Sales Agronomist at Synnefa

About You:

The Sales Agronomist shall be tasked with researching, analysing and documenting the Best Agricultural Practises in the market, training farmers on farm management dashboard utilisation and optimization to improve their crop yield and outcomes. They shall act as a focal point for farmer support, do consistent farm visits to monitor the progress of crops and advise on any challenges concerning cultivation and sustainable crop practises.

Purpose of the role

The holder of the role will act as an advisor to farmers and conduct soil experiments and make recommendations on the best possible crop to grow while utilising their extensive knowledge on agriculture and crop science. They will be charged with crop data collection and interpretation with the aim to offer well informed recommendations. The aim of the interaction with the farmers is to build good working relationships by offering agricultural support while creating a great customer experience while focusing on business development and growth. The goal is improvement of crop outcomes and assisting farmers realise a good return on farm investment by optimal use of IOT devices and the farm management dashboard.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide appropriate and targeted technical advice or assistance to farmers with training on Good Agricultural Practises (GAP) to maximise yield and ensure the quality of produce is not compromised.
• Develop and apply training methods and curriculum appropriate to the needs of the midsize farmers and evaluation of their training effectiveness
• Communicate effectively about the company's farmer development model, plans etc. to farmers, project stakeholders and the wider public in order to advance its vision and mission.
• Provide great after-sales support to farmers and practise a sound customer retention strategy
• Keep updated records, prepare reports that pertain to field work and interpret the same to come up with case-appropriate recommendations
• Ensure strong communication and coordination with all stakeholders as well as providing appropriate reports to drive business reporting
• Provide support to farmer/farmer groups on the most appropriate climate integration strategies, which enhance income of producers and agribusinesses
• Interpret soil and water test results to farmers and advise accordingly on the best farm inputs for use on the farm and crops.
• Create and build sales distribution channels by partnering with agro dealers and agro enterprises across Kenya.
• Manage and oversee sales agents across Kenya while measuring and reporting on monthly targets versus sales acquired.

EDUCATION REQUIRED:

Minimum Qualifications;

• A bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Agronomy or related field from a recognized university. A masters in the same field would be an added advantage
• 2-5 years of experience in Agronomy
• At least 3 years of interaction with Conservation and Climate-Smart agriculture
• Experience working with farmers and demonstrated experience as an advisor on agronomy, sustainable agriculture and best farming practice
• Experience with working with farmers, Agrodealers and Agroenterprises
• Experience in Global.G.A.P Certification and Ken G.A.P Standards is desirable

Additional Skills and Competencies

• Excellent communication, report writing and presentation skills.
• Awareness of emerging trends in the Ag Tech space.
• Proven field experience in farmer mobilisation, training, policy development and implementation.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal abilities
• Excellent organisational, problem solving and leadership skills.
• Ability to travel on a regular basis.
• Ability to interpret and analyse farming data from IoT devices and online farm management software in order to advise and optimise farm outputs.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office/Excel and Google Docs/Sheets is mandatory.
• Experience working for leading agriculture companies would be a plus.