (1) driving commercial performance improvement (2) ensuring Rovensa Next have the right product at the right cost to suit both the customer and commercial needs.
This is an attractive opportunity to join a growing business at an exciting and demanding phase of its development.

The key accountabilities of this role are:

• Develop strategy to achieve established objectives,
• Implement pricing policies, conditions of sale and distribution channels,
• Direct the activities of the commercial teams: develop and support the management of the portfolio of clients,
• Manage and control the profitability of your area, according to established KPI,
• Monitoring of payment terms and risk of customers,
• Analyze the market to identify new sales opportunities and increase the value added of the commercial offer,
• Anticipate and support team’s needs,
• Train and develop the commercial teams for your activities,
• Analyze statistics and market trends for product positioning in your market (be the marketing department relay),
• Set short & medium term Objectives and Road-map,
• Coordinate, evaluate and develop your team linked to corporate HR tools,
• Be responsible for good implementation of Rovensa Next Matrix organization: Agronomy, Marketing & Regulatory, in future customer care,
• Define strategy of communication and assure the development of the corporate image and brands value. Able to organize important events in project mode,
• Market Watch: Regulatory (Authorities & Lobby) & marketing (Market watch & competitors),
• Provide the necessary resources for the operations of the company.

Ideally with experience of the agrochemical sector, the successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Functional Experience: will have at least 5 years functional experience gained in roles of increasing responsibility. She/he will be able to demonstrate knowledge of “best practice” as a means of ensuring competitive superiority and industry leadership.
• Results orientated: exhibits strong drive for results and success; conveys a sense of urgency, with attention to detail, and drives issues to closure; persists despite obstacles and opposition.
• Strategic agility: can demonstrate experience of conceiving and implementing successful strategies; has broad knowledge and perspective; is future orientated; can create competitive and breakthrough strategies and plans.
• Negotiating: can negotiate skilfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups; can win concessions without damaging relationships; can be both direct and forceful as well as diplomatic; gains trust quickly of other parties to negotiations.
• Team builder: the successful candidate will be able to lead the building of effective teams committed to organisational goals; foster collaboration among team members but will also be willing to take direct responsibility
• Systems thinking: the ability to organise and integrate data, ideas and/or concepts into a usable system that can be applied to solving problems. Brings order and discipline, sets an anchor or basis for action; comfortable with technology
• Flexible/adaptable: demonstrates the capacity to change; able to successfully adjust to multiple demands, shifting priorities, ambiguity and rapid change; happy to take responsibility within a global operation.
• This individual will be an experienced sales manager or technical sales who has successfully grown a business, with the gravitas to influence and drive new solutions and at the same time have a very hands-on approach. The culture is very driven, requiring high energy, commitment to achievement of goals within tight timescales. The business and resources are limited and thus the ability to focus on key issues and deliver is essential.

The candidate must have experience of working within a complex multinational environment where persuasive influence is a key pre-requisite to achieving results. This person will have had significant experience of working across Europe and ideally managed growth in Germany and Austria.

Main skills required:

• Pioneer spirit, entrepreneurial spirit
• Leadership
• Negotiation
• Communication
• Results orientation
• Corporate vision
• Strong agility (even under pressure)
• Intellectual flexibility (to manage relations with administration)
• Capacity to deal with main partners, distributors, big farmers, research institutes, legal authorities, etc.
• Agro industry knowledge

The company is well positioned in their market and is ready to capitalize on new product development and the growth in new markets. This is an exciting and interesting phase to be joining the company. For the right candidate, the business offers an attractive salary package and opportunities for further development.

• If this job sounds attractive and you meet the profile please send your curriculum vitae to info@aflsearch.com.
• For more information about this job you can also contact Mr. Sylvain Serra on +33 (0)6 3100 5831 or Jos Douven on +31 (0)6 5194 1954.

There is an exclusivity agreement between Rovensa Next and AFL Executive Search for this search. We therefore kindly request you to contact us if you have questions and/or you want to apply for this job.

About AFL Executive Search
AFL Executive Search recruits people for strategic positions and specializes in the field of Agribusiness, Food and Life Sciences worldwide.
We match the most qualified candidates to the key positions in those organizations that focus on a healthy world with enough quality food for everyone, and connect the right people with the right companies across the world. From a selection of high qualified candidates we only pick the outstanding ones who will become the visionary leaders of tomorrow. We don´t just search for the best candidate, we also attract the right one.

We offer Executive Search services across all functional disciplines within the Agribusiness, Food and Life Sciences sectors, have strong knowledge of and commitment to these sectors and deliver the expected results. Through a no-nonsense, direct and personal approach AFL Executive Search acts as a full sparring partner for both companies and candidates.

We work across a wide range of sectors and positions:

• Agribusiness : Animal Nutrition, Animal Health, Animal Housing / Equipment, Animal Reproduction, Associations / Non-Profit, Bioproducts, Biotechnology, Crop Protection, Distribution, Environment / Energy, Farming, Fertilizers, Finance, Forestry, Fruit Growing, Horticulture, Machinery / Equipment, R&D, Seed, Viniculture
• Food : Bakery Products, Beverages, Confectionary, Chocolate, Dairy Products, Dry Food, Frozen Food, Meat & Fish, Ready Meals and FMCG
• Life Sciences : Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Biotechnology, Clinical Research, Marine Biology, Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals