Job Description

Introduction to the VKB Group

The VKB Group is an agricultural company, providing support to farmers and producing straight-from-the farm-foods for consumers. Apart from the various consumer brands, the VKB Group is also represented by its regional brands: VKB, GWK and NTK. Our roots are firmly planted in agriculture with farming at our core, continuously growing and evolving throughout the years.


Starting with providing everything needed on the farm to produce food, we now also operate in all areas of the food supply chain: processing, logistics, and national and global market channels.


This "house of brands" we've established with the support of our farmer shareholders is the foundation for building the agribusiness of the future.

The ideal team player will be responsible for driving sales growth and achieving revenue targets for the Irrigation department across the entire NTK, VKB, and GWK regions, stretching from Musina to Jeffreys Bay. They will lead customer relationship management efforts by developing new relationships and maintaining existing ones, ensuring high satisfaction and retention. The role will focus on planning, designing, and erecting comprehensive irrigation solutions for our customers. Additionally, the Irrigation Manager will identify opportunities for market expansion, leveraging agricultural events such as farmer's days and society meetings to foster long-term business relationships and grow the product portfolio.

Requirements

Minimum qualification of Grade 12 with SABI Design Certification A Degree in the relevant field will serve as a recommendation Minimum of 10 years' experience leading a team in the Agricultural space with specific preference to Irrigation. Willing to undergo extensive travel. Experience in customer interactions and negotiations with sound business acumen. Fully bilingual and excellent written and verbal communication including presentation skills and numeracy.

Duties And

Responsibilities

Sales Growth and Target Achievement - Drive revenue growth and ensure commercial branches maintain optimal stock levels to meet demand and capitalize on all revenue opportunities while avoiding aging stock. Customer Relationship Management - Lead the development of new customer relationships, maintaining existing relationships and implement strategies to capitalise on opportunities from measurement of customer engagement ensuring high satisfaction and retention of customer base. Profitability Focus - Track and manage profitability through relevant metric driven data revenue per employee, new business transactions, revenue/profit per transaction. Team Leadership and Development - Lead and develop a high-performing sales team with a focus on growth in revenue per individual and across regions. Determine the strategic direction of the department and implement strategy accordingly. Market Expansion - Identify and drive opportunities for expanding into new markets, while growing the product portfolio and fostering long-term business relationships. Including focusing on available platforms such as farmers days, agricultural society meeting (boerevereniging vergaderings) and other agricultural events.

Skills Required

Proven experience in sales and team leadership within the agricultural or related sectors, particularly in irrigation or similar industries. Strong track record and data analysis for driving revenue growth, market expansion, and profitability. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a focus on customer engagement and relationship building. Ability to lead and develop teams, with a focus on performance improvement and staff development. In-depth understanding of inventory management and sales metrics and implementing best industry practice based on existing policies and sector specific regulations while limiting risks.

Other Information

The company can expire jobs at any time at their own discretion. VKB Group and/or its subsidiary companies will use any personal data collected through the job opportunities section of this website for recruitment purposes only and, should your application be successful, for purposes connected with your employment. VKB Group is an equal opportunity employer. VKB Group's approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process aligned to VKB Group's Employment Equity & Transformation Strategy. VKB Group actively supports the recruitment of People with Disabilities.

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