Technical Commercial Lead: Biologicals at Omnia (Pty) LTD

Purpose of the role

• Responsible for driving the commercial success of the biologicals portfolio through strong agronomic expertise and agronomist/customer engagement. This role bridges technical agronomy and commercial execution, ensuring effective demand generation, accelerating adoption of biological solutions, and embedding commercial excellence practices across the field team.
• In addition, the role is expected to act as a thought leader in biological agriculture, shaping industry perspectives, influencing best practice, and positioning Nutriology as a trusted authority in sustainable crop solutions. This includes contributing to industry forums, guiding innovation, and translating emerging scientific advancements into practical, market-ready solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Excellence Execution

• Lead the implementation of commercial excellence frameworks across the biologicals business.
• Translate strategic goals into actionable field-level plans to drive revenue growth.
• Ensure alignment between technical positioning and commercial messaging of biological products.

Demand Generation & Market Development

• Design and execute demand generation programs to increase awareness and usage of biological products.
• Support on-farm trials, demonstrations, and validation programs to support product claims and adoption.
• Execute field trials with relevant internal stakeholders (commercial agronomist and development & innovation team).
• Oversee and interpret field trials to validate product performance.
• Ensure data-driven decision-making and credibility in the market.
• Communicate trial results effectively to internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Agronomy Manager to develop compelling technical campaigns and grower-focused messaging.

Customer Engagement & Advisory

• Serve as a technical expert and key point of contact for customers (farmers and agronomists).
• Provide agronomic recommendations that integrate biologicals into conventional fertilizer programmes.
• Support key accounts with tailored technical and commercial solutions.
• Address customer challenges and ensure high levels of trust.

Adoption & Capability Building

• Drive adoption of biological products by identifying barriers and implementing solutions to overcome them.
• Develop tools, guidelines, and best practices to support consistent product use.
• Train and upskill sales teams on biologicals, including positioning, application, and value delivery.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Work closely with R&D, marketing, sales, and supply chain to ensure successful product positioning and delivery.
• Provide technical insights to inform product development and lifecycle management.

Market Intelligence & Insights

• Monitor industry trends, competitor activity, and regulatory developments.
• Gather customer feedback to refine product offerings.
• Provide strategic insights to leadership for decision-making.

Key Competencies

Technical

• Strong agronomic knowledge and biological product expertise.
• Ability to interpret and communicate scientific data.
• Market and industry knowledge.

Commercial

• Strategic thinking and business acumen.
• Sales and negotiation skills.
• Product management.
• Customer Focus & Relationship Management.
• Training & Facilitation.
• Execution & Results Orientation.

Behavioural

• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication.
• Leadership and influence (without direct authority).
• Results-driven and entrepreneurial mindset.
• Problem-solving and analytical thinking.

Other

• Willingness to travel extensively.
• Valid driver's license.
• Ability to work in both field and office environments.

Success Profile

• The ideal candidate is a commercially savvy agronomist with a passion for sustainable agriculture and biological solutions. They are equally comfortable in the field with farmers and in the boardroom shaping strategy.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Commercial Performance

• Achievement of sales targets and contribution margins.

Demand Generation & Adoption

• Number and success rate of on-farm trials/demonstrations.
• Increase in product adoption rates (repeat usage, expansion across hectares).
• Customer conversion rates from trials to commercial use.

Capability Building

• Number of agronomists/sales staff trained and certified.
• Improvement in team competency scores related to biologicals.
• Effectiveness of training programs (measured by field performance uplift).

Commercial Excellence Implementation

• Adoption of commercial excellence tools and processes across the team.
• Timely execution of demand generation plans.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Soil Science, Plant Science, or related field.
• 7–10 years' experience in agriculture/agri-inputs, with exposure to biological products.
• Proven experience in a commercial, technical, or product management role.
• Strong understanding of crop production systems (row crops, horticulture advantageous).

Experience

• Postgraduate qualification (e.g., MSc in Agronomy, Soil Science, or related).
• Experience in biological inputs (biostimulants, microbes, soil health solutions).
• Experience working with distributors and channel partners.