Career Opportunities: Sales and Grower Support Representative (1930)

Career Opportunities: Sales and Grower Support Representative (1930)

Requisition ID 1930 - Posted - Commercial - Full-Time - South Africa

Fall Creek is creating a world with better blueberries through its friendly, collaborative team spread across the globe. To help us accomplish this, we are seeking a qualified Sales and Grower Support Representative. This position will be located in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Sales & Grower Support Representative is a front-line position responsible for delivering Fall Creek’s mission; to bring exceptional plants and solutions to optimize customer success. Representatives are responsible for providing technical product support and executing sales for commercial customers within an assigned region.

ORGANIZATIONAL FIT:

The Sales and Grower Support Representative reports to the Area Manager and collaborates with Fall Creek’s regional and global teams. This position works closely with customers, visitors, and guests of Fall Creek and is a member of the Global Commercial Team.

The Sales & Grower Support Representative acts as the Company Representative/Account Manager and provides a high level of customer-focused, technical service.

JOB SETTING:

Office, farms, and nursery. Frequent single day and overnight travel within the assigned territory. Some international travel may be required.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: (Other duties may be assigned)

• Serves as the primary representative to assist customers with all aspects of the sales process including plant ordering, availability, terms and conditions and other interactions that lead to a successful relationship between Fall Creek and the customer.
• Responsible for providing product support and technical assistance to commercial customers in the assigned region. This includes providing qualified advice and perspectives, on-site evaluation, pre-plant preparation, variety selection, and post-plant cultural care.
• Responsible for identifying and developing new accounts in the assigned territory.
• Supports new and existing licensees with technical product support and facilitates plant orders as required.
• Provides feedback and timely intel to management regarding the state of the industry and our competition.
• Responsible for the accurate and timely use of Fall Creek’s CRM to record all observations, activities, daily tasks, sales opportunities, and customer interactions.
• As a member of the Global Commercial Team, provides support and input on horticultural and commercial issues of interest to the group.
• Provides support to the Area Manager, Licensing Manager, and others with key commercial account responsibilities.
• Assists the customer to ensure all sales orders are consistent and understood and is responsible to ensure required deposits are received on time.
• Responsible to ensure each order is accurate and each customer understands Fall Creek’s fulfillment process, timelines, and the role of customer service and logistics teams.
• Assists the Area Manager by building opportunities in the CRM that provide critical data for sales and demand forecasting.
• Responsible for reporting field observations on variety and selection performance to R&D, Applied Research, and the Commercial department. As requested, may also assist with plantings and cultural care.
• Represents the company as an attendee and occasionally as a presenter at regional meetings, tradeshows, and industry events. Plans and implements educational seminars for growers and customers in the assigned region as needed.
• Responsible for scheduling and managing existing and prospective customer visits to Fall Creek nursery locations, and to farm operations within the assigned region, as well as international customers when necessary.
• Supports, perpetuates, and enhances Fall Creek’s core values and corporate culture.
• Assures the highest level of confidentiality on sensitive matters concerning the business.
• Adheres to the standards set forth in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
• Performs special projects and other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND TRAINING:

• Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture, Crop Science or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Requires 5+ years of related technical, sales or customer service experience preferably in an agricultural business. Must be results-driven and customer-focused.
• Strong understanding of agronomic topics such as soil & water chemistry, plant nutrition, irrigation, fertigation, and crop management.
• Requires a proven track record of building successful, professional relationships including the ability to interact with customers as well as colleagues.
• Requires a high degree of independent professional judgment in problem solving, researching solutions, and decision making.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to effectively present information clearly in formal and informal settings to peers, customers and industry leaders. Ability to actively listen.
• Proficient with MS Office products.
• Ability to take initiative and prioritize tasks; excellent time management, and organizational skills.
• Ability to collaborate with other team members and maintain a positive attitude. Must be able to exercise good judgment in recognizing scope of authority.
• Proven ability to work independently.
• Requires a valid driver’s license in the assigned territory.
• Ability to perform the essential functions of the position which includes the ability to travel.
• Must demonstrate professional and ethical business practices, adherence to company values, and a commitment to personal and professional development.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Specific experience in blueberries or similar horticultural crop.
• Previous experience working with an ERP and/or CRM system, preferably SAP and/or Sales Force.

Who is Fall Creek? – Please go check out our Website & You Tube Videos

We are a US-based company with a keen focus on blueberry genetics, plants, and grower support delivered to the world’s premier blueberry growers. From our humble beginnings in Lowell, Oregon more than 40 years ago, we now also have our own nurseries in Mexico, Peru, Spain, Netherlands, South Africa, and China. We have built a dynamic team of global experts in various areas of expertise, including the finest breeders, researchers, propagators and nursery professionals, grower support technicians, sales and customer service experts and more. We’re a deeply planted link in a global chain, ready to serve our customers and our industry throughout North, Central, and South America, Greater Europe, Asia and South Africa. Our mission is to serve the growers and to support the blueberry industry, helping to ensure growers maximize success through our delivery of the best genetics and plants, technical know-how and global market intelligence.

To fulfill our mission, we focus on cultivating exceptional plants, building strong relationships and providing responsive customer service. This is all part of how we’re helping to build A World with Better Blueberries.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company.

Fall Creek Farm & Nursery offers a competitive salary and benefit package for this role.

We can’t wait to hear from you!

For consideration, please send the following related documents in support of your application for this role:

• Personal CV/ resume (including recent references)
• Copy of ID
• Copy of Qualification & Education Records

** Incomplete applications will not be considered.

All Applications will close by 28 February 2025 and any applications received after this date will not be considered.

Please check or arrange whether you have access to a desktop or electronic device that we would be able to hold a virtual meeting, as part of the interview process.