Job Vacancies at Starke Ayres

Description

• A role has become available for a Pathology Technician based in Kempton Park. The purpose of this role is to provide support to the whole Pathology team in the glasshouse and labs. Plant Pathologists study plant diseases, their causation, epidemiology, and control. In this case the focus is on trials for both research and quality control as it is required by the department.

Responsibilities

• Ensuring good practices in plant cultivation and disease screening.
• Solving problems with pathologists and breeders.
• Ensuring a conducive environment for disease screening and laboratory diagnostics.
• Assisting with the seed sourcing, testing, and selection of material for disease screening trials.
• Organising planting, irrigation, and inoculation schedules and timelines.
• General glasshouse and laboratory housekeeping and maintenance.
• Keeping detailed records regarding trials, pathogen isolates, and diagnostic samples.

REQUIREMENTS:

• B Tech / BSc / BSc Agric degree (NQF level 7) (essential)
• 1-3 years in the Plant Pathology or Crop production field (advantage)
• MS Office and MS Teams
• Organizing, executing
• Problem Solving
• Aseptic techniques and microbiological procedures
• Plant disease diagnosis and screening in collaboration with breeders and pathologists
• Growing and maintaining plants
• Knowledge in Microbiology / plant pathology / biotechnology / horticulture / agronomy

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Description

• A role has become available for our Retail Sales Department to be based in the Kimberley region for the Central Retail region. To maximize returns from the sales of Starke Ayres’ approved range of products by coordinating and managing the Company’s marketing efforts in his/her region within the framework of company policy as determined from time to time.

Requirements

• Determines the regional market potential by sales area of Starke Ayres’ range of products.
• Develops and implement a regional marketing plan and sales strategy, based on market potential, identified priority products and projected market share.
• Annually submits regional sales objectives by sales area phased monthly.
• Monitors regional sales performance on an ongoing basis, and reviews and updates sales projections and stock requirements as and when required.
• Supervises and monitors the regional marketing plan and sales strategy, and motivates adjustments as and when required.
• Annually submits a financial budget based on projected regional sales/marketing expenses and capital expenditure in his/her region.
• Monitors and controls regional sales/marketing expenses in his/her region, motivating adjustments as and when required.
• Evaluates Starke Ayres’ product range in his/her region on an ongoing basis, identify weaknesses, and make recommendations with regard to new product introductions and deletions.
• Allocates products in short supply in his/her region in line with the market potential to ensure maximum long-term sales.
• Determines regional promotion/advertising needs and formulates and implements an effective product support programme
• Determines training needs of regional sales personnel and implements suitable and approved training programmes as and when required.
• Motivates and supports regional sales personnel maintaining high morale at all times.
• Evaluates the performance of regional sales personnel on a regular basis, take corrective action as and when necessary, and recommend and motivate salary adjustments and promotions.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bcom / Diploma in Marketing or similar
• FMCG knowledge
• 7 years sales experience in Retail

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Description

• A role has become available for a General Worker at our Kempton Park Research station for the tomato breeding programme.

Responsibilities

• Involved in all practical work related to crop breeding and evaluation – on and off station, which includes the following tasks:
• Assist with the planting of crop breeding material and crop trials.
• Assist with thinning out of crop breeding material and crop trials.
• Involved in all irrigation-related tasks.
• Involved in crop pollination.
• Involved in harvesting of crop breeding material and trails.
• Involved in weighing and taking of crop trials and breeding material.
• Involved in detasseling of open-pollinated crossing blocks and breeding material.
• Perform any task on the research stations that management may deem necessary.
• Comply with safety regulations in the workplace as laid down by legislation.
• Carry out any farm maintenance or other requirements to operate farm.
• Assist with packing of seed.
• Assist with marking fields.
• Involved in spraying of crops.

