Mission
This is a role with the key mission to lead Vive’s Canadian strategy, aiming first at building a top-10 crop protection company in Canada and eventually a top-5 market leader. As Vive’s Canadian business expands, you will own Vive’s P&L in Canada, key customer relationships, and Vive’s Canadian product pipeline.
You will deliver on this mission by:
- Bringing a deep understanding of the Canadian market and grower pain points and leveraging that understanding toward the development of future Vive products
- Creating market demand through strategic product development and positioning that succinctly addresses identified grower needs
- Implementing standardized, scalable approaches to crop and product brand planning in Canada
- Building deep relationships with existing distribution in Canada and key grower and influencer groups
- Keeping a long-term view on the evolution of the Canadian biologicals market, ensuring we are optimizing our outreach, partnership, and product development activities to ensure success (supporting product management and business development)
- Exhibiting strong analytical and problem-solving skills despite imperfect information
- Being a resourceful, creative, and self-driven individual who is passionate about building something real in support of the organization’s continued business success.
Interacts with:
- Internally – Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Executive Leadership
- Externally – Growers, retailers, crop consultants, and other centers of influence; and at times other 3rd Party Product Development Partners
Accountability - in your first 12 months, you will:
- Drive near-term market success in Canada - Capitalize on Vive’s recent product launch and established distribution in Canada to accomplish 2025 growth in support of Vive’s business goals.
- Complete a Canadian market assessment to lead product pipeline development - Execute Canadian market assessment and lead efforts to identify priority product opportunities, delivering grower value through Vive’s Precision Chemistry solutions.
- Develop our Canadian strategy - Develop and begin execution on a complete 5-year strategy in Canada. This will include regulatory, GTM, product pipeline, and forecasts, aiming at being a top-10 crop protection company in Canada within 5 years.
- Support other product management initiatives as needed - With rest of marketing team, support product management initiatives in the United States and globally on an as-needed basis, with first priority being Canadian market development
Specific Duties & Responsibilities
- Leads Canadian market strategy development and execution
- Delivers branded Vive products into Canada with measurable value and market-relevant differentiation
- Works with US product management to assess and test opportunities for new products in Canada, and ensure market opportunities are developed for relevant products.
- Collaborates with Sales and Product Development to identify and define new solutions specifically for the Canadian market, from concept to creation, from field testing to product launch and market adoption
- Develops market-relevant proof points to convey each product’s brand story
- Ensures Vive product pipeline efforts are focused on addressing grower pain points and unmet market needs
- Partners with Sales to align and educate distribution channel partners delivering product to the market
- Owns Canadian P&L; manages product margins and the overall financial performance in Canada
- Delivers monthly and annual revenue forecasts
- Manages COGs and product pricing
- Works with Vive’s Technology, Marketing, and Sales teams to take US-focused initiatives and adapt them for the Canadian market; and vice-versa
- Lead’s Vive relationship with key Canadian commercial influencers, including distributors, key retailers, and key growers
- Vive’s key contact with CropLife Canada
Skills & Experience
- Education: Bachelor's degree in marketing, agronomy or an agricultural sales or marketing related field. Other educational backgrounds considered with relevant experience.
- Experience: 8-10+ years experience in Canadian agriculture, with 5 years of crop protection product / business management experience required.
- 2+ years experience focused in biological or bio-enabled products an asset but not required
- Strong communication skills, ability to distill down complex messaging
- Strong interpersonal skills and a natural collaborator; works across Sales, Marketing, Development, Supply Chain and Regulatory to align product development, production, and distribution efforts
- Strategic thinker with strong organizational and independent problem-solving skills
- Challenges mediocrity, ensures Vive products are best in class
- Strong analytical skills – ability to assess the big picture as well as nuance the details
- Detailed and data-driven approach to decision-making
- Comfortable managing complex projects and initiatives
- Passion for accuracy and detail, including written and oral communications
- Independent, can-do attitude, self-starter
Requirement
- Travel up to 25% if near Mississauga; if further remote, may be up to 35%.
- Valid passport. Must have the ability to travel across US & Canada.
- Valid driver’s license and good driving record.
For more information and to apply for this position, click here.