Current Vacancies at MSD

Job Description

This position is to provide critical technical and after-sales support to Beef and Dairy farmers that use our technology.

NATURE AND SCOPE

• The Technical Support Specialist - Technology, Livestock Monitoring, South Africa, will assist with all technical functions to support the Company's Animal Health and Animal Health Intelligence range of products within the Technology category, including but not limited to monitoring, all software-based products and support applications, as well as future milking intelligence products.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Provide customer support, whether they be internal or external stakeholders.
• Develop and co-ordinate prioritisation processes to manage technical support in a timely and efficient manner, consistently maintaining a customer-centric approach.
• Develop processes and protocols to deliver consistent and standardised technical support, ensuring a high customer experience consistently.
• Oversee engagement with external third parties to integrate with software systems as opportunities are identified.
• Act as the key contact for technical points and the liaison with regional and global technical teams.
• Keep abreast of trends, development, and competitors with regards to technology advancements in livestock industries, related animal monitoring, traceability, and software solutions to gain data-driven insights for livestock producers.
• Effect and maintain a high standard of communication and co-operation with all internal and external parties, working closely with sales, marketing, other technical and operational divisions.
• Assisting farmers with data entry problems or data extraction.
• Integration of Dairy Herd Management software and SenseHub.
• Assisting farmers with:
• remote installations,
• internet troubleshooting and problem-solving,
• system troubleshooting and problem-solving
• Handling and escalation of service calls.
• Technical training and upskilling other team members to assist in certain advanced issues.

KNOWLEDGE AND ATTRIBUTES REQUIRED

• 2+ years in a Technical Support/QA/Dev related role.
• IT related qualification or proof of further learning in IT related field.
• Passion for troubleshooting, ability to come up with efficient solutions and workarounds for uncommon issues.
• Experienced in TeamViewer use and remotely supporting clients.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as fundamental working knowledge of client and server-side scripting, web technologies and communication protocols.
• Significant technical experience with Local Area Networking (LAN) in Windows operating systems.
• Competency in extending, administering and fault finding in wired, Wireless and VPN network topologies.
• Competent with Wireless Point to multi point communications, both 2.4GHz and 5GHz.
• Deep understanding of Windows and Linux OS (debugging and internals).
• Knowledge and proven experience with writing SQL queries.
• Customer-oriented with excellent communication (English & Afrikaans - written and verbal) and interpersonal skills.
• Valid Driver’s License.
• Willingness to travel 20-30% of the time.
• Basic Agricultural knowledge.

Advantageous

• In-Field experience of Installation and fault resolution, in Ethernet interconnected hardware comprising SOHO and commercial quality equipment. 
• Experience with in-field diagnosis and troubleshooting of networked proprietary systems.
• Experience with Embedded firmware update/testing and management.
• Ability to work methodically, independently and remotely.
• Coding skills in one or more OOP languages such as C# / Java.
• Knowledge and proven experience with writing SQL queries.
• Deep understanding of Windows and Linux OS (debugging and internals).
• Knowledge of scripting languages such as Bash / Python.
• Experience with embedded firmware update/testing and management.
• Knowledge of AFI and Delaval Parlour Management Systems.
• Technically adaptive, ability to learn new solutions, features/functionality and communicate those in a value-added way to internal teams.
• Continuous learning mindset and detail-oriented approach.
• Ability to prioritize and switch between a variety of time-sensitive issues.
• Creativity and ability to think outside the box.
• Multi-tasking, self-learning, highly motivated and a team player.
• After-hours and weekend support assistance to internal team members and customers when required.
• Livestock / Agricultural industry experience.

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Job Description

A Consumer Activation Manager is responsible for planning and executing marketing initiatives to engage and activate consumers. This role involves developing strategies to attract and propel consumers to action, implementing marketing campaigns, analyzing data to measure campaign effectiveness, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure successful execution of marketing initiatives. The Consumer Activation Manager works closely with marketing (Business Units) and digital channels teams to align the brand's messaging and maximize consumer engagement, using digital technologies, and through the below-the-line activations.

Major Activities and Responsibilities

• Developing consumer activation strategies: Creating marketing plans and strategies to engage and activate consumers, including campaign themes, messaging, and tactics.
• Implementing marketing campaigns: Designing and executing marketing campaigns across various channels (below-the-line, online, print, social media, etc.) to drive consumer activation and increase brand awareness.
• Analyzing campaign performance: Monitoring and analyzing data to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing activities and campaigns, adjusting as necessary to optimize results.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams: Working closely with sales, digital, and marketing teams to ensure alignment and successful execution of marketing initiatives.
• Building and managing partnerships: Identifying and collaborating with external partners, brand owners, customers, influencers, or other stakeholders to amplify brand reach and consumer activation efforts.
• Monitoring market trends and competition: Staying informed about industry trends, consumer preferences, and competitor strategies to identify opportunities for consumer activation and engagement.
• Budget management: Planning and managing budgets for consumer activation initiatives, ensuring optimal utilization of resources.

Success Factors

• To be successful in this role, a Consumer Activation Manager should possess strong analytical skills, strategic thinking, and creativity. They should have a deep understanding of consumer behaviour, market trends, and effective marketing techniques. Excellent communication and collaboration skills are also essential for working cross-functionally and managing external partnerships.

Skills Required

• Marketing expertise: Deep knowledge of marketing principles, consumer behaviour, and market trends. Understanding of various marketing channels and tactics to effectively engage and activate consumers.
• Strategic thinking: Ability to develop comprehensive consumer activation strategies aligned with overall business objectives. Capable of analyzing data, market research, and competitor insights to identify opportunities for consumer engagement.
• Campaign management: Experience in planning, executing, and measuring the success of marketing campaigns. Proficiency in creating compelling messaging, coordinating creative assets, and managing campaign timelines and budgets.
• Analytical skills: Strong analytical abilities to interpret data and metrics, evaluate campaign performance, and make data-driven decisions for optimizing consumer activation efforts.
• Project management: Strong project management skills to oversee marketing initiatives from planning to execution. Capable of handling multiple projects simultaneously, managing timelines, and ensuring timely delivery of results.
• Digital marketing: Familiarity with digital marketing platforms, social media channels, and online advertising.

Behavioural Skills

• Communication and collaboration: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively convey marketing messages and collaborate with cross-functional teams. Ability to build relationships with internal stakeholders, external partners, and agencies.
• Leadership: Strong leadership skills to motivate and lead teams, as well as manage external agencies and vendors.
• Creativity: Innovative thinking to develop unique and engaging marketing initiatives that capture the attention and interest of consumers. Ability to think creatively and devise creative strategies to activate consumers.
• Ethics: Commitment to practice in a compliant manner and adherence to applicable marketing codes of practices.

Qualifications

• Position Qualifications: bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration or equivalent.
• Required Experience and Skills
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in Marketing, Brand Management, or Consumer Activation.
• Demonstrated projects / campaigns in Trade / Consumer Activations.
• Marketing Agency or FMCG experience will be advantageous.