Technical Advisor

SUMMARY:

An established manufacturer of agrochemicals is seeking the above to provide highly specialised in-field Nutritional and Crop Protection support and expert knowledge to the Crop Advisors, Advisory Team and Regional Sales Managers with the aim to enhance customer sales in the Nelspruit/Tzaneen region.

POSITION INFO:

Minimum requirements for the role:

• Must have a B.Agric/B.Sc Agric degree
• Minimum of 5 years post-graduate experience in the agricultural industry in Nutrition and/or agrochemicals and/or agriculture is essential
• Must possess BASOS accreditation and be prepared to work towards acquiring an AVCASA accreditation within a reasonable period of time
• Technical and agrochemical knowledge will be required
• Must be computer literate in MS Office (Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Outlook) and knowledge of .NET would be advantageous
• Must have a valid driver’s license, have own reliable transport and be able to travel to support all allocated Crop Advisors and service cross-border clients, if required
• Good communication skills, specifically in English and Afrikaans, with the ability to interface with internal and external stakeholders of all levels, will be required

• Applying functional expertise to develop comprehensive and integrated crop programmes.
• Ensuring the successful implementation of crop programmes, and monitoring the Sales team’s performance to ensure that product sales of in-house products are effectively promoted.
• Identifying knowledge gaps amongst Crop Advisors and the Sales team with regards to crop programmes and in-house products in relation to third-party products.
• Developing and implementing area-specific or crop-specific strategies in collaboration with the Regional Managers and Advisory Manager to achieve sales targets.
• Networking with Third Party product suppliers, Universities, Research Institutes and Crop Associations to promote knowledge and awareness of company products.
• Investigating all customer complaint investigations and insurance claims in the region to identify the problem and seek solutions equitable solutions for all concerned.
• Developing spray programs incorporating in-house products for the Crop Advisors, which integrate agrochemical, and nutritional products and adhering to MRL guidelines and label recommendations.
• Using crop programs 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.
• Carrying out regular crop inspections during season to find solutions for problems found and make recommendations for corrective action to be taken.
• Performing relevant in-house product trials on specific crops in collaboration with the Portfolio Managers to build knowledge and confidence in products.
• Providing technical support to Crop Advisors through training and on-field analysis across all product classes.
• Investigating and addressing customer complaints that may lead to a claim following the correct claim procedure to log a claim.
• Completing all investigation reports and following up on progress and finding solutions to prevent/manage the claim within a reasonable period of time.
• Ensuring implementation of the solution to prevent the claim escalating and keeping Management updated on the progress.
• 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.
• Meeting sales budget targets as set by the Company and broken down into the Regions.
• Communicating product strategies with Portfolio Managers and Regional Managers.
• Working with Crop Associations and Exporters to offer plant health solutions for better management of residues and to create awareness of plant health products and services.
• Setting up budget per product and Crop Advisor and communicate progress and results on a monthly basis to Management.
• Gathering data from the customer to steer in-house product recommendations and sales.
• Ensuring implementation of recommendations is carried out by the Crop Advisors.
• Liaising with Portfolio Managers to identify the strategy for the area and incorporate in the Regional sales strategy.
• Conforming to relevant SHEQ rules and regulations as per company policy for which the incumbent is competent as directed by Management.