Job Title: Forage Technical Specialist Location: Homebased (Territory being North Midlands of England) Contract: Permanent Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week Reporting to: Forage Product Manager Job Req: R6252 Your role The Forage Technical specialist will be responsible for supporting the feed sales teams within the allocated region both by telephone and visiting specific farms to advise on the correct choice, and use of products and appropriate services. Working alongside Ruminant specialists and total feed specialists, you will be accountable for the allocated local budgets for forage products and will provide the technical support and input required within the region. A good understanding of all technical aspects related to Forage and arable cropping on livestock farms and good all round product knowledge within the key product areas of Seeds, Fertilisers, Forage Additives and Agchem is therefore required. The role is home based and requires good telephone and IT skills but will also involve travelling to farms across the territory. Your responsibilities Work with local feed team and Total feed specialist to achieve budgeted sales targets by supplying the necessary technical input to maintain existing and develop new business. To support appropriate customers with forage Production Planning and to secure his forage product business. To advise on and deliver a range of analytical services ie. soil, forage and slurry testing which will be required in support of the Above Planning Services. Where appropriate develop a hands on approach with customers by walking crops, walking livestock and inspecting forages, with the aim of becoming the customers trusted adviser on all matters and products forage, so directly influencing the product purchase. Provide local feed team members with technical advice on correct use and application of the Forage Product range. Be prepared to support and deliver local training solutions and forage updates to the feed team members Work with product managers, Ruminant specialists and Total feed specialists to maintain and develop sales matching the appropriate technical input to a given opportunity. To be accountable for sales volumes and contribution within the allocated region in the core product areas of Seed, Fertiliser and Additives. Drive marketing campaigns within allocated region of central England and North west / South West Providing cost effective technical input within the sales area Development of Forage Skills and knowledge within the local team Representing the forage business on matters technical at team meetings and at local shows and events Responsibility to develop and maintain knowledge of both sales and technical aspects of key product areas and product ranges To work closely with the Forage Product Manager, to ensure technical accuracy and consistency across the business Maintain necessary professional qualifications (BASIS and FACTS) by attending the appropriate courses and thereafter maintaining these qualifications by achieving the necessary ‘CPD’ points Attend technical events & courses with guidance from the Forage Product Manager Use of CRM to develop and optimise further sales opportunities and aid the communication process Your profile Essential: Ideally degree level qualified in agriculture Experience within a forage role would be considered as an alternative Excellent written English skills and an eye for detail is essential Sales skills Telephone sales Team player Desirable: Grassland BASIS and / or FACTS qualified Benefits Employee Assistance Programme (offering support on a range of topics). No two days are the same offering variety in your role. Options to enhance your pension after 12 months service (increased employer contributions). Opportunities to grow personally and develop within the business Cycle to work scheme. B&Q Trade card offering 10% discounts in-store and online. And much more About ForFarmers Do you ever stop to wonder where your Sunday morning poached egg came from? Or the milk in your cafè latte? Or what about the sausage and bacon served with full English? It will come as no surprise to you that the animals which produce these products need to eat themselves too. And that’s where ForFarmers comes into the equation. ForFarmers produces feed for cattle, pigs and poultry in both conventional and organic livestock farming. And that probably sounds a great deal simpler than it actually is. Make no mistake: an awful lot of knowledge, research and innovation has gone into one of those seemingly simple-looking chunks of animal feed. And these are the kind of things we, as a company, invest a great deal in. Proud values: PASSIONATE Working for ForFarmers is more than a job; it's a passion. The farming business is what makes us tick. We do everything we can to future-proof the sector, and this ambition shines through in our behaviour and our way of working. We push back boundaries and go the extra mile for our customers, suppliers and colleagues. RESPONSIBLE Our actions have an impact. We help farmers work in a sustainable way so that together we can safeguard the continuity of the farming business. The same principle applies to our day-to-day operations: we take good care of our customers and other stakeholders, and always aim for the best, most efficient and most sustainable result. OPEN-MINDED Keeping an open mind enables us to support farmers in the rapidly changing agricultural sector. We are able to adapt to the needs and working methods of the industry and are always on the lookout for new opportunities. We are clear about our intentions and expectations and prefer to listen than to speak. UNITED Addressing the challenges with which the agricultural industry is faced requires a joint effort and mutual trust. We join forces with colleagues and customers and work as one team towards our shared goals. In many cases we take the lead but we are also able to follow if that produces better results. DELIVERING We have a natural ambition to get things done, regardless of how difficult the job is. We do what we say and say what we do. We are respectful, honest and direct at all times. It is the sign of a ForFarmers employee. Applications We value diversity in our workplace and welcome enquiries from everyone. Please make us aware if your need any reasonable adjustments to participate in this process. We encourage you to submit your application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary.