Head of NPP, Seed, Soil & Crop Health

UPL is seeking a dynamic and experienced professional to lead our North America Commercial Ag team across two critical business areas: Natural Plant Protection (NPP), Seed & Soil Health (SS&CH). This role will provide strategic leadership and direction to drive growth in seed treatment, in-furrow, soil health, biological solutions. The incumbent will develop and execute commercial strategies, manage high-value customer relationships, and ensure alignment with regional and global objectives.

The role holder will collaborate with cross-functional teams, oversee new product launches, and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. They will lead a high-performing sales organization, deliver on financial targets, and strengthen UPL’s brand presence in the North American market.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Commercial Strategy & Sales Management
•Develop and execute annual sales plans for NPP and SS&CH in collaboration with US Sales, Marketing, R&D, SCM, and Finance.

•Deliver tactics to achieve annual revenue and profitability targets across both business areas.

•Drive customer forecasting, quarterly planning, and new product launches for NPP and SS&CH.

•Manage relationships with assigned companies and specialty distributors to maximize growth opportunities.

•Lead participation in key industry events, tradeshows, and strategic customer meetings.

•Oversee SG&A budgets for NPP and SS&CH areas.

Forecasting & Execution
•Develop annual forecasts and manage monthly updates to achieve financial goals.
•Ensure Salesforce adoption across teams for customer planning, pipeline management, and reporting.
•Maintain accurate regional forecasts by product and volume, aligned with annual budgets.
•Participate in key business calls (CST, S&OP) to ensure effective communication and alignment acrossregions.

Customer Relationship Management

•Build and maintain strong relationships with distributors, retailers and growers

•Elevate NPP and SS&CH offerings to a strategic position with key accounts.

•Collaborate with Key Account Management (KAM) team on integrated roadmaps and offers.

•Lead negotiations and contract management ensuring compliance with company policies and legal requirements.

Budget & Financial Management

•Monitor and adhere to company guidelines for sales targets, expenses, promotions, and travelbudgets.

People Leadership
•Develop and lead a high-performance team across NPP and SS&CH.•Drive a culture of accountability, meritocracy, and inclusiveness.

•Set clear objectives, conduct bi-annual performance reviews, and implement training programs to enhance sales capabilities.

•Collaborate with HR on talent development, engagement, and succession planning.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
•Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Agribusiness, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.

•15+ years of experience in seed, seed treatment, and biologicals with proven success in leadership roles.

•Strong understanding of the US agricultural landscape, distribution channels, and cropping practices.

•Demonstrated ability to develop and execute commercial strategies across multiple business segments.

•Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.•Results-oriented with a track record of achieving and exceeding sales targets.

UPL COMPETENCIES:

•Adaptability & Resilience: Recognizes and is open to changing circumstances and alters behavior andscales up as necessary; increases personal awareness and appreciation of individual and cultural differencesto create an open, inclusive, and accepting workplace.
•Entrepreneurial Mindset: Has a creative mindset and ability to think holistically, takes calculated risks andmaximizes opportunities.
•Results Orientations: Takes action, pursues goals with persistence and achieves results; communicatesgoals and vision to the team to drive enthusiasm and ambition.
•Execution Excellence: Enhances the speed of execution and builds efficiency in processes, systems andpeople; has sharp focus on quality-orientation.
•Strategic Orientation: Demonstrates knowledge of the social, economic, and environmental factors andhow they impact the business. Identifies key issues that could impact the business and develops strategythrough an analytical lens / design thinking.
•Building Teams and Talent: Empowers colleagues through knowledge sharing and delegation, quicklyestablishing rapport; provides recognition for achievements and accomplishments.
•Customer Centricity: Understands the customer needs and pain points, fulfills the needs andexpectations by focusing on creating value for customers.