Role Summary
The Category Manager is responsible for driving portfolio strategy, product lifecycle management, and profitable growth across assigned seed categories. This role serves as a key link between regional and country teams to ensure effective product positioning, successful launches, and strong market execution aligned to business objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Portfolio Management
- Drive profitable pricing and portfolio strategy for the Seeds category, delivering both short- and long-term revenue and margin objectives.
- Develop and execute crop and hybrid-specific strategies, including segmentation, targeting, and positioning for key markets.
- Identify market opportunities through robust market analysis and customer insights to support growth and expansion plans.
- Build and manage business cases for new product introductions and portfolio optimization initiatives.
Product Development & Launch Excellence
- Partner with regional marketing, R&D, and regulatory teams to manage product lifecycle and ensure timely product availability and launches.
- Monitor product development and registration timelines (where applicable) to ensure seamless commercialization.
- Develop clear value propositions for new hybrids/varieties based on field data, agronomic advantages, and customer needs.
- Lead go-to-market planning and execution for new seed launches, ensuring alignment across cross-functional teams.
Marketing Execution
- Design and support demand plans in collaboration with sales and marketing teams to drive market adoption.
- Work closely with marketing communications and digital teams to design impactful campaigns and product positioning.
- Track and evaluate campaign effectiveness and optimize strategies based on insights and feedback.
- Develop customer engagement and loyalty programs to strengthen brand and product adoption.
Business Planning & Performance Management
- Own the sales and expense planning process for the assigned category, including forecasting, budgeting, and performance tracking.
- Collaborate with sales teams to align on targets, execution priorities, and market deployment plans.
- Monitor business performance and take proactive actions to address gaps and drive growth.
Stakeholder Management & Leadership
- Act as the central point of contact for category-related communication across global, regional, and country stakeholders.
- Drive alignment and secure buy-in for product strategies within the country organization.
- Lead cross-functional teams (e.g., Product/Portfolio Teams) to ensure integrated planning and execution.
Supply & Inventory Management
- Define and manage inventory strategies in collaboration with supply chain teams to ensure optimal availability while minimizing excess.
- Align country-level demand plans with regional and global supply strategies.
Qualifications & Experience
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Marketing, or related field (MBA preferred).
Experience
- Minimum 10 years of experience in marketing, product management, or portfolio management within seeds/agri-inputs or related industries.
- Proven track record of driving growth through strategic marketing and execution excellence.
- Hands-on experience in product launches and lifecycle management within the Seeds or Agri domain.
- Strong understanding of farmer/customer needs, market dynamics, and channel ecosystems.
Skills & Competencies
- Strong strategic thinking and analytical capability
- Deep understanding of seed business, crop cycles, and agronomic value drivers
- Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills
- Strong communication and presentation skills
- Ability to translate data and insights into actionable business strategies
