Crop Specialist - AgVantage FS - Ackley, IA

AgVantage FS; Ackley (IA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

AgVantage FS in Ackley, Iowa is looking for a Marketing Agronomist responsible for developing customers through effective product marketing and providing agronomic services. The candidate will implement sales strategies, ensure customer satisfaction, and maintain professional certifications. This role requires an Associate's Degree in a relevant field and two years of experience. Opportunities for growth exist in a supportive environment that values customer relations and agronomic expertise.

Qualifications

• Minimum of an Associate's Degree in agriculture, marketing, or business.
• 2+ years of related work experience in production agriculture.
• Ability to maintain applicable professional certifications in agronomy.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement marketing plans for assigned territory.
• Provide value-added agronomic products and services to customers.
• Ensure customer credit worthiness and prepare sales contracts.

Skills

Knowledge of production agriculture

Effective marketing techniques

Customer service

Sales strategies development

Ability to work independently

Education

Associate’s Degree in agriculture, marketing, or business

Job description

AgVantage FS is headquartered in Waverly, Iowa with branches in Northern and Eastern Iowa. AgVantage FS has about 400 employees (including seasonal workers) and approximately 23,000 customers. The cooperative does business in agronomy, energy, precision agronomy, and agri-finance. AgVantage FS is part of the GROWMARK System, an agricultural cooperative serving more than 100,000 customers across North America and Ontario, Canada.

Purpose And Summary Statement

Assumes responsibility for developing customers through effective marketing of the following products and services: crops inputs, such as fertilizer, crop protection pesticides, seed products, service income, technical services, and ag‑finance program to maximize profitable sales.

Essential Job Functions

• Implements marketing plans and develops sales strategies that generate profitable sales in the assigned territory.
• Utilizes target marketing and professional sales techniques, including the FS sales interview road map, cropping programs, emphasis of appropriate features and benefits, and contact management system when calling on patrons and prospects.
• Develops territory and competitive analysis to maintain a current knowledge of the marketplace and the competition.
• Provides value‑added agronomic products, services, and recommendations to patrons and prospects. Schedules product delivery and application to patron locations. Conducts regular patron meetings on product and technical information.
• Provides customer service by using soil testing, crop scouting and other programs, follows up on customer complaints, and seeks a reasonable “win/win” resolution.
• Ensures the credit worthiness of customers, quotes prices and credit terms, and prepares sales contracts for orders obtained. Promotes the use of credit programs as a sales tool and helps provide the required information to establish credit.

Other Job Functions

• Responsible for maintaining the assigned vehicle according to company standards, adheres to the uniform policy, and maintains the appropriate professional image.
• Ensures field signs are displayed on all customers’ fields to promote FS products.
• Responsible for completing and updating profile information sheets on all key accounts and targeted prospects.
• Collects for sales of all assigned products according to company credit policy.
• Attains and maintains technical and sales skills to certification standards.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Normally requires a minimum of an Associate’s Degree in agriculture, marketing, or business, or the equivalent thereof, and 2 years or more of related work experience to demonstrate knowledge of production agriculture.
• Ability to obtain and maintain the appropriate driver’s license and satisfactory driving record for the type of vehicle that will be required to operate in order to perform all the duties assigned prior to employment. Daily independent travel within the trade area with occasional over‑night stays.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain applicable professional certifications associated with the agronomy industry. (i.e. CCA, CCS, CPAg, Commercial Applicator with applicable categories)
• Ability and willingness to work extended hours during peak seasons.

Occasionally Exposed Or Required To

• Extreme weather conditions (hot, cold, wet, etc.)
• Noisy conditions
• Working conditions may include dust, fumes, chemicals, and electrical hazards with appropriate safety measures
• May be required to work at varying heights
• Lift 51-75 lbs.

We are an equal opportunity/Disabled/Protected Veteran Employer. All individuals, regardless of demographic or other background, are encouraged to apply. Further, as a federal, state, and local contractor, we comply with government regulations and executive orders as applicable, including affirmative action responsibilities for qualified individuals with disability and protected veterans.

Employment is contingent on, among other things, receipt of an acceptable and job‑related background check, drug test, motor vehicle report, and/or reference check, as applicable and permissible by law.