Business Project Lead Agriculture

Mayfly Agri (Pty) Ltd; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading agricultural firm in Johannesburg seeks a skilled candidate to evaluate business opportunities and manage client relations. The ideal applicant should possess a relevant degree and have at least 3 years of experience in negotiations and supply chain management. The role requires strong leadership skills and excellent communication in Afrikaans and English, ensuring positive stakeholder relationships and effective project management.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years relevant experience.
• Working knowledge of agricultural input products and farming practices.
• Entrepreneurial experience and business acumen advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate business opportunities with partners to identify customer needs.
• Perform needs analysis on product requirements.
• Transform needs into a budget and project plan.
• Conduct key account visits to leading farmers.

Skills

Client relations

Negotiation skills

Commercial agreements

Supply chain management

Communication in Afrikaans

Communication in English

Education

B.Com., B.Sc. or similar degree

Agricultural Economics qualification

Job description

Minimum requirements for the role :

• Must have a B.Com., B. Sc. or similar degree; an Agricultural Economics qualification would be an advantage.
• Minimum 3 years relevant experience.
• Experience in client relations, negotiations, commercial agreements, demand planning, and supply chain management would be highly advantageous.
• Must have working knowledge of agricultural input products and general farming practices.
• Entrepreneurial experience and business acumen are advantageous.
• General understanding of the agricultural input value chain, including key industry stakeholders (associations, industry bodies, competitors, farmers).
• High-level understanding of the broader agriculture landscape and dynamics, with a strong ability to work in or manage cross-functional teams (not necessarily direct reports), including internal stakeholders, customers, and channel partners.
• Strong negotiation skills, along with excellent written and verbal communication skills in Afrikaans and English.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders, even in difficult circumstances.
• Excellent project management and planning skills.
• Must be assertive, structured, disciplined, and a self-starter.

The successful candidate will be responsible for :

• Evaluating business opportunities with selected partners to identify customer needs, challenges, and scope for implementing differentiated value propositions and channels to market.
• Performing needs analysis on product requirements and identifying opportunities to aggregate products for bulk supply.
• Evaluating technical inputs and support required.
• Transforming needs into a budget and project plan.
• Discussing budgets with WUSA Department Heads to devise value propositions, supply plans, and support requirements.
• Performing key account visits to leading farmers to ensure continuous communication, proactively identifying challenges, and resolving issues.
• Conducting regular meetings with channel partners and stakeholders to discuss opportunities and challenges, and monitor progress.
• Reporting and discussing opportunities and challenges with WUSA Departmental Heads and Group Executives.
• Collaborating closely with the Group Executive to refine, transition, and prepare opportunities for execution.
• Monitoring external trends, disruptions, and adjacent market opportunities, and presenting insights to the Group Executive.
• Preparing and delivering structured updates and recommendations to channel partners, stakeholders, and key clients.

Please note that after the screening and shortlisting process, all further communication will be with shortlisted candidates only.