Turf & Ornamental (T&O) Market Development Specialist

Corteva Agriscience; Kansas; Remote; USD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Market Development Specialist in the Turf and Ornamental Business. This virtual office position offers a unique opportunity to leverage your sales expertise to mentor peers and drive business growth. Collaborate with various teams to create impactful training resources and enhance product positioning. If you're passionate about agronomy and want to influence a dynamic sales team, this role is for you. Join a company dedicated to making a difference while enjoying a collaborative culture that fosters creativity and leadership.

Benefits

Health Benefits

Paid Time Off

Parental Leave

Retirement Savings Plan

Tuition Reimbursement

Qualifications

• 5+ years of field sales experience in agronomy or related fields required.
• Expertise in technical training and product positioning is essential.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement technical training for the Turf and Ornamental team.
• Serve as the primary agronomic expert for the T&O team.

Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Problem-Solving

Presentation Skills

Time Management

Communication Skills

Flexibility and Agility

Self-Starter

Leadership and Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's in Ag Education

Master's Degree

Tools

Excel

Windows-based Software

Job description

Corteva Agriscience has an exciting opportunity for a Market Development Specialist in the Turf and Ornamental Business (T&O). This is a virtual office position. However, the preferred location is the Midwest to Eastern states of the U.S. Must have easy access to a major metropolitan airport.

The T&O Development Specialist role is aligned with the T&O Sales Organization and is a technical focal point to assist in accurately positioning products for both internal and external audiences to help grow and optimize sales in the T&O business. This role provides a unique opportunity to use your expert sales and business experience to mentor and develop your peers into the most capable sales team in the industry.

The Turf and Ornamental Market Development Specialist works closely with Field Scientists, R&D, Regulatory, and commercial teams to create and implement technical training modules and resources for our T&O portfolio. This individual will be known as the thought leader and expert for technical training and demonstrates the highest standards to best communicate the technical and agronomic fit that resonates with various stakeholders, primarily Corteva Territory Managers, Distributor Sales Reps, and end-use customers.

If you want to be part of an elite team with first-hand responsibilities to develop and execute strategy by influencing and developing the capabilities of some of the most capable professionals in the T&O business, this role might be exactly what you are seeking. Apply to join a collaborative culture in the Corteva T&O team where your creativity and leadership can flourish.

General Description

• Identifies business opportunities and develops markets for existing or new products, new programs, and technologies.
• Must be an expert on the sales process and in coaching and training the field on selling skills.
• Partners with Field Sales, IFS, and Marketing to plan, coordinate, and leverage field demonstrations to improve internal product understanding and/or product positioning. Must serve as information liaison between field and IFS.
• Partners with internal teams to create product informational resources to improve the productivity and profitability of Corteva customers.
• Serves as the primary agronomic expert for the T&O team to resolve difficult customer complaints and improve the adoption of the Corteva portfolio.
• Facilitates the resolution of technical product issues in the field.
• Responsible for direct mentorship and indirect leadership to TM, ATMs, and interns.

Key Responsibilities:

Training

• Create and implement technical training and resources that enhance the knowledge of the TMs. Serves as the thought leader for technical training and sets the highest standard in communicating technical knowledge to a variety of stakeholders.
  • Technical training includes Corteva & competitive product features/benefits; weed, insect, and disease identification and management; equipment and product use knowledge; business processes and acumen for each segment of the business (lawn care, nursery & greenhouse, and golf).
  • The commercial link to collaborate with the T&O field scientists on demonstration plots for hands-on training, field tour opportunities, product performance characterization, and/or visual imagery used for key messaging.
  • Understands Sales Support and Research Protocols from IFS and effectively communicates results to the field to maintain product position integrity.
  • Be a key resource in developing and delivering compelling presentations that can be leveraged by the TMs and set the highest standards of content quality.
  • Mentors the field organization on the sales process and proper product positioning. Develops training for interns, ATMs, and TMs to elevate each to the appropriate skill level needed for role effectiveness and supports the commercial leadership’s intent on product initiatives and launch efforts. Works closely with Sales Excellence to facilitate competent and proficient ATMs.
  • Train and support distributors and end-users on product use and complaint handling guidelines and protocols.
  • Serve as a key trainer at national sales meetings or distributor/formulator meetings.

