Area Sales Manager - Fertilizers (France Nord West)

Overview

The Area Sales Manager is responsible for driving growth and market penetration of fertilizers across France. This role requires a strategic and hands-on leader with deep expertise in key account management, relationship management, value chain dynamics, value-based selling, and business development. The role holder will work closely with cooperatives, distributors, growers, agronomists, and internal stakeholders to deliver sustainable sales growth and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead business development and sales growth initiatives across assigned French territories.
• Develop and execute regional sales strategies to expand market share in fertilizers.
• Conduct and regularly update market analysis, including segmentation, sizing, potential, and ICL market share.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities across the value chain—distributors, retailers, and end-users.
• Create demand, solicit orders, lead negotiations, and close deals with current and prospective customers.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Agronomy to prepare new product and service concepts, and support crop-specific campaigns and trials.
• Propose, implement, and report on marketing campaigns to support future business growth.
• Provide accurate forecasting and budgeting for assigned territories.
• Assist the Country Lead France in selecting, evaluating, and motivating dealers and distributors through goal setting, action planning, and training.
• Handle customer complaints in line with company policy and escalate issues beyond scope to management promptly.

Relationship & Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with customers and business partners. Intense use of CRM tool to communicate and support internal teams.
• Act as the primary point of contact ensuring high levels of customer engagement and satisfaction.
• Collaborate with agronomy, marketing, and supply chain teams to deliver tailored solutions.

Value Chain & Value Selling

• Understand and influence the full agricultural value chain to position ICL fertilizers as value-adding solutions.
• Apply value-based selling techniques to demonstrate ROI and agronomic benefits to customers and key users.
• Educate stakeholders on product differentiation, sustainability benefits, and performance metrics.

Market Intelligence & Strategy

• Monitor market trends, competitor activities, and regulatory developments across assigned territories.
• Provide insights and feedback to inform product development, pricing strategies, and go-to-market plans.
• Represent the company at industry events, trade shows, and conferences.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Agronomy, Agricultural Sciences, Business, or related field.
• Experience: Minimum 7–10 years in sales or business development within the fertilizer or crop input industry, with a focus on specialty products.
• Proven track record in managing multi-country territories and achieving sales targets.
• Strong understanding of European agricultural markets and regulatory environments.

Key Competencies

• Strong strategic thinking and commercial insight
• Advanced skills in relationship-building and negotiation
• Proven expertise in value chain management and value-based selling
• Excellent communication and presentation capabilities
• Commitment to ethical business practices and fair conduct
• Highly self-motivated, adaptable, and culturally aware
• Fluent in French and English.

Travel Requirements

• Frequent travel across assigned territory (approx. 40–60% of time)