Strategic Services Technician

Strategic Services Technician

Role Description

The role of the Strategic Services Technician is to successfully implement and support activities and initiatives, to support current and future sales of Elanco products in the monogastric sector (emphasis is on Broiler and Layer work, with a small amount of game or pig farm work required). The successful candidate will be a key partner to our customers, so that Elanco is their technical partner of choice.

This position involves a combination of independent working and internal collaboration, both within the Monogastric team and wider industries. There is a mixture of field work, training and education, presenting information to customers in a distilled format – an ability to translate highly technical information into a digestible format is vital.

Functions, Duties, Tasks:

• Aiding in delivery of non-product value to customers, interacting with all levels within the customer from farm staff and animal keepers to veterinarians and key opinion leaders (KOLs).
• Working across all customers and geographies.
• Engaging closely with the needs of marketing and sales team, ensuring strategies are aligned with correct technical messaging.
• Engaging closely with the Elanco Account Teams to tailor support to both large B2B customers and smaller integrators and aligned with the Elanco technical strategy.
• Supporting the sales of the portfolio, including making recommendations to customers around product usage and application.
• Supporting technical queries and managing pharmacovigilance.
• A passion for poultry and pigs, and experience/interest in sustainable and responsible poultry meat/egg production an advantage.
• Technically supporting Elanco’s HTSi (Health Tracking System) and Food Safety Programme (FSP), requiring poultry handling experience, the ability to engage with farm managers and agricultural staff, and an understanding of poultry production and food security, including biosecurity measures.
• Conducting necropsies; a basic understanding of poultry production, anatomy and biology, immunology and/or intestinal health knowledge preferred.
• Liaising with the rest of the Monogastric team to provide technical support to customers.
• Develop long-term relationships with key customers and KOLs, working with them to develop mutually beneficial opportunities.

A significant proportion of the role is dedicated to delivering on farm support (60-80% time) which requires national travel, exceptional organizational skills and the ability to manage your own diary and time. This includes a requirement to carry out necropsies on birds.

Minimum Qualification/Requirements (education, experience and/or training):

• MRCVS (or equivalent overseas qualification and conversion) required.
• Passion for agriculture, food security and the food animal sector.
• Excellent communication skills: verbal (telephone calls), written and interpersonal.
• Excellent time and diary management, with an ability to prioritize.
• Ability to explain complex and important technical and scientific knowledge in a digestible way to lay persons.
• Work within local and company guidelines of ethics, compliance and due diligence in all customer interactions, sponsorship and support of external companies.
• The candidate will be trained in supporting the Elanco products but willingness to learn ‘on the job’ is essential.
• Strong sense of personal accountability.
• Passion to help others succeed, internally and externally.
• Full UK driving license.
• English – written and verbal.

Additional Preferences:

• Understanding of, interest in, or experience with poultry/pig housing and husbandry is an advantage.
• Ability to develop long-term business relationships.
• An interest in parasitology and/or immunology an advantage.
• An interest in statistical analysis and data analytics is an advantage, but prior experience is not essential.

Other Information:

• Field based travel with some overnight stays based on customer and team requirements (likely to be a minimum of 2 nights per week).
• The use of digital and virtual technology can be used effectively in some parts of this role.
• Team members are encouraged to work regionally, as a team, and plan diaries to minimise travel time.
• Networking and social events are a highlight of the industry, there is a requirement to attend and represent the Elanco brand and team, often hosting customers, as part of this role.