Sales & Marketing Manager in Newry

SoilWorx is an Irish-owned, local business working with premium quality raw materials. At SoilWorx, our experience with natural fertilisers and the evolution of our process helps in the safe nourishment of your soil's microbe ecosystem. This helps to reduce dependency on chemical fertilisers, making it a more sustainable choice. SoilWorx is owned by the College Group, which has 40 years of experience in the rendering industry and is a highly respected company in the UK's agri-food sector.

SoilWorx is seeking to recruit a dynamic Sales & Marketing Manager to lead the company's commercial strategy, building brand visibility, expanding market reach, and driving growth for organic/natural fertilizer products. This role requires a proactive professional with strong agricultural market knowledge, excellent communication skills, and a passion for promoting sustainable farming solutions. The role involves leading sales teams, managing distribution channels, and driving field-level adoption of organic fertilizer products.

Key Responsibilities

• Sales Management and Strategy
• Achieve Sales Targets: Drive sales growth to exceed quarterly and annual sales targets through proactive dealer network development and management, joint sales calls with dealers and via direct export markets.
• Dealer Network Development: Build and manage relationships with dealers, distributors, cooperatives, and commercial farms, increasing the footprint in new and existing markets.
• Territory Planning: Develop detailed sales plans, forecast growth, and prioritise market opportunities within defined markets - including Vietnam.
• Field Sales Execution: Recruit, train, and lead a team of field agents to conduct sales and technical demos.
• Marketing and Brand Development
• Develop Marketing Strategies: Work with external marketing consultants to develop and execute a holistic marketing strategy to promote organic fertilizer products, focusing on increasing brand awareness and communicating effectively the benefits to end users.
• Field Trials and Demonstrations: Organise farmer meetings, field days, and demos to highlight product efficacy and educate end users.
• Digital and Content Marketing: Manage the company's social media presence, website content, and create engaging content for online and offline campaigns.
• Market Intelligence: Monitor competitor activities, pricing, and industry trends and adjust marketing to suit.
• Technical and Customer Support
• Agronomic Advice: Provide technical product advice, soil testing insights, and crop nutrition solutions to farmers.
• Customer Relationship Management: Handle customer feedback and complaints, resolving issues to ensure high customer satisfaction.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all products and sales activities comply with agricultural, environmental, and regional regulations.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Sales volumes, value and growth rates
• Expansion of customer base - dealers and end users
• Gross margin %
• Business balance by sector - export, agriculture, contract manufacturing, garden centres, retail
• Product adoption rates - success of field trials/demo plots

Qualifications And Experience

• Education: Bachelor's degree in agriculture, Agronomy, or similar.
• Experience: 5-10 years of experience in sales and marketing, with at least 3 years in the agricultural, fertilizer, or agro-chemical industry.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong understanding of organic farming, soil science, crop nutrition, and sustainable agricultural practices.
• Skills: Excellent negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills. Proficient in CRM tools and MS Office.
• Requirements: Valid driving license and willingness to travel as required.