CPD Head South Africa

Syngenta; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading agricultural firm seeks a strategic leader to drive crop protection initiatives in South Africa. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of R&D experience and proven leadership skills. Responsibilities include managing a high-performance team and ensuring successful product launches while complying with regulatory standards. Strong commercial acumen and technical expertise in agriculture are essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of R&D experience in agricultural CP development.
• Proven leadership and people management experience.
• Experience interacting with regulatory bodies.
• Significant experience in complex technical portfolio/project management.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the South African CPD team.
• Drive excellence in technical launches and support.
• Focus on commercial priorities and understand local customer needs.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and manage the CP pipeline.

Skills

Leadership

Technical expertise

Commercial acumen

Analytical skills

Communication

Education

BSc/MSc in Biology, Chemistry, Agronomy, or equivalent

Job description

Company Description

As a world market leader in crop protection, we help farmers to counter these threats and ensure enough safe, nutritious, affordable food for all – while minimizing the use of land and other agricultural inputs. Syngenta Crop Protection keeps plants safe from planting to harvesting. From the moment a seed is planted through to harvest, crops need to be protected from weeds, insects and diseases as well as droughts and floods, heat and cold. Syngenta Crop Protection is headquartered in Switzerland.

Job Description

Role Purpose

To deliver a competitive crop protection (CP) portfolio supporting a 5-year growth agenda in South Africa. This involves end-to-end (E2E) pipeline management, operational excellence, team leadership, knowledge transfer, and budget management. A key focus is understanding local customer needs to deliver differentiated product offerings and ensuring successful product launches in collaboration with other Syngenta functions.

Accountabilities

•Leadership & Team Management: Lead and develop the South African CPD team, fostering a high-performance culture aligned with Syngenta values. This includes talent management, succession planning, and ensuring a safe and compliant work environment. Actively participate in the Country Leadership Team (CLT) to contribute to overall business strategy.

•Technical Expertise & Innovation: Provide technical leadership within the business area (BA), driving excellence in technical launches and support. Act as the single source of technical truth for projects, leveraging CP technologies and anticipating regulatory impacts. Translate research findings into actionable product/grower offers, identifying and addressing technical portfolio gaps.

•Commercial Acumen & Market Understanding: Focus on commercial priorities, understanding local customer needs and competitive landscapes. Collaborate with Marketing to ensure products are intelligently positioned for rapid market share gains. Gather market intelligence and competitor information for informed decision-making.

•Regulatory Compliance: Ensure conformity to Syngenta processes and regulatory requirements. Work closely aligned with Regulatory to obtain new registrations efficiently while maintaining high data quality. Actively participate in industry committees (e.g., CropLife) to represent Syngenta.

•Project Management & Execution: Own E2E delivery of the CP pipeline, from early development to first sales. Manage the trial program, ensuring high-quality data and timely delivery. Prioritize the portfolio based on market realities, balancing new product introductions (NPIs) and mid-tier opportunities. Manage the portfolio lifecycle to maximize returns.

•Collaboration & Communication: Foster effective collaboration across functions (R&D, Technical Services, Regulatory, Marketing, Commercial) and with regional/global teams. Communicate clearly at all organizational levels and across cultures.

Qualifications

Qualifications, Experience & Capabilities:

• BSc/MSc in Biology, Chemistry, Agronomy, Crop Science, Genetics, or equivalent.
• 10+ years of R&D experience in agricultural CP development.
• Proven leadership and people management experience.
• Experience interacting with regulatory bodies.
• Significant experience in complex technical portfolio/project management.
• Solid understanding of the regulatory landscape and market dynamics.
• Strong analytical, process, and communication skills.
• High level of commercial acumen.

Critical Success Factors & Key Challenges

• Managing competing priorities and demands from diverse stakeholders.
• Delivering high-throughput results while fostering innovation.
• Maintaining a high-performing and engaged team.
• Facilitating effective knowledge transfer across functions.
• Building strong relationships and influencing without direct reporting lines.
• Developing a culture of innovation and agility.

Critical Leadership capabilities

• Demonstrate Syngenta Leadership behaviours
• Prioritise D E & I initiatives by driving Employment Equity transformation
• Leads change and holds ambiguity
• Sets ambitious strategic goals.
• Focuses on customers.
• Collaborates across boundaries.
• Communicates with impact.
• Builds a culture of Innovation.
• Manages for performance.
• Develops people, organization and self.
• Fosters (role modelling) effective collaboration and teamwork.

Additional Information

Advert closing 11 August 2025