Portfolio Lead, Seed - ESCA

Growing What Matters Starts With You
Corteva Agriscience™, the world's first dedicated agriculture start-up, serves to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Our employees fulfill this purpose everyday by building/participating in an inclusive culture where we encourage each other to stay curious, think differently, act boldly and do what's right for our customers, our co-workers, our partners and our planet. With over 20,000 team members from 130 countries, innovating in 140 world class R&D facilities, we have the resources, leadership heritage and partner ecosystem to make a meaningful impact now and into the future.
#GrowWhatMatters
We’re hiring for Portfolio Lead, Seed ESCA (East Southern Africa) to be based in Kenya or Zambia.
Learn how you can be our voice in the conversation about the future of agriculture.
As Seed Portfolio Lead - ESCA, you will be responsible for providing local focus on market research, understanding, and meeting customer needs for a defined portfolio in the territory assigned (composed usually for one country or multiple countries). You will provide a unique marketing focal point for both existing products, and projects, and an integrated approach to portfolio management based on product lifecycle management, cross-functional project implementation, within a given geography, crop/product market segment.
You Will Be Part of Growing Team
Reporting to the WESCA Business Lead, you will provide commercial leadership in defining and implementing effective marketing plans (4P) to meet sales and margin forecasts of the business aligned with the strategy. Ensure that the sales and marketing support organization (Sales force, Marketing Support, demand management, Customer Services, LPCT & HAM) is set up for success through effective collaboration and partnership. You will manage the LPCT & HAM related processes and requirements.
Your Challenge

• Represents the Cluster, Demand Review, LPCT & HAM to build new projects / business cases / growth initiatives.
• Leads the LPCT & HAM to ensure delivery of the milestones and excel on the quality and timing of the documents needed to sustain business, launch execution & drive the business cases through for approvals & ramp up driven by sound analysis and data as well as market intelligence - Customer Market Analysis, (where relevant).
• Represents the LPCT & HAM on other networks and on the execution of the resources approved.
• Develop on an annual basis written marketing plans for the key products or crops aligned CU and global strategies and ensure that they are deployed in the sales organization to deliver the strategies designed and the financial results planned.
• Prepare the marketing campaigns by season to deploy the 4P marketing variables according with the marketing plan designed, aligned with the investment cycle of the molecule, and assigned given priority on the resources based on the investment categories: investment, growth, leverage or OPEX.
• Prepare the annual plan, 5YP / ESCA Seed Growth strategy execution and long-term horizon for their portfolio with clear written assumptions and aligned with the plans designed to ensure the organization and the resources are aligned with them. Also, review monthly the 24 months forecast based on the assumptions defined and the key changes.
• Identify portfolio opportunities as product gaps, product differentiation or formulations that can maximize the profitability long-term extending as much as possible the life cycle of the molecule in profitable conditions. Be sure that ideas are populate on idea central.
• Responsible for growing the business gaining market share and delivery of the financial results with an emphasis on the quality of the business.
• Tracks COGs in portfolio cost file and ensure delivery of margins and pricing in line with portfolio guidance.
• Protect the branding and the integrity of the products escalating the issues that impact our property and ensure that legal and the functions are taking the necessary actions to defend our company interests.
• Address inventory targets and implement decisions in the territory to maximize them, managing the finish good inventory and as well reducing off grade materials and slowing moving inventory.
• Ensure that competitive intelligence captured and populated in the system and also use this system to learn about the markets & competitor products to leverage situations happen in other geographies.
• Conduct market research as needed to understand the customer needs and the ways to maximize our market share and profitability.
• Works closely with the leadership to drive own personal skills and competency development and development of campaign leads & LPCT members.
• Be a strong advocate of Product Stewardship for the portfolio of products and ensure implementation of the same.
  

Key Stakeholders And Interactions
Close: Country / Sales Managers, AME & EMEA Portfolio Leads, Demand Manager, Business Finance, Controllership, Marketing Support and LPCT Members.
Others: SPSC, SPD, Country Leads, Portfolio leads, Supply, Regulatory, Stewardship, External / Govt Affairs, Legal.
Location:
Lusaka, Zambia or Nairobi, Kenya
Grow What Matters, You Will Need

• Degree in Agriculture, Business Management and / or related field with a minimum of 10 years’ experience in agriculture or sales-oriented field / organization.
• Excellent knowledge in operational marketing (communication, product positioning, campaign management) and strategic marketing (product lifecycle, portfolio management, generic defense).
• Understanding of the Seed Market with primary focus on corn and good understanding of sunflower as well as other seed crops.
• Strong leadership by influence; understanding of project management tools; analytical capabilities and strategic thinker.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
  

Who Are We Looking For?

• Curious, bold thinkers who want to grow their careers and be part of a winning team
• Market shaping individuals who want to transform the agriculture industry to meet the world’s growing need for food
• Collaborators who thrive in a diverse, inclusive work environment
• Innovators who bring initiative and fresh ideas that drive our business into the future and make us an industry leader
  

Growing What Matters Starts With You… What We Can Offer To Help You Grow?

• Opportunity to be part of a global industry leader working to discover solutions to the most pressing agricultural challenges of our time
• Challenging work assignments that grow your skills, capabilities and experiences
• Opportunities for international rotations and relocation that will expand your global view and cultural experience
• Diverse, inclusive work environment where employees bring their whole selves to work and feel heard, valued and empowered
• Dedicated and customized resources to help grow your professional skills, industry expertise and personal perspectives.
• Joining us is a natural opportunity to strengthen your professional network through valuable relationships.
• Support the health and well-being of every employee by offering world-class benefits, meaningful work and competitive salary
• Performance driven culture with a strong focus on speed, efficiency and agility
  

To know more about Corteva please watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs3CpU29-1M
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