Sales Manager

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UPL Limited (NSE: UPL & BSE: 512070, LSE: UPLL) is a global provider of sustainable agriculture products and solutions, with annual revenue exceeding $6bn. We are a purpose-led company. Through OpenAg®, UPL is focused on accelerating progress for the food system. We are building a network that is reimagining sustainability, redefining the way an entire industry thinks and works – open to fresh ideas, innovation, and new answers as we strive towards our mission to make every single food product more sustainable. As one of the largest agriculture solutions companies worldwide, our robust portfolio consists of biologicals and traditional crop protection solutions with more than 14,000 registrations. We are present in more than 130 countries, represented by more than 10,000 colleagues globally. For more information about our integrated portfolio of solutions across the food value chain including seeds, post-harvest, as well as physical and digital services, please visit upl-ltd.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Job Title:   Head of Sales Germany - Germany                                                            Reports To: General Manager - DACH                                 About UPL UPL is focused on emerging as a premier global provider of total crop solutions designed to secure the world's long-term food supply. Winning farmers' hearts across the globe, while leading the way with innovative products and services that make agriculture sustainable, UPL is one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry. Our successes in the field translate into strong business performance and attractive stakeholder value. Based on the recognition that humankind is one community, UPL's overarching commitment is to improve the communities where we operate, our workplace, and customer engagement. Our purpose is 'OpenAg'. An agriculture network that feeds sustainable growth for all. No limits, no borders. We are one team, for maximum impact. We share goals and maintain a strong focus on what our customers need today, while anticipating their future needs and creating innovative solutions and experiences. We think beyond established boundaries, combine speed with disciplined processes, and foster an engaging workplace where people can succeed together. Job Summary The Head of Sales Germany leads the development and execution of UPL's sales strategy for Germany. The role is accountable for translating DACH and company priorities into clear customer, channel, territory, and sales plans that deliver sustainable revenue growth, gross-margin improvement, market-share development, and a high-quality customer experience. Reporting to the General Manager DACH, the role provides senior functional leadership to the German sales organization and acts as UPL's lead sales representative with strategic customers and commercial partners. The Head of Sales works closely with Marketing, Technical, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Operations, and Finance to ensure disciplined commercial execution. Broader country strategy, legal-entity leadership, and overall country business governance remain with the General Manager DACH.   Job Responsibilities Sales Strategy and Growth • Develop and implement the annual and medium-term sales strategy for Germany in line with DACH and company objectives. • Translate the commercial direction into clear sales plans, targets, customer priorities, account strategies, territory plans, and field actions. • Identify and capture opportunities for profitable sales growth across crop segments, regions, products, customer groups, and distribution channels. • Monitor market developments, competitor activity, pricing trends, customer needs changes in the German agricultural market, and recommend appropriate sales responses. • Lead the sales execution of new product launches and integrated solutions in close collaboration with Marketing, Technical, and Regulatory teams. • Develop customer and channel growth plans for conventional crop protection, BioSolutions, and integrated crop-management solutions. Sales Leadership and Execution • Provide clear direction to the German sales team and ensure consistent execution of agreed priorities. • Set clear objectives, sales targets, accountabilities, and performance expectations for the sales organization. • Lead regular sales reviews, pipeline assessments, territory evaluations, customer-plan reviews, and forecasting discussions. • Ensure effective regional and customer coverage and recommend the appropriate allocation of sales resources. • Build a culture of accountability, customer centricity, collaboration, ownership, and continuous improvement. • Identify sales risks and opportunities early and implement timely corrective or acceleration actions within the agreed commercial framework   People Leadership and Capability Development • Lead, inspire, coach, and develop the German sales team. • Strengthen sales capabilities in strategic account management, negotiation, value selling, forecasting, pricing execution, and customer planning. • Support recruitment, onboarding, performance management, talent development, and succession planning within the sales organization in coordination with the General Manager DACH and Human Resources. • Develop future sales leaders and create an environment that supports engagement, collaboration, and high performance. Customer and Channel Management • Build strong, long-term