Background

We at Yara are part of a global network, collaborating to profitably and responsibly solve some of the world’s key challenges – resource scarcity, food insecurity and environmental change.

Yara Fertilizer Zambia Limited is looking to fill the permanent position of a Crop Scientist to service the corporate and commercial agricultural producers in the Southern region of Zambia:

Area of responsibility: South of Kafue, Mazabuka, Monze, Kaloma, Choma, Livingstone.

Living location: Mazabuka, Zambia.

Reporting to: Agronomy & Commercial Sales Manager – Zambia Cluster.

Role and Responsibilities

Professionally and sustainably drive the agronomic support and sales services of Yara premium and differentiated products to commercial agricultural producers within the designated area and to positively contribute to the company’s overall performance:

• Agronomic expertise and technical support
• Plant nutrition product portfolio development, sale, implementation and monitoring
• Digital farming solutions
• Market Intelligence
• Sales planning and forecasting, ordering and logistics
• Credit application, debtor management and account query solutions
• Stakeholder and relationship management, applicable to the commercial farming sector
• Company policy, values and contract adherence and promotion

Functional Knowledge

• Sound understanding and practical experience/knowledge of crop production, plant nutrition and agronomic principles.
• Sound understanding and practical experience/knowledge of selling, marketing and negotiating within the commercial farming sector.
• Working knowledge of corporate and commercial customer service and relations management.
• Working knowledge of sales administration applicable to the target group; corporate and commercial agricultural producers.

Competencies

Technical: agronomy expertise and knowledge

Business: acumen, organization and administration, critical evaluation, consultation and value selling.

• Business Expertise, Leadership, Problem Solving, Interpersonal Skills
• A hunger to exercise sales activities within the framework of Yara’s code of ethics and corporate governance.
• Ability to work independently within a diverse and geographically dispersed team.
• Sales collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to define problems, collect information, make sound judgments and involve relevant experts, decision makers and stakeholders to create sustainable solutions.
• Analysis, judgment and provision of solutions to the day to day challenges of sales within the commercial farming sector.
• Strong inter-personal, communication and negotiation skills to convince both within own organization and external customers.

Qualifications and Experience

• BSc. Agric Degree or associated qualification and fertilization certification
• Agricultural Institute of Zambia (AIZ) membership
• Proven track record of similar work experience in agronomic support and plant nutrition sales to commercial agricultural producers, preferably with sugar cane farming experience
• Minimum of 3 to 4 years in an agronomy and sales role, specific to the commercial farming sector, with experience in seasonal planning, forecasting and budgeting.
• Computer literacy in Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint or similar packages.
• Fluent written and spoken English.

• Agronomic expertise and technical support
• Plant nutrition product portfolio development, sale, implementation and monitoring
• Digital farming solutions
• Market Intelligence
• Sales planning and forecasting, ordering and logistics
• Credit application, debtor management and account query solutions
• Stakeholder and relationship management, applicable to the commercial farming sector
• Company policy, values and contract adherence and promotion

• Agronomy expertise and knowledge
• Business acumen
• Organization and administration
• Critical evaluation
• Consultation
• Value selling
• Problem Solving
• Interpersonal Skills
• Sales collaboration
• Analysis
• Judgment
• Communication skills
• Negotiation skills

• BSc. Agric Degree or associated qualification and fertilization certification
• Agricultural Institute of Zambia (AIZ) membership
• Proven track record of similar work experience in agronomic support and plant nutrition sales to commercial agricultural producers, preferably with sugar cane farming experience
• Minimum of 3 to 4 years in an agronomy and sales role, specific to the commercial farming sector, with experience in seasonal planning, forecasting and budgeting.
• Computer literacy in Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint or similar packages.
• Fluent written and spoken English.