Area Sales Manager Fertilizers France Nord West

Reports to:          Country Lead France, ICL Growing Solutions

Scope:     

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.

Area Sales Manager

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)