Dairy Product Manager

De heus; Rajpura; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

De Heus India seeks a Dairy Product Manager to strengthen and grow our dairy business by translating market and customer needs into practical nutrition, formulation and commercial actions. The role requires hands-on field experience with dairy farmers and dealers, and the ability to convert technical knowledge into clear customer value propositions for a fast-growing market.

You will collaborate with Nutrition, Formulation, Purchasing, Quality and Operations teams to improve product performance,

Qualifications

• Strong dairy nutrition knowledge and ability to apply it in practical farm solutions.
• Hands-on field experience with dairy farmers, dealers and customers.
• Clear commercial mindset with focus on customer value and growth.
• Experience in training, coaching and developing sales teams.
• Ability to translate technical knowledge into customer-facing value propositions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage the dairy product portfolio aligned with market needs and De Heus strategy.
• Translate dairy farmer and customer needs into practical product concepts and technical advice.
• Collaborate with Nutrition and Formulation teams to improve performance and cost competitiveness.
• Identify opportunities to improve COGS and formulation flexibility without compromising quality.
• Support commercial teams with product positioning and technical selling.
• Visit farms and markets to understand customer needs and competitor activity.
• Provide hands-on field support and farm troubleshooting when required.
• Benchmark De Heus products against competitors on performance, price and value.
• Develop technical tools, product claims and proof points to support sales growth.
• Support new product development and continuous improvement based on market feedback.
• Work with Purchasing, Quality, Operations, Nutrition and Formulation to evaluate new materials.

Skills

Dairy nutrition

Field experience

Commercial mindset

Training & coaching

Sales support

Customer focus

Education

Animal Nutrition / Dairy Science related degree

Job description

Job Title: Dairy Product Manager

Location: India

Purpose of the Role

The Dairy Product Manager will play a key role in strengthening and growing De Heus Indias dairy business.

We are looking for a business-oriented and field-driven dairy specialist who can connect market and customer needs with nutrition, formulation, product positioning and commercial execution.

This role is not only about technical product management. It requires someone who understands dairy farmers and the Indian market, can translate technical knowledge into practical solutions, and can motivate and strengthen our commercial organization.

The ultimate goal is to build stronger product competitiveness, sustainable volume growth, improved NAV and profitability, while developing stronger technical capabilities within the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and manage the dairy product portfolio in line with market needs and De Heus strategy.
• Understand the needs of dairy farmers, dealers and customers and translate them into practical product concepts, feeding solutions and technical advice.
• Work closely with Nutrition and Formulation teams to improve product performance, consistency and cost competitiveness.
• Identify opportunities to improve COGS and formulation flexibility without compromising product quality or animal performance.
• Support the Commercial team with product positioning, technical selling and clear customer value propositions.
• Regularly visit farms, dealers and markets to understand customer needs, competitor activities and changing market conditions.
• Be hands-on and practical in the field, including farm troubleshooting and direct customer support when required.
• Benchmark De Heus dairy products against key competitors in terms of performance, specification, price and customer value.
• Develop and strengthen technical tools, product claims, proof points and practical concepts to support sales growth.
• Support new product development and continuous improvement of existing products based on market opportunities and customer feedback.
• Work closely with Purchasing, Quality, Operations, Nutrition and Formulation teams to identify and evaluate new raw materials and by-products that can strengthen product and cost competitiveness.
• Provide technical training and coaching to Sales teams, Senior Consultants, dealers and key customers.
• Motivate and strengthen the technical and commercial capabilities of the field organization.
• Support major customer visits, farm troubleshooting and important technical discussions.
• Monitor dairy market trends, milk economics, feed trends, competitor activities and farmer profitability.
• Maintain close communication with the De Heus Asia Hub and Global Ruminant team, sharing market insights and applying relevant De Heus concepts and expertise in India.
• Actively embrace, adapt and implement De Heus concepts, philosophy and technical know-how in the Indian market.
• Contribute directly to the dairy business strategy, volume growth, NAV improvement and profitability.

What We Are Looking For

• Strong technical background in dairy nutrition, ruminant nutrition or animal nutrition.
• Solid experience and practical understanding of the Indian dairy feed market.
• Good understanding of dairy farmers, dealer networks and commercial dynamics.
• Ability to connect technical knowledge with business and commercial realities.
• Strong understanding of feed formulation, raw materials and cost competitiveness.
• Practical, hands-on and field-oriented mindset someone who is comfortable working directly with farmers, animals, feed and field teams.
• Strong commercial mindset, with a clear focus on customer value and profitable growth.
• Proactive attitude and strong ownership able to identify issues and opportunities and drive actions without waiting for direction.
• Strong communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to train, coach and motivate Sales teams and Senior Consultants.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with Commercial, Nutrition, Formulation, Purchasing, Quality and Operations.
• Strong problem-solving capability and willingness to take responsibility for results.
• Willingness to learn, embrace and apply De Heus concepts and philosophy.
• Good working English communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with the Asia Hub and Global teams.

Preferred Background

• Degree in Animal Nutrition, Veterinary Science, Dairy Science, Animal Science or a related field.
• Several years of relevant experience in the dairy feed / animal nutrition industry.
• Experience with a leading feed, nutrition or dairy company would be an advantage.
• Strong field experience working directly with dairy farms, customers and commercial teams.
• Existing network within the Indian dairy industry would be highly valuable.
• Experience in technical training, product management or commercial technical support would be an advantage.

Key Success Measures

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Improvement in dairy product competitiveness.
• Sustainable improvement in dairy volume, NAV and profitability.
• Stronger technical and commercial support to the Sales organization.
• Successful product and formulation improvements.
• Improvement in COGS competitiveness and formulation flexibility.
• Better customer retention and conversion.
• Strong technical capability within the Sales and Senior Consultant teams.
• Increased speed and quality of market feedback into product and formulation decisions.
• Successful implementation of relevant De Heus concepts and technical know-how in the Indian market.
• Development of a stronger, differentiated and more competitive dairy portfolio.

Reporting & Collaboration

The Dairy Product Manager will work closely with the Managing Director, Commercial, Nutrition, Formulation, Purchasing, Quality and Operations teams, as well as the De Heus Asia Hub and Global Ruminant team.

The role will act as a key bridge between:

Market & Customer Commercial Product & Nutrition Formulation & Raw Materials Operations

The Dairy Product Manager is expected to bring market reality into product decisions and translate De Heus technical knowledge into practical commercial value for Indian dairy farmers and customers.

In Short

We are looking for someone who understands dairy technically, understands the Indian market commercially, is practical and proactive in the field, can motivate and develop our people, and can turn this knowledge into stronger products, customer value and profitable growth.