Account Manager - Oils & Fats Africa

Account Manager for Oil and Fats processers including BioDiesel and Specialty Fats.

Purpose

We are seeking an individual who brings a strong blend of commercial acumen and technical expertise, capable of managing key customer accounts while also understanding and addressing technical needs in processing environments. This position would be to support the Team Lead with the growth and development of Novonesis® Oils & Fats in Africa, through a combination of direct customer and distributor management, identifying new opportunities. The position can be based in Johannesburg - South Africa, Nairobi – Kenya, Cairo - Egypt.

Roles and Responsibilities

Primary responsibility to manage direct accounts and distributors and accomplish sales, and profit targets in the assigned region for Novonesis® Oils & Fats business.

Provide monthly sales/commercial updates and overall health of the business.

Develop and track and execute customer account plans to ensure aligned strategy with account team.

Co-ordinate and communicate all account activities and plans between customer, technical support and other internal teams to ensure customer requirements are met.

Have fair technical understanding of Oils and Fats plant operations to be able to conduct customer needs dialogue to identify pain points and translate them into potential opportunities.

Identify new partners/ distributors and unlock new opportunities through a combination of market gap analysis, Novonesis portfolio mapping and partner strength.

Collaborate with Novonesis® regional and global marketing to formulate plans to grow the business in Oils & Fats via market share gain, penetration and innovations.

Drive sales via the One CRM system to track & maintain opportunity pipeline within the various opportunity stages.

Responsible for negotiating all customers and channel partners contracts to ensure alignment with targets and respective agreed pricing guidance.

Guide the potential market opportunities, whilst collaborating with regulatory to ensure smooth logistic operations of new products.

Work closely with demand planner to ensure updated customer forecasts, opportunities and demand plans

Be able to represent Novonesis® on industry forums and be the voice of our solutions in trade shows and conferences, when needed.

Qualifications and Experience

Degree in Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering or a related field; advanced degree preferred.

Minimum 5 years of commercial experience Oils & Fats, or related industries would be advantageous.

Enzyme knowledge would be an advantage.

Willingness to travel extensively within the Africa region.

Key Competencies

Effective communicator with excellent interpersonal abilities

Self-motivated and capable of working independently

Project management and cross-cultural collaboration

Customer-focused with a solution-oriented mindset

Strong problem-solving and analytical skills