REQUIRMENTS:

• Matric
• Field work experience

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Description

• A role has become available for a Retail Sales Representative in Nelspruit. The purpose of this role is to achieve maximum sales profitability, growth, and market penetration within an assigned geographical area, by effectively selling Starke Ayres’s approved range of products within the framework of Company policy. Personally, contacts and secures new business opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Develops joint-business-plans for key customers, customer sales plans for the balance of customers
• Implements and monitors such strategy on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
• Consistently achieves monthly, quarterly, and annual sales targets.
• Maximizes opportunities for closing a sale and drives market penetration, through sound commercial discussion and negotiation.
• Identifies priority products for his/her area, phased annually, seasonally, and monthly.
• Identifies priority customers in line with the priority products in his/her area.
• Canvasses existing and potential customers regularly in accordance with pre-determined sales routes, calling cycles, and appointments.
• Updates existing and potential customers regularly with regards to product information, price lists, point of sales, specials etc.
• Drives priority products based on customer needs, internal strategy, and product benefits.
• Provides necessary advice and information which will ensure that the products are utilized to their maximum potential.
• Conducts in-store customer training programmes to stimulate sales in retail outlets.
• Resolves customer complaints by investigating problems, developing solutions, preparing reports, making recommendations to management, as well as report problems to management where assistance is needed.
• Identifies and/or develops promotion/advertising opportunities in his/her sales area, ensuring a suitable return on investment is achieved.
• Participates actively in the planning and conducting of exhibitions, show-displays, and in-store promotions, managing all expenses to within the agreed budget.
• Plans, coordinates, distributes/shares promotion and advertising material such as product profiles, brochures, leaflets, bulletins, posters, display boards, and product samples.
• Ensures shelf space and displays in outlets are of the highest standard (negotiate RSP’s, correct PI labels, maximise facings, stock rotation, expired stock removal, etc)

REQUIRMENTS:

• Diploma in Marketing (NQF level 6) (essential)
• Bcom Marketing Degree (NQF level 7) (preferential)
• 3 years’ experience as a sales representative, preferably in the agricultural industry

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Description

• A role has become available for a Retail Sales Representative in the Potchefstroom region. The purpose of this role is to achieve maximum sales profitability, growth, and market penetration within an assigned geographical area, by effectively selling Starke Ayres’s approved range of products within the framework of Company policy. Personally, contacts and secures new business opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Develops joint business plans for key customers, customer sales plans for the balance of customers
• Implements and monitors such strategy on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
• Consistently achieves monthly, quarterly, and annual sales targets.
• Maximizes opportunities for closing a sale and drives market penetration, through sound commercial discussion and negotiation.
• Identifies priority products for his/her area, phased annually, seasonally, and monthly.
• Identifies priority customers in line with the priority products in his/her area.
• Canvasses existing and potential customers regularly in accordance with pre-determined sales routes, calling cycles and appointments.
• Updates existing and potential customers regularly with regards to product information, price lists, point of sales, specials etc.
• Drives priority products based on customer needs, internal strategy, and product benefits.
• Submits orders to National Customer Service Department promptly.
• Identifies customers without orders and follows up.
• Demonstrates technical selling skills and product knowledge to give effective presentation / advice / guidance to customers.
• Ensures that orders are executed correctly and timeously.
• Contacts customers regularly as per the call cycle, as well as pre-empting and addressing any potential problems swiftly and efficiently.
• Provides necessary advice and information which will ensure that the products are utilized to their maximum potential.
• Conducts in-store customer training programmes to stimulate sales in retail outlets.
• Resolves customer complaints by investigating problems, developing solutions, preparing reports, making recommendations to management, as well as report problems to management where assistance is needed.
• Identifies and/or develops promotion/advertising opportunities in his/her sales area, ensuring a suitable return on investment is achieved.
• Participates actively in the planning and conducting of exhibitions, show-displays and in-store promotions, managing all expenses to within the agreed budget.
• Plans, coordinates, distributes/shares promotion and advertising material such as product profiles, brochures, leaflets, bulletins, posters, display boards and product samples.
• Ensures shelf space and displays in outlets are of the highest standard (negotiate RSP’s, correct PI labels, maximise facings, stock rotation, expired stock removal, etc).

REQUIRMENTS:

• Diploma in Marketing (NQF level 6) (essential)
• Bcom Marketing Degree (NQF level 7) (preferential)
• 3 years’ experience as a sales representative, preferably in the agricultural industry