Lead Market Development Agronomist at Land O'Lakes, Inc. in ARDEN HILLS, Minnesota

Job Description:

As stated in the Land O'Lakes Job Posting policy, all employees who post for an internal opening must inform their current manager at the time they apply.

Our growth relies on our extraordinary talent. Unlock your greatest potential at Land O'Lakes by continuing to make a difference, driving results and growing your career.

Lead Market Development Agronomist

The Market Development Agronomist (MDA) Lead is responsible for the day-to-day execution of the MDA strategy as both a people leader of select regions, and MDA contact for assigned accounts. The MDA is the local agronomy expert that coaches, influences, and creates opportunities with key owners and sellers. They drive demand of products, innovation, services, and connections to new markets using their technical expertise in agronomy/seed skills and advanced understanding of the services platform. Conducting customer agronomy training, communicating technical subject matter, and supporting business transformation around total acre solutions. As an MDA Leader they will provide direct coaching and leadership towards achievement of MDA objectives and collaborate with sales leaders on overall direction and plans.

Area of Responsibility:
40% Customer Facing: Advanced Acre Execution and Coaching w/Retail Sellers
Serves as the technical specialist in leveraging the Advanced Acre strategy to differentiate our system.
Enables the creation of new markets by combining products, data insights and services to drive revenue growth and capture new markets.
Coaches the Advanced Acre solutions strategy to assigned retail sellers and designated growers in conjunction with internal sales team as determined from Account Plans.
Partners with the Sales Development Manager on targeted sales activities, providing technical expertise and knowledge during sales calls and visits with customers.
Conduct technical training opportunities to include CPP & Seed products, services platform for identified retail locations, and Answer Plots in collaboration with SDMs.
Facilitate virtual services, agronomic and product delivery through videos, etc. identified video and digital platforms.
Provides Innovation/Insight trials direction and execution to identified owners and internal staff.
Collaboration with key channel and regional influencers (ex: basic partner agronomists)

25% Non-Customer Facing: Partner with WinField United Product Managers
Create local insights and differentiated product positioning to aide in the seed and cpp selling story for the retail selling base in specified geography.
Help inform and drive product pipeline by providing feedback and representation from local market.
Assist Product Managers to do internal trainings with Business Unit sales teams.

35% MDA Leader
People Performance Management:Ensure key performance indicators are monitored, tracked, and achieved.
Provide direct coaching and career development.

Proactive collaboration with ASMs and BULs on local plans and overall MDA Team Strategy.
Engage and align team on accomplishing MDA training curriculum.
Assist with development of overall MDA team direction, KPIs, and align team to strategy.

Job Scope:
Meeting or exceeding defined region, BU sales and financial targets.
Training activity based on Salesforce entries.
Strategic imperatives
Managing expenses within budget
People management: responsibility of MDA team in assigned territory (up to seven direct reports)

Required Qualifications:

Experience and Education
Bachelor's degree in agriculture or business-related field plus 5 years of industry experience; or an equivalent of 10 years of successful work experience in agronomy and recommend 1-2 years of people leadership experience.
Advanced degree including MS or PhD in agronomy or closely related field is preferred but not required.
Experience coaching, training, and executing technical agronomic decisions and developing and educating others on products, services, and programs.
Ability to create working relationships internally and externally.
Demonstrated success in interacting with key stakeholders and more senior leadership.
Experience diagnosing customer expectations and needs and responds promptly.
Proactive communicator with exceptional written, verbal, and formal presentation skills
Trustworthy with a strong level of personal commitment
Ability to make sound decisions and complete tasks in a fast-paced work environment.
Proven ability to coordinate and collaborate with multiple stakeholders and to influence at all levels.
Ability to work independently and manage productivity.
Experience demonstrating agility and leading/adapting quickly to change.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint); virtual collaboration tools (Teams, Zoom); and CRM software (Salesforce)
Must have current and valid state driver's license

Essential Functions/Work Environment:
50% or more travel (daily, extended hours and some overnight stays) to potential and existing customers within an assigned sales area to present company offerings, build brand awareness and coach team members.

Competencies:
Executes as a Valued Business Partner
Demonstrate a Coaching Mindset
Optimize Selling Effectiveness
Drive for Total Acre Solutions
Lead and Embrace Change
Demonstrate Agility
Execute with Focus and Accountability
Engage and Include
Act Strategically
Make Insightful Decisions
Business Acumen
Exemplify Land O'Lakes wide leadership competencies: Collaboration, Innovation, Courage, Ownership, and Decisiveness

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities and may be revised at any time. Nothing in this job description restricts the management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

WAGE RANGE SALARY:
Land O'Lakes, Inc offers a competitive salary.

EOE M/F/Vets/Disabled. Land O'Lakes, Inc. enforces a policy of maintaining a drug-free workforce. Applicants must successfully pass a pre-employment (post offer) background check.

Grade:

E15