Area Manager, Food Security English / French Speaking

Vestergaard Frandsen a family-owned company for more than 50 years with over 20 years of experience and offices in Africa. It operates under a unique “humanitarian entrepreneurship” business model that is dedicated to creating and deploying technologies that improve the lives of people in developing countries.

We are driven by an abiding desire to lessen the burden on those populations most vulnerable and we have aligned our business objectives with the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. Vestergaard Frandsen is not content with “business as usual,” and has been at the forefront of innovation of disease prevention in the developing context.

Backed by research our disease-control products include cutting-edge PermaNet® bed nets, ZeroVector® Durable Lining, ZeroFly® Livestock; award-winning and widely used LifeStraw® and LifeStraw® Family water filters. Thanks to our robust product portfolio, more than half a billion people in the developing world enjoy a brighter and healthier future.

Our headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland, with regional offices in Kenya, Ghana, India, Brazil, Nigeria, South Africa, the US, and Vietnam ensuring a global reach.

In support of United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals 1 and 7, Vestergaard Frandsen is currently developing a portfolio of food security solutions.

In addition to the public health areas we have worked in for years. Food security represents our renewed and expanded strategic focus.

For our Food security unit we are seeking to recruit:

Area Manager, Food Security

English / French Speaking

(Based in Kenya)

The Area Manager for Food Security is responsible for growing the business of the Food Security Unit in assigned West African Franco Phone speaking countries. The position reports directly to the Regional Director, Food Security.

Key Responsibilities include

• Implement Vestergaard Frandsen’s Food Security strategy
• Achieve budget targets for the entire Food Security portfolio in the assigned areas
• Generate and expand new business, identify and develop new accounts, development and expansion of long-term customer relationships
• Create and maintain strong partnerships with new and existing stakeholders
• Provide training and continuous support to stakeholders
• Prepare objective driven country specific market plans (Sales and marketing)
• Monitor and analyse market trends
• Build up in-depth understanding of products and business models
• Responsible for receiving requests, issuing quotes, securing order, coordinate final delivery and secure timely payment
• Ensure broad understanding of the customers objectives and requirements including the value of our solutions

Education and Experience

• Masters in Business Administration
• Bachelor’s degree in Sciences, Agricultural Science / Economics or related field
• 5-10 years sales experience preferably from livestock / agriculture related solutions – covering sales to distributors and government sales in the Agricultural Sector
• Working knowledge in written and speaking French is mandatory

Professional Knowledge

• Strong sales skills / good technical background in sales and distribution
• Able to analyse problems effectively and solves complex issues. Consider the long term impact and anticipate future consequences and trends. Create new insights and generate innovative solutions
• Build relationships and networks, communicate and negotiate effectively and persuasively at senior levels of organisations / distributors or the Government
• Undertake and be results oriented. Take charge, show self-motivation and ambition for personal and professional achievements
• Able to interact cross-culturally and thrive in multi-cultural environment
• Well organized and able to interpret and draw relevant insights from various resources and methodologies
• Able to work under pressure, proactively and with a sense of urgency in different environments; Ability to set priorities and follow through on commitments
• Able to cultivate an ‘everything-is-possible’ attitude, breaking habits and challenging assumptions
• Able to work with precision and commitment to data driven quality output • Able to act rapidly to customers, partners and colleagues
• Be prepared to travel 120 – 150 days pr. annum

If you possess the above qualifications and the drive to meet the challenges, please send your cover letter to jobs-africa@vestergaard-frandsen.com enclosing your CV, a day-time telephone contact, names and contacts of three referees to reach us by 13th July 2012.

We will only respond to electronic applications and to shortlisted applicants.