Commercial Operations Manager, South Africa

Job Title: Commercial Operations Manager

Reporting to: Head of Commercial

GJL: 4

Location: Olifantsfontein

About Upl

UPL is focused on emerging as a premier global provider of total crop solutions designed to secure the world’s long-term food supply. Winning farmer's hearts across the globe, while leading the way with innovative products and services that make agriculture sustainable, UPL is the fastest-growing company in the industry. Our successes in the field add up to powerful financials. UPL delivers results from protecting crops that translate into attractive investor value. Based on the recognition that humankind is one community, UPL’s overarching commitment is to improve areas of its presence, workplace, and customer engagement.

Our purpose is ‘OpenAg’. An agriculture network that feeds sustainable growth for all. No limits, no borders.

We are one team, for maximum impact. One team with shared goals. We have a laser-like focus on what our customers need and want, on anticipating their future needs, and on how we can create innovative solutions and experiences for them. We think outside the box and go beyond our comfort zone. We believe in agility, we mix the power of speed, with structure from process. And wherever we can, we always believe in having fun.

Role Summary

Function

T IME SPENT

Commercial support function

• Collaborate and consult with Supply Chain/Inventory Manager on the delivery of goods and services as per commercial demand
• Ensuring landing for full region Southern Africa is delivered as per commercial expectation
• Keeping the Commercial team and customers updated regarding:
• product availability
• out-of-stock items
• supply issues/delays
• plant stoppages/downtime
• general issues affecting supply (beyond the control of the team)
• Coordination with Supply chain/Inventory Manager to ensure Manufacturing/Planning/Distribution will lead to the delivery of products to customers as per demand.
• Assist in National stock allocations vs forecast
• Participating in system enhancements to assist in operational efficiency (Forecast, DC process) and increase service levels.
• Ensure correct monthly pricing is loaded into the system and orders are booked out accordingly
  
  

30%

Sales & Administration

• Ensure all pricing, codes, and availability are in order and loaded into the system
• Monitor and manage stock levels by giving warehouse permission to despatch stock accordingly
• Be aware at all times of SOH and Orders
• Giving regular customer feedback and follow-ups on stock-related queries
• Manage collections to push for shorter lead-times
• Communication of orders and loads with the Warehouse
• Management of back orders and clean-up of the system
  
  

25%

Staff Management

• Assisting in employment development (Six direct reports)
• Goals, KPI and performance management of reporting staff
  
  

15%

Customer & Commercial team relationships

• Maintain excellent relationships with key stakeholders
• Dealerships (Novon, NRC, Agronamic, AgriFokus, Nexus, FAC etc.)
• Commercial team (SG, Coastal, Cape & Exports)
• Build relationships and assist the rest of the Supply team (Procurement, Warehouse, Forecast, Finance etc.)
  
  

15%

Customer Service

• Lead and owner of Customer service team (Six direct reports)
• Assisting the team with all communication key stakeholders
• Provide day-to-day support on Customer Service operation
• Drive continuous improvement of processes and service
• Maintain and manage Audit compliance
  
  

15%

Internal Stakeholders

Finance Team

Manufacturing and Operations

Commercial Services

Marketing

Regulatory

Supply chain

External Stakeholders

Customers

Suppliers

Knowledge, Skills And Experience Required

• Change management
• Communication
• Creativity
• Customer focus
• Individual development
• People Leadership
• Result orientation
• Good relationship skills ( tact, diplomacy )
• Analytical
• High level of computer literacy.
  
  

Qualifications

• BSC Agric degree (or similar), MBA will be an advantage
• 10+ years’ experience in Agricultural Chemical environment
  
  

Behavioural Requirements

Attention to detail and capable to grasp context and impact of the market / sales

Conscientious and diligent Ability to deal with adversity (Resilience)

Low/No tolerance for mediocrity. Drive delivery of results & process optimization in continuous improvement mindset.

Persuasion and good listening skills.

UPL Competencies

• Adaptability & Resilience
  
  

Recognizes and is open to changing circumstances and alters behavior and scales up as necessary; increases personal awareness and appreciation of individual and cultural differences to create an open, inclusive, and accepting workplace.

• Entrepreneurial Mindset
  
  

Has a creative mindset and ability to think holistically, takes calculated risks and maximizes opportunities?

• Results Orientations
  
  

Acts, pursues goals with persistence and achieves results; communicates goals and vision to the team to drive enthusiasm and ambition.

• Execution Excellence
  
  

Enhances the speed of execution and builds efficiency in processes, systems, and people; has sharp focus on quality-orientation.

• Strategic Orientation
  
  

Demonstrates knowledge of the social, economic, and environmental factors and how they impact the business. Identifies key issues that could impact the business and develops strategy through an analytical lens / design thinking.

• Building Teams and Talent
  
  

Empowers colleagues through knowledge sharing and delegation, quickly establishing rapport; provides recognition for achievements and accomplishments.

• Customer Centricity
  
  

Understands the customer needs and pain points, fulfills the needs and expectations by focusing on creating value for customers.