Account Manager: AgriCarbon (full time)
based in South Africa (flexible location)
Climate Neutral Group (CNG), acquired by the Anthesis Group in 2022, is a leading international carbon consultancy and offset provider. Our diverse team of climate specialists, sustainability experts and social entrepreneurs are developing innovative solutions tailored to the needs of not only specific businesses but also entire sectors.
AgriCarbon™ is South Africa’s first carbon programme paying farmers for the carbon credits they generate from their sustainable land management practises. Rotational grazing, cover cropping, reduced tillage, and other practices improves soil quality and the farmer’s bottom line. By increasing soil organic carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from these practices carbon credits of the highest quality are generated.
Job summary
The role of the AgriCarbon Account Manager is to build and maintain local relationships with CNG’s prioritized farmers and select partners within the sales territory. This role extends far beyond a traditional sales position and will require the candidate to demonstrate strong business acumen, understanding of Ag business, and exceptional emotional intelligence.
The Account Manager will need to intimately understand AgriCarbon’s commercial offerings, articulate the benefits of the AgriCarbon programme, close the sale with new farmers and scale industry partnerships. Once the relationship has been established the Account Manager will devote their efforts to help farmers throughout the carbon journey. The Account Manager will work closely with the AgriCarbon Programme Manager and technical team.
If you are an enthusiastic Ag Sales professional with an understanding of the latest sustainable agricultural best practices coupled with a wide network and a desire to make a meaningful difference to curb climate change, then we are looking for you!
In this key role, you will have an opportunity to:
Lead a Partner Sales route to market for a defined set of AgriCarbon partners within your region
- Build deep relationships with various partners, such as Ag service providers, farmer associations, industry bodies etc., at the local and regional level
- Coach partners to enhance selling activity, differentiate competitive offerings, and build relationships
- Help create and communicate relevant information around enrolment and eligibility that matches the partners farmers segmentation and seasonal opportunities
- Help partners hit their KPI and carbon targets with customized strategies and prospecting
- Support Partners at grower events, field days and webinars
Be the Leader and Advocate in the region for AgriCarbon’s Partners
- Primary contact at local partner level, working innovatively in the region to attain increased levels of enrolment via the AgriCarbon Partners
- Cultivate relationships with key influencers in the region, such as private consultants, key retail personnel and others in leadership/influential positions in the region
- Actively gather and communicate marketing information, retail account needs, and product/service improvements
- Serve as the primary conduit of communication between – the regional Partners to the Commercial and/or Technical AgriCarbon Manager
Lead Farmer Sales
- As part of your farmer direct route to market you will serve as the lead sourcing agent for new hectares to be enrolled in the AgriCarbon programme
- Territory Planning
- Develop strategic plans to achieve regional goals & scale partner relationships and farmer enrolments
- Sourcing, qualify and initiate contact with key farmers in a local area/region
- Presentation
- Accurately and compellingly present the AgriCarbon programme and its benefits to each qualified farmer
- Ability to articulate value proposition of the AgriCarbon programme to a farmer’s unique situation
- Closing
- Be persistent in ensuring farmers enroll in the AgriCarbon programme
- Educate/enable farmers to map fields
- Go through eligibility check and enrol and/or be able to source field maps
- Hits KPIs and carbon targets with customized strategies and prospecting
- Support farmer field events and webinars
Account Management through the enrolment process
- Maintain good contact with key farmers and other key CNG/AgriCarbon team to ensure successful Carbon customer enrolment
- Be a conduit between the farmer/grower and Climate Neutral Group
Competencies:
- Can break down complex new products to effectively influence stakeholders
- Understands the customer’s needs that cultivates trust and lasting relationships
- Strong business sense and understanding of economies especially as it relates to agriculture
- Shows optimism and an ability to recover from setbacks and keeps going despite adversity
- Exhibits an ability to adopt change willingly and adjust to changing expectations
- Shows a desire to improve abilities and a need to master difficult tasks for growth
- Accountability for your actions that shows initiative and brings about positive results
- Excellent communication skills
- Able to utilize new technologies and tools to provide data-driven information to growers
- Thrives in a fast-paced environment
- Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional internal relationships and handoffs
- Ability to leverage shared successes to elevate the broader team’s performance
- Fluency in Afrikaans is essential
Qualifications:
- 3+ years of a demonstrated track record of high sales performance in the Ag space, i.e. inputs, biologicals, etc.
- Experience working directly with farmers
- An existing network of business/relationships with retailers, large growers/landowners, industry influencers, or other channel partners
- Passion for hunting new accounts and developing industry relationships
- Comfortable with technology and agriculture management software
- Experience using sales support CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
- Proven ability to meet/exceed sales targets in the Ag industry
- Demonstrated adaptability in sales skills, processes and approaches
- Based remotely, ability and willingness to travel up to 80% in assigned territory, with own car
Compensation at Climate Neutral Group South Africa:
To help us attract and retain top talent, CNG pays employees competitively to the market. In return, we expect each employee to, at a minimum:
- Meet expectations in terms of work effort and performance
- Take the initiative to build the skills and knowledge needed to do their job effectively; and
- Embody CNG’s values
Please apply
Does this sound like your dream job? If so, go ahead and apply for position and we’ll be in touch. We appreciate your interest in Climate Neutral Group.
Please send your cover letter and CV to recruitment@climateneutralgroup.co.za
We encourage diversity in our team at all levels of the company. We are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive environment and to encourage these values in everyone on our team. We provide an environment of mutual respect where opportunities are available without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. We believe that diversity and inclusion for people from all walks of life is key to our success as a company.
Application closing date: until positions are filled