• Sales Resource Development
  • Provide input and guidance on sales tools, MarCom training modules, product positioning guides, and competitive positioning strategies.
  • Assist the sales organization in developing and implementing sound agronomic programs for specific geographies.
  • Lead the capabilities of Chesapeake and Myakka City research farms to be a resource for the T&O business.
  • Distill research and product performance data into formats that can be leveraged by TMs and DSR customers.
  • Support MarCom by being the technical expert and creative initiator in public communication efforts.

• Agronomic, Sales & Competitive Focal Point
  • Be the first-line liaison between the TMs and IFS guiding research investigations to align with the strategic direction of the commercial teams. Serve as the focal point of technical questions from the field and provide accurate, timely, and thorough responses consistent with product positioning, capabilities, and label recommendations.
  • Serve as the commercial link in the Local Product Concept Team and collaborate regularly with IFS, Regulatory, Marketing, and Program teams.
  • Attend various industry tradeshows to stay current on market conditions, understand the positioning and technical attributes of competitive products, and how to defend or exploit opportunities against the competition.
  • Collaborate closely with Strategic Account Managers to support their efforts to differentiate the value of Corteva and the portfolio.
  • Respond to internal needs for technical expertise with complaints and demonstrate poise under highly stressful situations. Apply technical understanding and expertise to help enable win-win outcomes with the TMs and customers.
  • Serve as a critical resource for the Customer Information Center (help-desk) and assure their ability to answer fundamental product information questions. Provide regular and timely training needed.

Required Skill Set:

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work with the many social styles of TMs, channel, and end-user customers.
• Ability to solve complex problems through technical expertise, organization, management skills, written and verbal communications.
• Ability to be highly flexible and agile to meet the changing needs of the T&O business.
• Be a highly productive self-starter and an active contributor to teams.
• Strong ability to lead, mentor, and influence others.
• Must have excellent presentation skills and presentation development that sets the highest standard of quality in the business.
• Demonstrates good time management and decision-making skills.
• Excellent computer skills in all Windows-based software and ability to manage extensive excel databases.
• Expected to travel 50-75% of the time within the entire U.S. and be responsive to seasonal and business cycles.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s in ag education, turfgrass management, weed science, agronomy, genetics, entomology, plant pathology or related fields, with a minimum of 5 years’ field sales experience required. Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience with field plot protocols and demonstrations preferred.
• Visa sponsorship and International Relocation are NOT available for this position.

Location:

• Location for this position is negotiable, with proximity to a major airport required.
• Travel and support of TMs, customers, and national scale roles across the U.S. is expected.

Benefits – How We’ll Support You:

• Numerous development opportunities offered to build your skills
• Be part of a company with a higher purpose and contribute to making the world a better place
• Health benefits for you and your family on your first day of employment
• Four weeks of paid time off and two weeks of well-being pay per year, plus paid holidays
• Excellent parental leave which includes a minimum of 16 weeks for mother and father
• Future planning with our competitive retirement savings plan and tuition reimbursement program

• Learn more about our total rewards package here - Corteva Benefits
• Check out life at Corteva! www.linkedin.com/company/corteva/life

Are you a good match? Apply today! We seek applicants from all backgrounds to ensure we get the best, most creative talent on our team.

The salary range for this position is $ to $. This reflects a reasonable estimate of the targeted base salary for this role. This role is also eligible for an annual bonus. Based on factors such as geographic location and candidate qualifications, actual base pay is determined when an employment offer is made.

Corteva Agriscience is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to embracing our differences to enrich lives, advance innovation, and boost company performance. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, military or veteran status, pregnancy-related conditions (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), disability or any other protected status in accordance with federal, state, or local laws.