Product Development Manager
The Product Development Manager (PDM) plays a crucial role implementing our marketing and sales strategies at local level. This customer-oriented position leads the team offering strategic guidance on trial strategies, product launches, priorities setting and use of digital tools. The role supports the development and local implementation of the company’s strategy providing valuable market intelligence insights. Success in this role is achieved through the co-construction and execution of sales campaigns targeting direct and indirect customers, utilizing the marketing mix leveraging Product, Price, Place, and Promotion (4Ps) and managing the local portfolio life cycle.
Context/Scope: United States of America and Canada, this position will be based in Salinas, California, USA
General Mission:
Ø Lead and develop your team.
Ø Define and update local Development (DV) priorities, for both Development and Commercial local portfolios (including sister company distribution).
Ø Build trial strategy, trial plan and launching plans.
Ø Ensure proper follow-up on Development (DV) KPIs.
Ø Manage forecast process for all local DV varieties.
Ø Provide market knowledge update and deliver business intelligence insights.
Ø Drive the Local Crop Team with Sales manager.
Ø Develop the use of digital tools among team members.
Ø Collaborate closely with General Manager, Sales Manager and Product Managers (PMs) to ensure full alignment.
Contributes to
· Implementation of combined customers visits LPPs and Sales Reps.
· Promotional events for customers (direct, indirect and prospect).
· Building the Communication Action Plan (CAP)
· Providing market data to update CRM (crop potential, customer segmentation) and Panoshare.
· Proposing Product Request Form (PRF) update, if necessary, to Product Manager to align the research program with market expectations.
· Creating a close collaboration with the Global Marketing team (mainly Product Managers).
· The application of local regulations (registration, protection) with Local Customer Service and Product Managers.
Skills and Experience
· Education
o Bachelor of Science - Agriculture or other related field
· Experience
o Agricultural background
o Team management experience (3 years)
o 5-8 years of agricultural or related experience, preferably in the seed sector
o Forecasting process experience
· Languages
o Proficiency in English (minimum B2)
· Knowledge required
o Strong agronomical knowledge
o Local market and customer knowledge (direct and indirect)
o Marketing mix (4Ps)
o Microsoft Office package
Candidates will participate in interviews that may be in person or via a platform such as 'Teams'.
It is possible to be invited to meet with several different managers and visit the facility in person.