Overview

Vegetable Seed Operations & Sales Manager

Our client within the Agriculture, Horticulture & Seed Science industry is seeking a highly commercial and operationally sound Vegetable Seed Operations & Sales Manager to spearhead the marketing, sales, and end-to-end supply chain of premium vegetable seed products. This role is designed to maximize shareholder value and boost corporate revenue by designing strategic marketing policies, developing market-responsive products, and maintaining robust client pipelines based on real-time market expectations. This is a full-time role, based in Harare.

Key Responsibilities

  1. Commercial Strategy & Market Expansion
  • Formulate and execute short- and long-term sales and marketing strategic plans in alignment with broad corporate objectives.
  • Establish concrete sales targets, track performance through rigorous feedback systems, and drive customer acquisition and retention models.
  • Analyze product strengths and weaknesses, evaluate consumer feedback, and conduct target research to optimize pricing and market positioning.
  • Enhance product packaging, indoor/outdoor merchandising, brand visibility, and coordinate targeted traditional or digital promotional campaigns.
  • Maintain and aggressively expand the company’s regional and international export sales base.
  1. Operations, Quality & Production Management
  • Develop comprehensive production strategies and oversee production officers to ensure grower yields meet strict volume, quality, and purity goals.
  • Coordinate input distribution to contract growers and manage relations with seed services and national agricultural regulatory bodies.
  • Supervise warehouse operations, covering the proper storing, packing, processing, and dispatch of vegetable seed lots.
  • Mitigate seed inventory losses by ensuring rigorous adherence to specialized seed preservation and fumigation systems.
  • Implement ISO 9001:2015 quality management principles across daily division activities to maintain operational excellence.
  • Oversee product importations, securing optimal pricing, supply continuity, and performance standards from global suppliers.
  1. Budgetary Control & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Compile, present, and monitor the divisional operational and sales budgets, reviewing actual expenditure against forecasts to control costs.
  • Cultivate relationships with key corporate accounts, government stakeholders, trade media, and commercial farmers.
  • Schedule and oversee localized product backstopping, agronomy training workshops, and corporate field days.
  1. Leadership & Talent Development
  • Form, coordinate, and mentor a professional team, mapping out clear performance expectations and cascading balanced scorecards.
  • Identify training needs within the division and actively participate in departmental talent recruitment.

Job Requirements

  • Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Agricultural Science, or an equivalent qualification. Corporate membership in a relevant professional body is considered a distinct advantage.
  • Experience: 5 to 7 years of proven experience in agricultural supply chain or commercial sales management, including a minimum of 3 years operating at a senior management level.
  • Technical Compliance: Practical familiarity with seed laboratory compliance and the implementation of ISO 9001:2015 frameworks.
  • Key Skills: Robust financial management and business planning skills, complex resource planning, project management, and high-level negotiation capabilities.

Core Competencies

  • Uncompromising focus on results, order, and quality excellence.
  • Strong organizational awareness and a client-centric customer service orientation.
  • Resilient under the operational pressure of tight seasonal timelines, deal negotiations, and managing geographically dispersed stakeholders.

Apply via [email protected]. Regrettably, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.