Marketing Manager, North Africa

Job Title                                               Head of Marketing & Business Development – North Africa

Designation                                       Manager

Reporting To                                      Sub-Regional Head – North Africa

Matrix reporting to:                        Head of Marketing & Business Development –Africa

Skip Level Reporting                       Regional Head - Africa

Function                                             Marketing

GJL                                                        GJL 4

Location                                              North Africa

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 farmer's hearts across the globe, while leading the way with innovative products and services that make agriculture sustainable, UPL is the fastest-growing company in the industry. Our successes in the field add up to powerful financials. UPL delivers results from protecting crops that translate into attractive investor value. Based on the recognition that humankind is one community, UPL’s overarching commitment is to improve areas of its presence, 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. One team with shared goals. 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. We think outside the box and go beyond our comfort zone. We believe in agility, we mix the power of speed, with structure from process. And wherever we can, we always believe in having fun

ROLE SUMMARY:

UPL Africa is a leading company in the agricultural inputs industry. The Sub-Regional Marketing Head is responsible for leading and executing the marketing strategy across the sub-region. This role ensures alignment with global, regional, and sub-regional marketing objectives, drives brand growth, and supports commercial performance through integrated marketing initiatives. The position requires strong leadership, strategic thinking, and cross-functional collaboration.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Portfolio Management (35% of time)
  • Portfolio strategy and long-term planning. Provide strategic marketing guidance to R&D strategy, collaborating on the strategic direction of the organization.
  • Market information and competitor movements
  • New Product Development - Oversee process, systems, budgets, timelines, etc. Systems include Calyx and GNPL.
  • New Product Launches - Introduction and optimization of new product introduction including launch strategy and planning, introduction campaigns, field activities, etc.
  • Creation of technical material, speaker packs, presentations, brochures, marketing collateral, etc. 
  • Partner with Sales, Commercial, and Product teams to co-create go-to-market strategies for new products and services

• Brand Equity (30% of time)
  • Build brand awareness - Campaigns, publications, field activities, etc.
  • Brand governance - Ensure the brand is on point
  • Innovation in getting our brand and message to the market. 
  • Loyalty programmes and incentives. 
  • Build customer relations and look after customer satisfaction. 
  • Manage trademark applications (searches and registrations) 

• Strategic Marketing Leadership (25% of time)
  • Lead strategic planning sessions with cross-functional teams to ensure marketing initiatives support commercial goals.
  • Identify market trends, emerging opportunities, and risks.
  • Develop and manage the sub-regional marketing budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources.
  • Track spend against budget and report variances with corrective action plans.
  • Ensure all marketing investments are justified by measurable outcomes and ROI.

• Business Development (10% of time)
  • Identify opportunities within UPL as well as with external (3rd party) partners. 
  • Manage all discussions, alignment, negotiations and contracts.
  • Manage relationships - both internally as well as externally.

Responsibility Weightage and % of Time Spent Matrix

Financial Accountability:

• Marketing Budget Ownership: Responsible for planning, managing and optimizing the annual North Africa Marketing Budget.
• Business Revenue Support: Support the sub-regional teams in overall forecasting, pricing and budgeting with specific focus on new product introductions and ramp up within 3 years after launch.  

Strategic:         Strategic 60%; Tactical 40%

Internal Stakeholders:

Sales Team (Country and Regional)

• Aligns marketing plans with annual and seasonal sales strategies
• Provides product positioning, segmentation, and campaign roll-outs to support sales execution
• Reviews sales performance to refine marketing and pricing strategies

Finance Team

• Works with finance on budget planning, forecasting, and quarterly reviews
• Provides product performance insights, pricing variance analyses, margins, and market intelligence
• Supports business case development for new product introductions

Regulatory Affairs

• Collaborates to prioritize registration needs based on market opportunity
• Provides strategic marketing inputs for dossiers and product labeling
• Aligns go‑to‑market timelines with regulatory approvals

Supply Chain & Operations

• Coordinates demand planning for new products and seasonal demand
• Ensures product availability for campaigns, launches, and demonstration trials
• Provides crop cycle forecasts for inventory planning

R&D / Global Category Teams

• Shares market feedback, farmers’ needs, and competitor analysis
• Participates in global crop strategy sessions and provides region-specific insights
• Supports development of local adaptations of global products

External Interactions:

Key Distributors and Channel Partners

• Manages strategic account relationships
• Co-develops annual marketing programs and product launch plans
• Oversees distributor training on new technologies and product use

Farmers, Grower Associations & Industry Bodies

• Engages stakeholders through field days, demos, and solution platforms
• Provides education on technology adoption and sustainable practices
• Gathers insights on customer needs and emerging trends

Regulatory Authorities / Government Departments

• Coordinates submissions and follow-up for product registrations
• Ensures regulatory compliance in marketing materials and stewardship activities

Technology Partners & Third-Party Product Suppliers

• Negotiates licensing, co-development, and distribution agreements
• Aligns product launch timelines and stewardship initiatives

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required

Technical Requirements:

• Advanced knowledge of crop protection, seed treatments, BioSolutions, and ag-input technologies
• Strong expertise in market intelligence, segmentation, and competitor mapping
• Skilled in developing pricing strategies, value mapping, and profitability analysis
• Experience with product lifecycle management and new product introduction processes
• Proficient in digital marketing tools, CRM platforms, and data-driven marketing
• Strong financial acumen (NPV, margin analysis, licensing cost structures)
• Advanced MS Excel, Power BI, and reporting tools
• Familiarity with global agricultural regulatory frameworks
• Experience managing cross-border teams across the North Africa region

Behavioural Requirements

• Strong leadership with the ability to influence and inspire cross-functional teams
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate insights into actionable plans
• High adaptability in fast-changing market conditions
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Strong problem‑solving and decision‑making ability
• Entrepreneurial mindset with an innovation-driven approach
• Customer-centric with a collaborative style
• High integrity and accountability

UPL Competencies 

• Adaptability & Resilience

Recognizes and is open to changing circumstances and alters behavior and scales up as necessary; increases personal awareness and appreciation of individual and cultural differences to create an open, inclusive, and accepting workplace

• Entrepreneurial Mindset 

Has a creative mindset and ability to think holistically, takes calculated risks and maximizes opportunities

• Results Orientations

Acts, pursues goals with persistence and achieves results; communicates goals and vision to the team to drive enthusiasm and ambition

• Execution Excellence

Enhances the speed of execution and builds efficiency in processes, systems, and people; has sharp focus on quality-orientation

• Strategic Orientation

Demonstrates knowledge of the social, economic, and environmental factors and how they impact the business. Identifies key issues that could impact the business and develops strategy through an analytical lens / design thinking

• Building Teams and Talent

Empowers colleagues through knowledge sharing and delegation, quickly establishing rapport; provides recognition for achievements and accomplishments

• Customer Centricity

Understands the customer needs and pain points, fulfills the needs and expectations by focusing on creating value for customers.