Technical Sales Director - Plant Nutrition

At ASPIRE we are pioneers in the field of precision insect farming, optimizing the growth and harvesting of an underutilized natural resource in order to meet global demand for sustainable ingredients and materials. Our vision is A WORLD TRANSFORMED BY INSECT TECHNOLOGY.

Technical Sales Director - Plant Nutrition

We are currently seeking a seasoned Technical Sales Director - Plant Nutrition who will lead the business development process and full sales cycle. This role will be tasked with positioning our cricket frass as a premium, natural amendment/blend for soils and plant production, and creating long-term demand, on a global scale. This role will be hands-on and collaborative, and span both strategic planning and tactical execution. This leader will also be formative in how this team develops and executes its plan. There is no limit to how far you can advance, and this opportunity is unique due to the company's potential to positively impact such a large market – as effective stewards of the planet’s resources.

This role can be virtual, and may require some travel to our production facility in London, Ontario, and for other business development purposes. 

How You Will Make Contributions That Drive Us Forward

Strategic

• Relationship Management; Build deep associations with channel partners, extending to any profile of customer, including but not limited to logistics and storage providers, co-manufacturers and processors who can help format frass into usable and value-added products.

• Research Commitment; Partner with our R&D division to advance inquiry into the functional benefits of frass to better assess and position its value proposition for customers. 

• Sales Strategy; Determine and lead the Go-To-Market plan that achieves annual targets while building strategic relationships and seeding long-term demand. 

• Supply Chain Buildout; Work with Leadership and Operations teams to establish an efficient and flexible supply chain, manage inventory and the forecasting process for Plant. 

• Product Formats; Recommend the preferred formats for our products, based on industry research and customer requirements, coordinating with Operations to produce the most high-value product formats. 

Tactical

• Achieve Sales Results and Financial Targets; Move volume and create demand for additional facilities while hitting top-line and margin goals.  

• Regulatory Development; Work with the R&D and Regulatory teams to manage certification processes and approvals, and ensure all needed regulatory items are in place. 

• Be the Industry Representative; Serve as the face of AFG (and the broader insect protein movement) in Pet Industry circles, networking events, trade shows, and conferences. 

• Deliver Market Education; Work with Leadership and Marketing to seed the market, create channel partners, and convert end consumers with the right information about insect frass. 

What You Bring To The Table

• 5-10  years of experience in business development, sales management or relevant fields. 

• Background in soil composition and plant nutrition, by training and experience; preferably MSc or some other comparable educational background.

• Demonstrated success selling “natural” soil amendments or bio-stimulants, preferably premium or alternative in nature and ability to effectively market based on technical claims and market differentiation. 

• Understanding of global and regional industry trends, across formats: granules, compost, teas, etc. 

• Industry relationships with key channel partners: agricultural customers, distributors, processors, co-manufacturers, regulators, etc.

• Deep familiarity with the supply chain and processing steps needed to yield a consistent, marketable ingredient that meets manufacturer/brand/retailer needs.

• Inroads in North American geography, and particularly Southwestern Ontario

Get Excited About Aspire

• Aspire has assembled the largest body of research on cricket biology and production in the world.

• We are pioneering the industry by customizing, synthesizing and integrating cutting-edge technologies, including an Advanced Automation ASRS, IoT-Enabled Data Accumulation, Artificial Intelligence and Selective Breeding and Biological Optimization processes.

• We offer a competitive compensation package that includes paid time off, medical benefits, STD/LTD, RRSP and Stock Option plans.

“We believe that doing good for the world is indistinguishable from doing good for ourselves.”

We refuse to live in a world where food and nutrition insecurity abound, and we have the Audacity, Skills, Passion, Ingenuity, Rebelliousness and commitment to Excellence (ASPIRE) to do something about it.

We are an award-winning social enterprise with a focus on addressing food insecurity and promoting healthier lifestyles using insects as a sustainable, wholesome source of nutrition. We do this by pioneering sustainable insect agriculture for the good of all.

Aspire welcomes all applicants and is committed to a diverse workforce. If you require an accommodation, please advise the Human Resources Department of any required accommodation needs.


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