CLIENT RELATIONSHIP MANAGER: SUSTAINABILITY – STELLENBOSCH

Agricruitment; Stellenbosch; Hybrid; ZAR 420,000 - 680,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Agricruitment in Stellenbosch seeks a Client Relationship Manager to oversee a portfolio of sustainability consulting clients, coordinating project delivery and ad hoc account stewardship.

You will engage credibly on carbon reporting, water, biodiversity and ESG initiatives, manage milestones, risks and client retention, and collaborate with cross-functional teams in a hybrid setup with limited travel.

Qualifications

• At least two years in client success or account management within sustainability.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional teams and project milestones.
• Ability to discuss carbon reporting, water and biodiversity topics with clients.
• Experience using CRM or work-management systems.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day relationships across an assigned portfolio of clients.
• Understand each client's sustainability priorities, project scope and outcomes.
• Coordinate project setup, timelines, responsibilities and handovers.
• Monitor milestones, deadlines, deliverables, risks and dependencies.
• Coordinate delivery across consulting, enablement, product, data and reporting teams.
• Maintain visibility of rollout progress across contracted units and sites.
• Track onboarding, data submission and reporting progress.
• Identify and mitigate client, delivery or adoption risks early.
• Maintain accurate account information and executive-level progress reporting.
• Support proposals, renewals, account growth and expansions.
• Escalate matters requiring management or strategic intervention.

Skills

Client relationship management

Project coordination

Sustainability knowledge

CRM systems

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical thinking

Tools

Monday.com

CRM software

Job description

Working arrangement: Hybrid, with limited travel

Purpose of the Role

The Client Relationship Manager is responsible for managing a portfolio of client accounts and ensuring that each client receives a coordinated, professional and valuable experience across their sustainability consulting services and digital tools.

The role owns the day-to-day client relationship, coordinates project delivery, maintains visibility of account progress, manages risks and supports client retention and growth.

The successful candidate must be able to engage credibly with clients on sustainability matters and understand the practical requirements of carbon reporting, water, biodiversity and ESG-related projects.

This is primarily a client relationship, project coordination and account stewardship role rather than a pure sales role.

Main Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day relationships across an assigned portfolio of clients.
• Understand each client’s business, sustainability priorities, project scope and expected outcomes.
• Coordinate project and budget setup, timelines, responsibilities and internal handovers.
• Monitor project milestones, deadlines, deliverables, risks and dependencies.
• Coordinate delivery across consulting, enablement, product, data and reporting teams.
• Maintain high-level visibility of rollout progress across contracted business units and sites.
• Track onboarding, training, active tool use, data submission, data checking and reporting progress.
• Identify client, delivery or adoption risks early and coordinate mitigating action.
• Maintain accurate account information and concise executive-level progress reporting.
• Support proposals, renewals, account growth and appropriate expansion opportunities.
• Escalate matters requiring management or strategic intervention.

Required Experience

• At least two years of directly relevant experience in client success, account management, sustainability project management or client delivery.
• At least two years of direct, hands-on experience in one or more of:
• carbon accounting or carbon reporting;
• water measurement, stewardship or reporting;
• biodiversity assessment or sustainability programmes;
• or ESG data collection, reporting or implementation.
• Practical experience across more than one of these sustainability areas is strongly preferred.
• Experience in food, agriculture or fibre supply chains.
• Experience managing multiple clients, projects or workstreams concurrently.
• Experience coordinating technical specialists and cross-functional teams.
• Experience tracking project deadlines, risks, deliverables and client actions.
• Experience using project-management, CRM or work-management systems.
• Experience with SaaS platforms, digital sustainability tools and Monday.com will be advantageous.

Required Skills and Attributes

• Strong client relationship and stakeholder-management ability.
• Excellent organisation, project coordination and follow-through.
• The ability to communicate sustainability and technical matters clearly.
• Confidence working with numbers, deadlines and progress information.
• Sound judgement regarding risk, escalation and client expectations.
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of account retention and growth.
• Strong attention to detail.
• The ability to distinguish strategic issues from routine operational matters.
• The ability to work independently while coordinating closely with a matrix team.
• A proactive, solutions-focused and accountable working style.

Language Requirements

• Strong written and spoken English is required.
• Strong written and spoken Afrikaans is required.
• Spanish is an advantage.