Learn About Farmerline
Farmerline is dedicated to reimagining how the world thinks about and invests in the
livelihoods of small-scale farmers. Our mission is to create lasting profits for farmers
everywhere. We approach challenges with bold and systemic thinking while maintaining a
lean and agile operation.
Farmerline, founded in 2013, is a fast-growing Agtech company in Africa. Farmerline’s
digital marketplace combines logistics, field agents, farm resources, and agribusiness
partnerships to support African farmers. We have reached 2.2 million farmers by deploying
our tools and services through 3,000+ strategic partners across 50 countries. Impact
assessments show that our efforts have resulted in a 2.5x increase in yields and 3.3x higher
incomes for farmers we serve, driving sustainable growth and combating deforestation
across Africa and beyond.
Our technology platform Mergdata is licensed or white-labeled to development partners,
global food traders, and governments who use its customizable tools to improve the lives of
farmers around the world.
We foster a learning organization where you will have the opportunity to apply your ideas
and creativity to solve problems daily. If you are drawn to a dynamic, collaborative culture,
set high standards, and tackle challenges with determination and to make a positive impact
on millions of lives, Farmerline is the perfect environment for you to thrive.
Field
Details
Job Title
Commercial Manager
Department
Farmer Services -Volta Region
Incumbent Supervisor
West Africa Director of Operations
Suggested start date
Immediately
Role Overview
The Commercial Manager will lead the management of all business operations including sourcing of commodities, budgeting, client and project management and input sales of the operational area - Volta Region
Responsibilities
- Develop, plan and implement commercial plans and strategies for the operational area.
- Lead the regional team through change, guides the team in troubleshooting challenges and provides strategic focus and direction in the operational area.
- Lead the procurement of logistics for sourcing, storage and distribution of farm produce and products in the operational area, while coordinating the redistribution of inputs with the operational area.
- Plan, execute and monitor weekly, monthly and quarterly work packages for the regional team with their key objectives and targets as agreed in respective performance management contracts.
- Work with Sector Managers to identify and develop new potential clients, input dealers ,agribusinesses and commodity sourcing etc
- Gather, report and communicate customers’ feedback on service, technology and product delivery
- Plan for the achievement of individual and divisional targets in alignment with the strategies and policies of the company
- Establish and manage the long-term relationships with both internal and external stakeholders (customers, business partners, suppliers, etc.) This includes continuously exploring opportunities for expanding coverage into new geographical areas and sales channels of all Farmerline products
- Map out on a continuous basis all input market opportunities and actively match the markets to the inputs and products
- Ensure effective communication with relevant stakeholders in a structured manner.
- Provide support for all projects in the zones in collaboration with other units.
- Develop weekly, monthly, quarterly & annual business reports / plans, in conjunction with Unit Heads.
- Budget Management: Optimize budgets by tracking, controlling, and evaluating all expenses.
- Key Account & Stakeholder Management: Develop a key account management strategy with up-to-date joint execution plans for each account. Develop and execute customer retention strategies.
- Oversee and supervise the use and management of all company assets in the commercial zone - warehouses, vehicles etc
Required Qualifications
- BA/BSc/MA/MSc degree in Agricultural Science, Agribusiness, or related field. An agronomy background is a plus.
- Knowledge of the systemic challenges in agriculture value chains in Ghana, a passion for creating lasting solutions to them and ability to navigate farming communities.
- 3+ years of professional experience in the implementation of farmer interventions, agriculture stakeholder engagement and business development sales in the Volta Region operational area.
- Demonstrated skills in negotiating and formulating technology contracts, understanding cost models and various price structures.
- Strong leadership experience and ability to lead a team in executing projects and exceeding targets.
- Proven experience in the use of mobile technology to facilitate market access.
- Project management skills and the ability to create and stick to timelines.
- Excellent oral communication, writing and presentation skills.
- Project management, cost and revenue budgeting experience is required.
What We Do
We create access for all players in the agricultural value chain
Farmerline is a company that develops solutions to increase access to farmers and simplify transactions throughout the agricultural value chain. Our focus on creating lasting profits for farmers everywhere has fuelled our innovations from the very onset. We are the first organization in Africa to give farmers access to information through voice messages in local languages, effectively bridging the knowledge gap among smallholder farmers. We are building the “Amazon” for farmers where they can access these timely services and other quality resources at affordable prices in their community.
Since our inception in 2013, we have gone beyond serving farmers with information and resources that increase their yield. Now, we also provide global organizations with the tools they need to reach, engage and transform the agricultural last mile.
Our belief in the power of technology to ensure sustainability across the agricultural value chain gave birth to Mergdata (www.mergdata.com); a mobile and web application for last-mile engagement.
With this technology, we ensure that all last-mile engagements create access for all players, ensure transparency and efficiency, and ultimately, contribute to global food security.
The software also offers real-time traceability, certification audit, farm mapping, farmer education, and analytics solutions to help organizations that work with farmers achieve their sustainability and food security goals efficiently. Mergdata uses big data and AI to give organizations insight into the work of farmers and to give farmers increased access to resources and services; including financial services.