relationships with distributors, co-operatives, retailers, agricultural groups, advisors, strategic accounts, and other relevant stakeholders. • Lead major customer negotiations within approved commercial policies, pricing parameters, and authority levels. • Own customer segmentation, strategic account planning, sales conditions, and execution of the agreed channel strategy. • Ensure a high-quality customer experience and coordinate the effective resolution of sales and service issues. • Represent UPL at customer meetings, industry events, trade fairs, field demonstrations, professional conferences, and relevant commercial forums. Sales Performance and Commercial Discipline • Deliver the agreed sales, gross-margin, contribution, market-share, collection, and customer-performance objectives for the German sales organization. • Lead the sales contribution to annual budgeting, sales forecasting, demand planning, and performance-review processes. • Manage the approved sales budget and customer investments, ensuring disciplined use of rebates, discounts, payment terms, and promotional support. • Maintain forecast quality and coordinate with Supply Chain and Operations on demand, product availability, order fulfilment, inventory priorities, and customer service. • Monitor performance against targets, explain variances, and implement corrective actions with the sales team. • Provide reliable market intelligence, account insights, sales forecasts, risks, opportunities, and recommendations to relevant functions. Cross-functional Collaboration • Work closely with Marketing to align portfolio priorities, product positioning, campaigns, customer communication, innovation launches, and sales tools with agreed commercial objectives. • Collaborate with Technical and Regulatory teams on product information, authorizations, stewardship, market development, and customer requirements. • Coordinate closely with Supply Chain and Operations to improve forecast quality, product availability, order execution, and service levels. • Partner with Finance on sales budgeting, reporting, credit management, collections, customer profitability, and commercial controls. • Share customer insights and market feedback with Product Management, DACH leadership, and relevant European teams. • Ensure sales activities comply with company policies, ethical standards, approved authority levels, and applicable regulatory requirements. Required Education and Experience • Minimum 15 years of progressive commercial experience in agriculture, crop protection, BioSolutions, seeds, fertilizers, or a related industry. • Proven experience leading sales teams and carrying national or regional sales responsibility. • Demonstrated success delivering profitable sales growth, market development, and improved sales performance. • Deep understanding of the German agricultural market, customer landscape, and relevant distribution channels. • Proven experience managing strategic customers and leading complex commercial negotiations. • Strong knowledge of sales strategy, strategic account management, pricing execution, forecasting, budgeting, collections, and performance management. • Experience working effectively in an international, cross-functional matrix organization. • Excellent German and English language skills, both written and spoken. • Willingness to travel extensively within Germany and occasionally internationally. • A university degree or comparable qualification in agriculture, agribusiness, business, marketing, life sciences, or a related field. • Strong analytical skills, sound judgment, and a data-driven approach to sales decision-making. • Outstanding communication, influencing, negotiation, coaching, and presentation skills. Key Competencies • Sales Leadership: Sets clear direction, mobilizes the sales organization, and maintains strong execution against agreed priorities. • Commercial Acumen: Understands the drivers of profitable sales growth and makes balanced recommendations across revenue, margin, market share, cash, and customer value. • Strategic Orientation: Converts market, customer, competitor, and channel insights into practical sales priorities and account actions. • Results Orientation: Takes ownership for sales outcomes, pursues ambitious goals with persistence, and acts early when performance deviates from plan. • Execution Excellence: Translates strategy into disciplined customer, channel, territory, and sales execution with clear accountability. • Building Teams and Talent: Inspires, coaches, empowers, and develops colleagues while strengthening organizational capability and succession. • Customer Centricity: Understands customer priorities and creates differentiated value through solutions, service, and trusted partnerships. • Influencing and Stakeholder Management: Builds alignment across customers, commercial partners, functions, and leadership teams without relying solely on formal authority. • Entrepreneurial Mindset: Identifies opportunities, thinks creatively, and acts decisively within agreed governance and risk parameters. • Adaptability and Resilience: Responds constructively to change and ambiguity and helps the team remain focused and effective.     We are one team, for maximum impact. One team with shared goals. We all play for the team and no one plays against the team. We have a laser-like focus on what our customers need and want, on anticipating their future needs and on how we can create innovative solutions and experiences for them. #UPLJobs