Head of Product development

Limagrain is a global company with deep local roots. Our parent company is an agricultural cooperative based in the Limagne-Val d’Allier plain, in the heart of Central France’s Auvergne region, while we are an international seed and agri-food group with some 9,600 employees working in 53 countries.

As the 4th largest seed company in the world, we achieved sales of 2\.522 billion euros in 2023-2024, with additional sales of 729 million euros from activities carried out in collaboration with our strategic partners.

Main Goal

You will lead the global strategic direction for specific Tomato typologies as well as the strategy for specific Product Markets Combination (PMC) in the regions under your responsibility, ensuring alignment with the company’s overall business objectives.You will monitor market dynamics, identify trends, and translate customer and market needs into product and portfolio decisions. Steering breeding targets, coordinating Product Development (PD) activities, managing the portfolio efficiently and profitably in the specific PMC's in order to achieve product leadership. Being the direct contact within Product Management for the region and working together within team of Product Managers to develop and achieve a global strategy for the crop.

Job Description

• Participate in updating \& maintaining the Crop Strategy:
• Market analysis together with country managers and CBC managers.
• Create a PMC strategic plan for all PMC's under responsibility and cooperate with other Product Managers for other PMC’s
• Forecast of future products, currently in Development and challenge Commercial forecast of current products
• Portfolio Management
• Recommend global variety positioning in close collaboration with your peers, including target markets, minimum pricing thresholds per area, and development priorities by country and customer.
• Lead and coordinate cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Breeding, Seed Technology, Production, Supply, Quality Control, and Finance to optimize portfolio performance and operational excellence.
• Responsible for Product Life Cycle (PLC)
• Product Definition - Create and update product definitions per PMC
• Follow up on breeding projects:
• Coordinate and monitor breeding projects according to product definition
• Translate trends into breeding project proposals
• Recommend promotion from Breeding, into DV1, DV2 and commercial
• Managing the PMC Teams - Initiate, organize and lead.
• Creation of PD plan based on PMC team decisions.
• Involvement and support in:
• Agro-Technical support (when required)
• Crop related Marcom activities (brochures, catalogues, open days)
• Supporting account management in the region
• Minimum a Bachelor degree in Agronomy, Agricultural Engineering/Science, Business, Marketing, or related field required
• Visionary in the crop(s), directly connected with at least 5-year experience in the area of breeding, product development and/or sales
• Proven ability to think strategically while remaining execution-oriented in a complex, cross-functional environment.
• Fluent English language skills (verbal, writing) is a must. Spanish is a plus
• Ability to travel at least 50% of your time abroad
• Good computer skills in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Analytical, focused and well organized, good decision making, understanding prioritizing
• Team player with good communication, people skills and convincing nature. Ability to motivate peers.
• Commercial and flexible attitude with the ability to guide and motivate the PD \& Sales teams