Senior Crop Protection Specialist

AF (The AF Group); Norwich; Hybrid; GBP 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to £45,000 per annum

26 days holiday per annum + bank hols

Birthday off as extra holiday

Free lunch daily

AF Membership

Life assurance (2 x salary)

Private Health Insurance (optional)

Discounted gym membership

Cycle to work scheme

Salary Sacrifice car scheme

Hybrid working (1 day WFH per week)

Job summary

AF (The AF Group) is seeking a Senior Crop Protection Specialist to support Members with expert crop protection advice, procurement guidance and cost-effective product sourcing. You will manage Member accounts, coordinate with suppliers and agronomists, and lead technical briefings while ensuring timely service from order placement to invoicing.

Ideal candidates will have BASIS Agriculture qualifications, strong negotiation skills and the ability to analyse data for decision-making.

Qualifications

• Experience providing advice in a similar crop role.
• Customer-focused approach to service.
• Ability to evaluate and compare data to make decisions.

Responsibilities

• Work with procurement managers to implement growth strategy and perform gap analysis.
• Proactively manage Member accounts, benchmark Members, and communicate savings and benefits.
• Keep Members and agronomists informed about product developments and regulatory changes; organise technical briefings for agronomists.
• Provide technical support on crop protection products and identify cost-effective alternatives.
• Manage orders and enquiries by phone and email; ensure accurate, timely service from order placement to invoicing.
• Negotiate prices and secure orders across crop protection, fertiliser and seed for external customers and internal subsidiaries.
• Visit Members and suppliers, attend industry events and adapt to evolving business needs.

Skills

Crop protection advice

Customer focus

Negotiation

Communication by phone

Education

BASIS qualification in Agriculture

Job description

We’re looking for a Senior Crop Protection Specialist to join our team, using your expertise to provide valuable support and guidance to our members.

You’ll combine technical advice, proactive account management and procurement support to help Members access cost-effective products. Working with Members and suppliers, you’ll help deliver a reliable service from order placement through to invoicing.

In this role you will:

• Work closely with procurement managers to implement the growth strategy and take ownership of gap analysis using existing software tools.
• Proactively manage Member accounts, benchmark current and prospective Members, and communicate the savings and benefits available.
• Keep Members and agronomists informed about product developments and regulatory changes and organise technical briefings for agronomists.
• Provide technical support on crop protection products and identify cost-effective alternatives.
• Manage orders and enquiries by phone and email, working with Members and suppliers to deliver accurate, timely service from order placement to invoicing.
• Working closely with procurement managers, negotiate prices and secure orders across crop protection, fertiliser and seed for external customers and internal subsidiaries, as directed and agreed.
• Visit Members and suppliers, attend relevant industry events and adapt to evolving business needs.

About you:

You’ll bring experience of providing advice in a similar crop role and previous customer-focused experience. You’ll communicate confidently and professionally by phone and build effective working relationships with customers, suppliers and colleagues.

You’ll hold a full BASIS qualification in Agriculture and have strong negotiation skills and strong attention to detail. You’ll be able to evaluate and compare data accurately to make decisions confidently.

Comfortable working to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment, you’ll work collaboratively while also being able to work independently and use your initiative. You’ll have demonstrable experience of identifying, developing and delivering process improvements and a flexible approach to evolving business needs.

Why work with us?

We believe in recognising the great work our people do and creating an environment where everyone can thrive, including offering:

• Up to £45,000 per annum, depending on experience
• 26 days holiday per annum, plus bank holidays. This rises with each years’ service by an additional day, up to 4 extra days
• Have your birthday off as an extra day’s holiday, if it falls on your working day
• Free lunch daily from our onsite Café
• AF Membership (giving discounts at hundreds of retailers and suppliers)
• Life assurance (2 x salary)
• Private Health Insurance (available as an optional employee‑paid benefit)
• Discounted gym membership
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary Sacrifice car scheme
• Hybrid working (1 day working from home per week)