Product Portfolio Manager – Vegetables

agritechnovation; Wellington; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

agritechnovation seeks a Product Portfolio Manager: Vegetables to bridge R&D concepts with market-ready solutions and support commercialisation through field sales and wholesale channels.

You will liaise with Commercial Heads, agronomists, and regional managers to align product development with market needs and manage multiple products across stages from trial data to launch.

Qualifications

• Strong technical writing and communication skills.
• Ability to translate technical data into commercial value.
• Organised, detail-oriented, and proactive.
• Able to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Collaborative with excellent interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate full lifecycle of products from R&D handover to market launch and portfolio rationalisation.
• Maintain and update product portfolio database with specs, regulatory status, and performance.
• Drive product positioning, including USP, agronomic value, and guidelines.
• Support wholesale channel with product kits, guides, and training sessions.
• Collaborate with supply chain to ensure availability aligns with forecast and demand.
• Liaise with regional sales managers and agronomists for field feedback and market needs.

Skills

Technical writing

Commercial translation

Organization

Project management

Interpersonal skills

Education

Degree in Agriculture/Plant Sciences/Agronomy

Job description

Purpose of the Role:

The Product Portfolio Manager: Vegetables plays a critical role in bridging innovation and commercial delivery. This individual ensures that product concepts from R&D are successfully developed into market-ready solutions and supports their effective commercialisation through the in-field sales teams and wholesale channels. The role requires strong technical acumen, project coordination ability, and commercial insight to manage the product portfolio lifecycle from research to market.

Main Responsibilities:

Product Portfolio Management

• Coordinate and support the full lifecycle of AT products – from R&D handover to market launch, commercial support, and portfolio rationalisation.
• Maintain and update the commercial product portfolio database, including product specifications, regulatory status, and market performance.
• Drive product positioning strategies, including unique selling points, agronomic value, and application guidelines.

Wholesale Channel Support

• Assist the crop specific commercial team in developing wholesale partner product kits, sales guides, application protocols, and training sessions.
• Monitor and address product queries, technical complaints, and information requests from wholesale clients.
• Collaborate with supply chain and production to ensure product availability aligns with wholesale forecasting and market demands.

Technical & Commercial Support

• Work closely with the Commercial Head of Product and Services: Vegetables to develop commercialisation strategies, product training materials, and support tools for sales teams.
• Support the commercial teams in providing support on product performance, trial data, mode of action, and compatibility.
• Liaise with regional sales managers and agronomists to gather feedback from the field and identify improvement opportunities or market needs.

R&D Interface

• Act as the link between R&D and commercial operations, ensuring product development is aligned with market requirements and business goals.
• Participate in R&D project meetings, tracking product development status, trial results, and timelines for product release.

Training & Communication

• Coordinate product training across sales teams, including agronomic, application, and value proposition aspects.
• Develop clear, technically sound product literature, presentations, and data sheets.

Skills and Capabilities

• Strong technical writing and communication skills.
• Ability to translate technical data into commercial value.
• Organised, detail-oriented, and proactive.
• Able to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Collaborative with excellent interpersonal skills.

Minimum Requirements

Qualifications

• Degree in Agriculture, Plant Sciences, Agronomy, or related field. A postgraduate qualification is an advantage.

Experience

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in agronomic product development, technical sales support, or product management – preferably in biostimulants, crop inputs, or plant nutrition.
• Solid understanding of the agriculture industry, crop production systems, and biological product performance dynamics.
• Experience interfacing with R&D and commercial teams.
• Strong project management and coordination skills.