Overview

A national supplier in the industrial, hardware and irrigation sector is looking for an experienced Irrigation Market Development Manager to drive growth, expand market share and lead a specialised sales division.

This role is ideal for a strategic, commercially strong leader with deep irrigation sector expertise and proven experience developing strategy, leading teams, unlocking new opportunities and strengthening product positioning across South Africa and neighbouring markets.

Ideal profile:

A senior irrigation market development leader with strong sales strategy, commercial planning, national/regional team leadership, industry body engagement, distributor management, CRM reporting and product growth experience.

Minimum Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Sales Management, Business, Agricultural Engineering, Irrigation Science (SABI), or a related field.
Additional certifications in irrigation design, installation or water management would be advantageous.
Minimum 5 years’ experience in a senior leadership or management role overseeing national or regional sales teams.
Proven success developing and executing sales strategies in irrigation, agriculture or allied technical industries.
Strong commercial understanding of irrigation markets, product positioning, pricing, revenue growth and sales performance.
Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, reporting and strategic planning skills.

Market Development and Strategy

Develop and execute a full growth strategy for the irrigation division.
Conduct in-depth market and industry research to identify new opportunities across farming, landscaping, horticulture and infrastructure projects.
Analyse competitor activity, market gaps and threats to strengthen product positioning.
Define pricing models that balance competitiveness with profitability.
Engage with irrigation associations and industry bodies to stay ahead of market trends and standards.

Sales and Revenue Leadership

Convert company revenue goals into clear, actionable sales targets.
Build strong partnerships with distributors, retailers and large-scale clients.
Oversee structured account management to drive retention and growth.
Monitor category sales performance and implement corrective actions when needed.
Lead negotiations for long-term agreements and strategic partnerships.
Collaborate closely with finance for forecasting and budgeting alignment.

Team Leadership and Training

Provide leadership to technical and irrigation-specialist sales teams.
Conduct performance reviews, coaching and mentorship sessions.
Identify training needs and implement structured development programmes.
Train both staff and clients on irrigation solutions and best practices.
Foster a culture of accountability, innovation and collaboration.

Data-Driven Insights and Reporting

Analyse sales and client data to produce actionable insights.
Prepare monthly and quarterly reports for senior management.
Benchmark performance against competitors to guide decision-making.
Monitor market trends such as input costs and currency shifts that affect profitability.
Use CRM systems to identify gaps and opportunities in client engagement.

Innovation, Technology and Process Improvement

Identify and evaluate new irrigation technologies to enhance the product offering.
Drive product introduction projects with suppliers and internal teams.
Improve supply chain efficiency by collaborating with procurement and logistics.
Recommend process improvements aimed at reducing cost and increasing productivity.

Please Note

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not receive feedback within 14 days, please consider your application unsuccessful.

We appreciate all applications, but we are unable to respond to individual inquiries regarding application status. Please ensure to check your spam/junk folders for any correspondence.

By applying for this position, you consent to Worxs4u Recruitment processing your personal information in accordance with POPIA for recruitment purposes.

How to Apply

Click Apply Now and complete the short application. If shortlisted, a Worxs4u recruiter will contact you.

Please ensure your CV clearly reflects your irrigation sector experience, market development, sales strategy, team leadership, revenue growth, distributor management, product positioning, CRM reporting and technical irrigation knowledge.