Business Development & Technical Advisor Citrus & East Coast

About DECCO Postharvest:  DECCO, an ADVANTA company, is the global leader in providing postharvest solutions to reduce food waste and enhance the freshness of fresh fruits and vegetables all along the food supply chain.  DECCO delivers value every day to packers, shippers, supermarkets and consumers with customized coating, decay control, sanitization and disinfection products, application technology, on-site service and almost 90 years of postharvest expertise.  Our 200+ dedicated DECCO employees operate in over 40 countries. 

Our purpose is to enable more and better Fresh Food for the world. More. Beautiful. Fresh

POSITION OVERVIEW: The Business Development & Technical Advisor – Citrus & East Coast is responsible for supporting commercial activities along with promoting growth and market penetration of the company’s portfolio in various markets throughout the Southwest and across the Eastern US. This role combines expertise of postharvest fruit & vegetable pathogens, treatments, and handling practices with strategic business development, customer relationship management, and hands‑on technical advisory to growers, distributors, and strategic partners. 

Key Responsibilities:

Business Development & Commercial Execution 

• Identify, assess, and secure new commercial opportunities, including key growers, cooperatives, distributors, consultants, and influencers. 

• Drive revenue growth, trial conversions, and product adoption in line with annual budget and growth targets. 

• Represent the company at industry events, field days, grower meetings, and trade shows. 

Technical Advisory & Market Support

• Act as a technical authority supporting customers, sales, and key accounts.
• Provide technical guidance on product selection, application, performance, and optimization.

• Design, implement, and evaluate field trials, demonstrations, and on‑site validations. 
• Analyze field data and customer feedback to support claims, refine positioning, and guide product development. 

• Support issue resolution related to product performance, crop response, and adoption barriers. 

Innovation & Solution Development

• Identify unmet market needs and translate them into technical requirements and solution concepts.
• Collaborate with R&D, Product Management, and Engineering to develop, test, and refine innovative solutions.
• Support the commercialization of new products and technologies, including launch readiness and technical positioning.
• Contribute to the development of differentiated value propositions and solution roadmaps.

Customer & Stakeholder Management 

• Build and maintain long‑term relationships with key decision‑makers and technical influencers. 

• Collaborate closely with stakeholders to ensure alignment on territory strategy, execution, and technical support. 

• Serve as a trusted advisor to growers by understanding their operational, agronomic, and economic challenges. 

Market & Competitive Intelligence

• Monitor market trends, customer feedback, and competitive technologies.
• Provide structured insights to inform innovation priorities, product improvements, and portfolio decisions.
• Support business cases and technical justification for new solutions and investments.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Commercial, Operations, and Service teams to ensure solutions are scalable and executable.
• Act as a technical liaison across regions and functions to ensure consistency and best‑practice sharing.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Plant Pathology, Plant Science, or related field
• Master’s or PhD preferred
• 5+ Years of experience in technical advisory, innovation, or development roles
• Strong experience working directly with customers and commercial teams
• Proven ability to translate technical concepts into customer-relevant business value
• Strong analytical, presentation, and communication skills

Core Competencies:

• Valid driver’s license, able to drive company vehicle
• Proficient computer skills: use of word processor (Word), Excel, PowerPoint and internet functions
• Technical expertise and problem-solving
• Strong knowledge of pest and disease management
• Commercial acumen
• Ability to influence without authority

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Number of direct reports – None
• Number of indirect reports – None

• Budget responsibilities – Indirectly, measured by business unit performance

Travel: As required to support commercial activities throughout California and Southwest states, with occasional travel to Eastern US.

Location: Central California (Visalia area) or Ventura County

KEY COMPETENCIES:

CULTIVATES INNOVATION - Thinks creatively and implements solutions for everyday problems; Strives to continually improve own processes and areas of business; Puts forward proposals and develops strategic implementation plans to introduce new and improved ways of operating.

RESULTS ORIENTATION: Strong capability in focusing on tasks and results to achieving goals, solving problems, maintaining productivity, and making fast decisions by using a critical thinking approach.

BEING RESILIENT – Ability to manage crises and volatile situation effectively. Should be able remain objective and calm and show positive attitude & strong judgement when faced with adversity

CUSTOMER FOCUS – Ability to building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions