Commodity Trading Manager - IvC

Learn About Farmerline

Job Title

Commodity  Trading  Manager

Department 

Farmer Services

Incumbent Supervisor

Chief Operating Officer

Suggested start date

Immediately

Length of assignment

Permanent

Role Overview

Connecting farmers to reliable and fair markets is now Farmerline’s newest service to smallholder farmers. This is to complement quality farm input financing, and training programmes to farmers. The mission is to create lasting profit for the farmers, while creating jobs for community-led micro-entrepreneurs in the value chains we work in. 

The Commodity Trading Manager will be responsible for developing sales and marketing business with credible agribusinesses and food processors. The key deliverables would be to ensure market access opportunities for commodities produced by smallholder farmers. Also, the Director would lead in sales and marketing as well as securing fair prices for smallholder farmers in Farmerline’s network

Responsibilities 

Strategy

• Develop the commodity sales and marketing strategy for the organization in line with the organization’s objectives & targets
• Study competitors' products and services and build competitive advantage over competitors

Marketing & Sales

• Generate sales leads, actively engage and manage a growing pipeline of credible partners (Local agribusinesses, Global Traders and Manufactures, Cooperatives/ Farmer groups, NGOs, Government institutions).
• Assess and convert leads with sales potentials from the Marketing and Communications team
• Grow Farmerline’s market share across Africa in the digitization of commodities sector, prospecting, cold calling, and networking within the global commodity trading/ sourcing, agricultural and nutrition security, and other relevant sectors with a primary focus on countries in  Africa.
• Leverage knowledge, experience and network in local and global commodity prices/pricing to negotiate and secure purchase orders from local and international food processors and exporters of major crops.
•  Conduct research and build a crop marketing model for farmers and other stakeholders. 
• Stay abreast with key market trends and intelligence with the ability to seek new business opportunities and formulate sales strategies to capitalize on growing the business
• Lead development of crop marketing campaigns and implementation of the marketing plans as needed.
• Develops impactful, cost effective and scalable market access models for all major crops produced in Africa.
• Plan all crop marketing operations to ensure timely delivery of all purchase orders received in the required quality and quantities.
• Consultative sales and account management of new and existing partner  base

Budgeting & Planning

•  Prepare Budgets, Sales Forecasts, Sales Performance Reviews & Projections
• Determine annual and gross-profit plans by forecasting and developing annual sales quotas for regions

Team Management

• Research and lead team to secure all required licenses/certificates for international export of commodities
• Set objectives and targets, establish marketing and promotional plans with the team

Required Qualifications

• Masters degree in Agricultural science, Agribusiness, Supply Chain management.
• Knowledge of the systemic challenges in Agricultural value chains in the African sub regions.
• Project management skills and the ability to create and stick to timelines.
• 4-5 years of working experience in Crop marketing across  Africa with experience in maize, sorghum soybeans, and cashew, among other major crops in Africa. 
• Strong research and field  experience in  maize,rice, soybean, plantain, sorghum, cashew is required
• Proven experience in the use of technology to facilitate market access. 
• Strong business analysis, planning and financial management skills
• Excellent oral communication, writing and presentation skills.
• Must speak/write French and English fluently and other languages across Africa is an added advantage
• Great negotiation skills, proven ability to  pitch and close deals