Company Overview

Farmers Business Network™ (FBN™) is on a mission to power the prosperity of family farmers and rural communities around the world, transforming how the world farms with an integrated, technology enabled agricultural platform.

We offer high ROI farm inputs, fintech and sustainability products and services powered by network data, and farm-tested insights from our global farmer community. Our platform helps FBN™ members make confident decisions to ensure the economic viability of their farms, while also empowering them to be a part of the solution as the global community confronts its most pressing issues: providing food security for a growing population, transitioning to more sustainable agriculture, and responding to climate change.

We are a dynamic, innovative, and mission-driven AgTech company that offers competitive compensation and benefits as well as boundless career mobility. We are backed by top investors, including Fidelity, ADM, Google Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, DBL Partners, T Rowe Price and Temasek. We have been featured in these articles by the Wall Street Journal and Forbes, and were also named "One of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World" by Fast Company Magazine.

Position Summary

The Seed District Sales Manager will join our rapidly growing seed business as part of the effort to expand the FBN® owned and distributed seed brands. The FBN® Portfolio’s mission is to rewrite the seed industry in a way that puts the Farmer First® by improving on-farm performance and return on investment (ROI). This is a unique opportunity to become a critical part of a high-value business line at one of the fastest growing companies in the Ag industry. This position will lead seed sales, develop the direct-to-farm distribution channel, provide FBN® members agronomic support and lead product evaluation and data collection for their assigned geography. This position will have direct responsibility to recruit, train and support FBN® members. This position will also support FBN® with direct competitive insights, product forecasts and support for establishing FBN® as a seeds leader.

Responsibilities

• Sell the FBN® seed portfolio of products direct to farmers via assigned and recruited accounts.
• Develops a seed distribution network and builds a sales plan (revenue, forecast, product mix) within the assigned geography while using business tools and resources developed by FBN®.
• Management of the Direct-to-Farm Member Network within the assigned geography.
• Converts Direct-to-Farm members to transacting customers, re-attach existing & recovered direct-to-farm customers.
• Positions self as the seed product technical expert for the FBN® portfolio within the assigned geography.
• Provide agronomic support for the FBN® customers within the assigned geography.
• Perform product evaluation through the FBN® testing network as well as grower trials in partnership with FBN® customers.
• Work directly with FBN® seed customers to collect and submit on-farm product performance data throughout the year.
• Work within FBN® guidelines and alongside the Product Marketing team to promote the FBN® seed portfolio across the assigned geography.
• Use FBN®’s instance of Salesforce (CRM) on a daily basis to manage, prioritize and document all customer interactions and sales processes with farmers.
• Document and report suggestions from farmers to improve seed products and programs.
• Represent FBN® at various farm industry trade shows and events as well as with FBN® seed partners.
• Identify seed opportunities for farmers customers by creating value proposition analysis, product recommendations and conducting walkthroughs of the FBN® seed finder and other sales digital tools (e.g. Yield Prediction, My Operation) and performance reports.
• Train FBN® seed customers on the seed ordering system and FBN’s seamless FBN.com transaction platform.
• Create and implement new insights and novel approaches to better facilitate an industry leading portfolio of seed products.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years experience as a district, regional or territory manager selling seed directly to farmers or via farmer dealers.
• Strong domain experience and background in farming, production agriculture, retail or input selling.
• Background in Agronomy including, but not limited to, the management and use of agronomic performance data.
• Strong planning, prioritization and organizational skills in addition to being highly motivated with a strong work ethic.
• Comfortable managing the inherent fine-line between successfully ‘finalizing the sale’ and being perceived by the farmer as being too aggressive.
• Comfortable with information technology (google sheets, microsoft) and ideally the latest precision ag systems; Ability to work effectively within a fast-paced, accountable team structure.
• Ability to travel up to 20% of time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Salesforce or other CRM systems.
• Possess the knowledge and experience of a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) or successfully obtained the CCA certification.

Characteristics

• The successful applicant will be:
• Passionate about building world class networks that put the customer first
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, high volume start-up environment - working with a sense of urgency and being hands on.
• Core belief in Safety, Customer focus and Process.
• Highly independent, goal-oriented and solution driven
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with a heightened sensitivity to the issues farmers face.
• Farmer focused and have a commitment to farmer satisfaction.

To understand the physical demands of this job, please click this link and refer to Template D

FBN is proud to be an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. FBN considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.

We participate in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program here.

FBN is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please fill out this form.

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