What if nature could be harnessed to help farmers sustainably feed the planet? Since 2014, Indigo has questioned agriculture's full value chain to improve grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health. The company’s scientific discoveries and digital innovations have amplified new value from soil to sale, benefiting more than 10,000 growers to date. Indigo is also the company behind The Terraton Initiative, a global effort to drawdown one trillion tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide by unlocking the potential of agricultural soils. In 2019, Indigo was ranked #1 on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list. Headquartered in Boston, MA, Indigo has additional offices in Memphis, TN; Research Triangle Park, NC; Sydney, Australia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Basel, Switzerland; and São Paulo, Brazil.

The Regional Merchandising Director will lead regional origination efforts by effectively managing a team, developing cross functional internal relationships and collaboration, maintaining a neutral trade P&L, and driving process improvements to continually improve the Indigo customer experience for both buyers and sellers. Ideal candidates will be experienced, knowledgeable about all aspects of grain trading, a natural motivator with a track record managing high performing teams.

Key Outcomes

1. Regional Grain Marketplace transaction goals are achieved with 75% of the region achieving or exceeding targets. 

• Meets or exceeds quarterly goals established in business planning process
• Supports regional team in achieving regional goals including sales calls, liaison with support teams, resources, tools, and addressing customer objections and managing broken transactions.
• Establishes a regular tempo of communication with team to provide updates, training, strategy, and connectivity to the organization
• Leverage existing network of customers and industry connections in sales achievements

2. Origination plans are aligned with organizational goals and result in successful execution and goal attainment

• Works closely with business unit VP, functional leaders, and territory teams to develop business and operations goals and plans for the region.
• Establish quarterly goals and plans for successful execution with team at territory level
• Maintain neutral regional level grain trading P&L
• Provides timely feedback to organization on Indigo offers and customer response
• Helps to develop improved processes that streamline the customer experience including logistics, buyer and grower settlement and payment. 
• Coach team to high activity volume and drive accountability for KPIs. Maintaining a team of high performers in both activity and transactions is critical. 

3. Recruit and hire A players who can thrive in a highly dynamic organization and consistently exceed territory targets

• Provides initial training and ongoing development to team that enables them to succeed.
• Trains the team to effectively sell both the current and future vision and value of Marketplace to multiple layers of industry stakeholders
• Coaches team consistently to develop their origination and merchandising skill sets and recognizes and elevates top performers.
• Addresses performance gaps timely and professionally
• Train team to use data tools for market definition and to prioritize daily call activity around those with an emphasis on bids net of transport. Team should aggressively seek out opportunities for transport attachment.
• Train a team on how to communicate high priority cash trading opportunities and appropriately negotiate with buyers. 
• Ensure the team is comfortable with Indigo Pricing Products and maintains high attachment.

4. Creates strong cross-functional relationships and is seen as a leader of Indigo within the Commercial Organization

• Create positive internal relationships with R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing, Finance, Legal, Strategy, Sales Ops, People, and Business Development team and work closely with these groups on a day to day basis
• Develop positive business relationships with customers, grower collaborators, grain buyers, end users, Indigo Research Partners, and other external stakeholders

Understands and embodies our mission & core values

• Excited by Indigo’s mission; believes that Indigo can fundamentally change the agriculture industry; can clearly articulate passion for our mission and values
• Optimistic and innovative; solution-oriented; shows no signs of cynicism
• Will be widely viewed as someone who personifies our core values, is committed to them, and leans on them when making decisions. Specifically:
• Demonstrates a track record of high integrity - doing the right thing, owning mistakes, conducting oneself honestly
•  Values, communicates and interacts with others with high levels of transparency and respect
• Collaborates well across functions; creates an inspiring and collegial work environment

Competencies

• Superior coaching skills specific to grain marketing - Is a natural motivator, brings out the best in others, builds strong teams, and is consistent with Indigo values and culture
• Open, clear, and direct communication skills, both written and oral
• Strong execution skills and work ethic
• High sense of urgency and passion to execute against goals 
• Demonstrated ability to understand various segments of buyers and growers and build team strategy around target segments
• Ability to collaborate between company segments, such as Commercial Leadership, Legal, Finance, Global Markets, Data Innovation etc.
• Proven track record of creative business development and YOY growth
• Able to intuitively prioritize projects and responsibilities
• Has a passion for merchandising, origination and growing a team
• Demonstrates an entrepreneurial mindset
• Demonstrate YOY increase in origination
• Ability to eventually manage a team of territory merchandisers

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent industry experience in ag business, economics or related fields
• 10 - 15 years of Ag industry experience 
• 5 - 10 years of Merchandising experience in region
• 3-5 years of direct management experience, comfortable managing a team remotely
• Lives in the designated region with 5+ years of residence in region
• Has strong knowledge of agriculture, may have farming background
• Autonomous and comfortable working remotely, but able to adapt to travel up to 30% once normal work from office restrictions are alleviated
• Passionately aligned with Indigo mission