Business Development Lead - Cooperatives / Traders

Soil Capital is on a mission to regenerate over 10 million hectares of land by 2030, addressing our environmental and food security challenges through regenerative and low-carbon agriculture. As a leading expert in this field, we have developed the first payment for ecosystem services programme for farmers in Europe.

Through our certified programme and our platform, Soil Capital leads the food and ag sector transformation by engaging with blue chip organisations who seek to deliver on their environmental commitments and build supply chain resilience. These businesses purchase regenerative units, acting as an incentive for farmers to improve their agricultural practices.

Our technology supports farmers by allowing them to efficiently and accurately quantify farming practices and their environmental impact (GHG balance, biodiversity, water quality, etc), which we then audit and certify, to generate certificates. This helps farmers understand the levers to accelerate their adoption of regenerative practices.

Over the last ten years, Soil Capital has established itself as a thought leader and a driver of change at scale in France, the UK and Belgium. Pursuing its ambitious growth trajectory, it is now expanding geographical and product scopes. Interested in learning more about our story? You can watch the video of Chuck & Nico, co-founders, here.

Over this time, we have built a team of 65 excellent and motivated team members, which are central to the work we do.

Role Purpose

As Soil Capital accelerates its development in France and Belgium, we are looking for a senior Business Development Lead to lead the acquisition and development of strategic agricultural organizations (cooperatives, traders, and other agricultural intermediaries).

This is a senior commercial role focusing on new business development with full ownership of your pipeline from origination to closing.

Reporting to the Head of Sales, you will play a key role in positioning Soil Capital as a trusted sustainability partner within the agricultural ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

Your main responsibilities will be to:

• Identify and prioritize target cooperatives and traders organizations in France and Belgium
• Lead complex B2B sales cycles from prospecting to closing
• Manage and grow a portfolio of strategic accounts
• Drive farmer enrollment and revenue expansion within your accounts

We are looking for someone who has the capacity to gain access and work at an executive level, while being comfortable in maintaining strong field proximity.

1. Business Development & Closing

• Identify and prioritize target cooperatives and traders
• Build and manage a qualified sales pipeline
• Conduct discovery meetings and assess client sustainability and business challenges
• Structure tailored commercial proposals
• Lead negotiations and close multi-year agreements
• Ensure smooth internal handover while remaining commercially accountable

2. Consultative & Ecosystem Sales

• Navigate complex, multi-stakeholder organizations
• Translate carbon and regenerative agriculture topics into clear business value
• Collaborate with internal teams to design scalable solutions
• Represent Soil Capital at key agricultural events

Your profile

• 7+ years of experience in B2B sales, business development or account management within the agriculture, agri-food, commodities or sustainability ecosystem
• Strong track record in closing complex deals
• Solid understanding of French agricultural systems and cooperatives
• Entrepreneurial, autonomous and results-driven
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills
• Fluent in French and English
• Willing to travel regularly across France (approximately 30% of your time)

What We Offer

At Soil Capital, we are committed to building a sustainable and regenerative food system, with farmers at the heart of this mission. By joining us, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your career in a mission-driven company, surrounded by passionate colleagues.

• A mission-driven career: Join a company on a mission to transform the farming & food sectors, with a team driven by and committed to our mission
• Flexible holidays policy: Take the holidays you need, while coordinating with your team and respecting the demands of your role.
• Health insurance with Alan for you and your family.
• 50% reimbursement of your navigo pass.
• Team incentive bonus: based on your total salary package.
• An excellent office in Paris with the ability to work remotely on a hybrid basis (3 days working in the office).
• Company events and travels: Join quarterly company events and visit our offices in Paris (France), Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) and London (UK).

Our recruitment process

In order to find the perfect match, we have set up a comprehensive hiring process to give you the opportunity to get to know all the key contributors to the role. Between each step, you'll always receive feedback:

1. People interview (30 min) with Charlotte, People Specialist, to get to know you
2. Hiring lead interview (45 min) with Marguerite (Head of Sales) to go much more in depth into the role
3. Technical interview (1 hour) with Nathalie (Chief Revenue Officer) & Chuck (CEO), to evaluate the technical aspects - you will receive more details during the interviews
4. And references check

Be part of a supportive, dynamic team that celebrates successes together and works toward a shared mission of transforming the future of agriculture!

Soil Capital is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all candidates who meet the job requirements, regardless of their race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability.