Technical Advisor at RCL Foods

Closing Date:2020/09/02
Reference Number:RCL200818-0

Job Description    

• RCL FOODS is seeking a skilled Technical Advisor to join our Animal Feed business unit. The role will report into the Sales Manager and will based in Berlin in the Eastern Cape. RCL FOODS is looking for a decisive, efficient and innovative individual with practical experience in the animal feed sales Industry.
• The purpose of the role is to support the Sales Manager to grow and manage existing business as well as promote EPOL Feed in order to achieve profit targets, build customer relationships and provide technical advice to farmers and resellers/agents.

Minimum Requirements    

• Matric
• Degree/Diploma in Agriculture.
• Valid Code EB driver’s license
• Minimum of 3 years sales experience within an FMCG environment

Duties & Responsibilities    
1. Pricing and Profitability:

• Gather regional competitor information on a continuous basis on pricing by product and category and by competitor.
• Assist the Senior Customer Manager to set pricing in relation to competitors and the brand positioning in the market in order to maximise margins at all times.
• Inform customers promptly on price changes by letter and in person.
• Assist the Senior Customer Manager to recover standard cost movements, specifically increases, in order to maintain or grow margins.
• Review sales progress versus budget with the Senior Customer Manager on a weekly and monthly basis and formulate and execute strategies and actions in order to close any gaps.
• Formulate and maintain a hit list to target new potential customers and close the gap to budget.
• Update the hit list weekly and submit to Senior Customer Manager.

2. Customer Service:

• Plan, schedule and attend regular appointments with customers on a call cycle basis set by the Senior Customer Manager and reviewed weekly.
• Build excellent relationships with farmers and/or resellers through active engagement and demonstrated interest in their business and understanding of their needs.
• Offer advise on Animal Management and Nutrition to customers by keeping abreast on the latest technology and developments.
• Assist farmers to troubleshoot problems related to animal health or performance issues and identify whether they are feed-related or not.
• Monitor and record feed performance by specie as agreed with the Senior Customer Service Manager.
• Monitor feed quality and log any complaints immediately.
• Follow up with the mill and revert to the customer with initial feedback within 48 hours.
• Respond to feed delivery issues with urgency and engage and feedback regularly to the mill on such issues.
• Log any and all complaints related to customer service and delivery regardless of whether the customer has complained or not.
• Regularly monitor and review customer complaints with the mill team, a minimum of once a month.
• Administer credit applications and resolve account issues timeously.

3. Customer Marketing:

• Promote Epol products (bulk/bag) through the various and most appropriate routes to market (direct, through resellers and agents).
• Gather competitor information on marketing and product development and feed this information back to the Senior Customer Manager and the marketing team.
• Roll-out and measure promotions by specie as agreed by Sales and Marketing.

4. Administration

• Compile weekly and monthly sales reports indicating tons sold versus budget as agreed with the Senior Customer Manager.
• Complete customer complaint reports and forward them to the relevant persons to action.
• Revert to customer with initial feedback within 48 hours.
• Assist the Senior Customer Manager in budgeting and forecasting sales by product and customer.
• Submit personal expense claims timeously to the Senior Customer Manager for approval, including travel, accommodation and cellphone expense.

5. KPI’s

• Turn-around time to answer customers’ requests.
• Calls per day.
• Call focus on strategic customers.
• Sales volumes per customer per quarter.