National Sales Manager

Brief about Olam Agri:

Olam Agri supplies food, feed and fibre to meet rising demand and a shift to protein-based diets, particularly in Asian and African countries. Headquartered in Singapore and present on all continents, our value chains include farming, processing and distribution operations, as well as a sourcing network of an estimated 2.5 million farmers. Our teams have built leadership positions in many Olam Agri businesses, including rice, flour, animal feed, sesame, cotton, wood, and more. As a purpose-driven company, we aim to contribute positively to the prosperity and well-being of people along our supply chains, the protection and regeneration of our natural resource base, and the fight against climate change.

For further details https://www.olamagri.com/

Role Details:

Designation & Job Title: General Manager Cotton

Location: Abidjan IVC

Overview of Position:

This is a well-rounded role in a dynamic business with high potential. Overall responsibilities include managing the supply chain from farm to export (procurement, processing, quality, and shipments). The team is composed of expats and functional local experts. The incumbent will have to deliver on these dimensions:

1. Strategic effectiveness
2. Operational effectiveness
3. Organizational effectiveness

This role will give the incumbent a unique opportunity to build his/her career in Olam Agri. The role involves intensive team management for effective delivery of procurement and export volumes. It also involves significant stakeholder management (both internal and external). Given the current crop trends, our leadership position and the regulatory environment in the country, the incumbent has significant headroom to influence not only Olam's Cotton business but also the future of the Cotton industry in, Cote d'Ivoire.

As a General Manager, the incumbent will have to set out the vision for the business and take full end to end responsibility for its growth, sustainability, and delivery:

• Strategic responsibility for arriving at the best-fit strategy for the profit-center
• Develop and deliver farmer engagement and achieving Olam's purpose of prosperous farmers, thriving community, and regenerating the living world.
• Bottom line responsibilities: Completing the budgeted commitments on volumes, GC, overheads, EBIDTA and PAT.
• Lead game changing initiatives Process automation, Digitalization etc. for the BU
• Development of manpower: Along with mentoring and career-pathing of the team members, the incumbent also must ensure that the career paths are perpetuated suitably down the staff line.
• Play the role of Olam Cotton face in the complex regulatory environment. The incumbent must manage the complex regulatory and competitive environment, constantly keeping in touch with the important players to keep themself abreast of the latest in the sector.
• Bring in innovation and a high level of engagement with all key stakeholders to build on the sustainability issues critical to this industry.

Olam Agri Cotton:

Olam Agri is the largest private ginner worldwide. We use world-class ginning systems to produce consistent quality cotton in a safe and sustainable environment.

Our extensive global sourcing network of growers, ginners and suppliers is supported by our own offices, warehouses, and gins in all major producing countries. Our customers benefit from our broad operations, with a traceable, sustainable source of quality cotton and as a result, we're the chosen supplier by textile mills in all major markets.

We have integrated ginning in Africa meaning we are on the ground to help farmers improve their practices, farmer incomes, a get a fair price for their cotton.

We have extensive ginning operations in Australia and USA and use modern ginning systems to consistently produce quality cotton.

Olam Agri Cotton Africa:

We have nurtured long-standing relationships as the preferred partner to various cotton marketing boards and ginners in Africa.

Through our integrated ginning model in Cte d'Ivoire, Togo and Chad, we work with small farmers for improving crop yields and quality by providing seeds, agri-inputs, training in good agricultural practices and agronomy services. This helps us secure progressively larger quantity of cotton which in turn improves farmer income and livelihoods. We invest in community development and help build social infrastructure in close partnership with development agencies including IDH, USAID and BMF.

Olam Agri Cotton IVC

Olam Agri is a major player in the cotton industry in Cte d'Ivoire. Having started operations in Ouangolodougou in 2008 as SECO (Socit d'Exploitation Cotonnire Olam), we now operate gins in Ouangolodougou and Ferkessedougou, in the Tchologo region of Cote d'Ivoire with a third gin under development in Kong.

We source directly from over 22,000 small holder farmers. Through our integrated ginning and contract farming model, we support these farmers to improve their farming practices, get a fair price and improve their livelihoods. All our cottons are certified on various fronts Regenag, CMIA and BCI.

Our offices, processing facilities and warehousing spaces are located strategically to support our growers and to connect us quickly to our markets.

During our tenure, we've made major investments in infrastructure, enhancing employment opportunities. We actively support the development of the sectors we participate in, and the sustainability of the livelihoods of those involved.

AtSource

Our cotton is AtSource+. AtSource is Olam Agri's revolutionary sustainability insights platform for agricultural supply chains.

It provides our customers unprecedented transparency on where their cotton has come from, as well as the social and environmental impact it has had on its journey, from the farm right through to ginning.

We take pride in our consistent quality and our fully traceable cotton produced in a safe and sustainable environment.

For further details refer: https://www.olamagri.com/products-services/cotton.html

https://www.olamagri.com/news/blog/better-cotton-in-a-changing-climate.html

Requirements:

Personal Characteristics

• Proven experience in leading & managing teams, key account management, sales or distribution roles in emerging/ Upcountry markets.
• Exposure to Micro & Macroeconomic factors of the business environment
• Strong conceptual and analytical bend of mind to operate in an international business environment.

To be successful you should be:

• Entrepreneurial
• Agile
• Resourceful
• Collaborative
• Sustainable

The incumbent should have proven experience as a self starter with a strong element of dynamism and the ability to move fast and get things done. He should have the stature and the maturity that commands the respect of his peers.

Have a knack of commercial orientation with the ability to run a profit center independently. Should have exposure in managing large teams and have prior experience in growing the scale of operations and enlarging the team size.

Have an ownership mindset! And desire to run the show independently.

Have very good people management, communication and interpersonal skills with an ability to collaborate with and influence a matrix of internal and external customers at varied levels.

Note: Please note that this job description aims to provide key information for a comprehensive understanding of the position. It is not an exhaustive list of the skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities, or working conditions associated with the role. The employer reserves the right to make amendments to this job description at any time at its sole discretion.