Marketing Manager - Agronomy

COMPANY OVERVIEW

At Ralco, we specialize in natural and effective products for farmers and ranchers. Our patented approaches in essential oils, energy maximizing diets and microbial processes are designed to improve the health and productivity of animals and plants alike, covering areas such as health, nutrition and crop management

OUR MISSION:

Steward our God-given gifts to perfect technologies that enhance the vitality of plants and animals for a safe and abundant food supply.

OUR VALUES:

We do what is right
We serve others and help them succeed
We believe in hard work and a commitment to family
We treat others with dignity and respect

JOB SUMMARY
As Marketing Manager, you are charged with managing a line of products and its contribution to Ralco's business. You will develop and execute brand strategies that grow profit of existing products in addition to launching new products that make a meaningful contribution to the business. You will leverage customer insight and market intelligence to ensure that the products are positioned for growth and will execute marketing strategies to ensure that growth. You will build products from existing ideas, and help to develop new ideas based on your industry experience and your contact with customers and prospects. You must possess a unique blend of business and technical savvy; a big-picture vision, and the drive to make that vision a reality. You must enjoy spending time in the market to understand customer problems, and find innovative solutions for the broader market.

You must be able to communicate with all areas of the company. You will work with sales, technical and marketing communications to define product success, to define the go-to-market strategy and to perfect the product positioning, key benefits, supporting research, competitive differentiation, and target customer. You will also serve as the internal and external champion for your product offering, working with the sales team, sales staff development and key customers to support your strategic efforts. A brand manager's key role is strategic, not tactical.

KEY WORK DUTIES AND REQUIRED SKILLS:

1. You will work with your sales and technical counterparts to develop an annual profit plan for the agronomy product line and ensure alignment to achieve desired results.
2. Managing the entire product line life cycle from strategic planning to detailed product launch.
3. Evaluating the opportunity for existing products and new product concepts and prioritizing efforts towards projects that will have the greatest return.
4. Specifying market requirements for current and future products by conducting market research supported by ongoing visits to customers and non-customers.
5. Driving a solution set across development teams (Technical, Marketing Communications, Sales, Purchasing, Regulatory, Manufacturing) through market requirements, in-field testing, positioning, pricing and promotion.
6. Develop pricing strategies with the goal of maximizing the company's profits or share of the market while ensuring customers are highly satisfied.
7. Developing and implementing a company-wide go-to-market plan, working with all departments to execute.
8. Analyzing potential partner relationships for the product.
9. Coordinates promotional activities with Marketing Communications to market products and services.
10. Oversees and directs the work of product specialists.
11. Works with the sales team to establish a volume forecast for all products in your line.
12. Other duties as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:
Education: Undergraduate degree in Marketing, Sales or Business Ag related field.
Experience: 5+ years of responsibility in Brand and Product Management. Agronomy knowledge is required, specialty and high value crops experience is preferred.
Physical: The following activities are required as needed to perform the job function; lifting, driving, bending, climbing, carrying and twisting. Confined space entry is not a required job function. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the key work duties.
Travel: This position requires some travel to customer and non-customer sites.
Locations: This position is preferably located in the Ralco Headquarters office in Marshall, MN