Key Account Manager - Food

Key Account Manager 

Based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast

(or Paris with up to 50% travel to Abidjan)

Full-time position, Permanent contract

Business travels: up to 20%

Beginning: ASAP 2024

PUR Description

PUR is a global, impact-focused B-Corp specializing in supply chain sustainability. We design, develop, and implement nature-based solutions projects to help our corporate partners reduce their environmental footprint and meet their ESG targets. Many of PUR's projects fall within the categories of insetting, regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, forest conservation, and landscape restoration.

These projects aim to introduce more sustainable agricultural practices, regenerate and preserve ecosystems, and socially and economically empower local communities. Today, we employ 200 staff across 16 countries, with key offices in Paris (HQ) and Toronto.

www.pur.co

Industry Description

PUR operates within the dynamic and rapidly evolving sector of environmental consultancy services and nature-based solutions (NbS) markets. The NbS market has recently gained traction as society recognizes the invaluable services provided by nature and the need to preserve, restore and harness these services to mitigate and adapt to environmental challenges. To be considered a nature-based solution, projects must address real societal challenges and offer strong environmental, economic and social benefits for local communities.

Market KPIs:

• If combined with deep decarbonisation efforts, NbS projects could provide up to 30% of the mitigation needed to limit global warming to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels by 2030 (World Economic Forum, 2023)

• NbS project credits make up the largest volumes of carbon credits available in the VCM (voluntary carbon markets ) with $9bn invested between 2020 and 2022 (Sylvera, 2023)

• 5,307 companies have set science-based targets - a 4.2x increase since 2022 – and a significant driver of demand within the NbS and VCM markets (SBTi, 2024)

PUR is recruiting a seasoned Key Account Manager with experience in sustainability Programs to develop the programs and relationships with our strategic customers in Africa, mostly in Ivory Coast.

The goal of this high level position is to ensure a successful roll-out and impact of our programs strategy in West and East Africa, working closely with the Regional Manager and the Global Commercial team.

To succeed in this role you need to possess a deep understanding of local and regional contexts, including supply chains, ecosystems, and relevant interventions; and ensure strong ownership to master our contractual commitments in the Region.

You will be accountable for 3 key objectives :

• Expand our relationship at Regional level with your accounts, building trust and confidence to develop long-term partnership while influencing the overall customer strategy in collaboration with the Country Operations and Global Commercial team.

• Ensure excellence and impact of our Programs with robust operational coordination with our regional and central teams.

• Identifying local cross sell and upsell opportunities across existing portfolios.

As a Key Account Manager, you will work directly under the Lead FLAG (focused in supply chain linked project).

Your key responsibilities will include:

Manage customer relationship at Regional level:

• Be identified as the Key contact at Regional level, build trust and reinforce partnership with field based clients;

• Understand the customer needs, constraints, sourcing strategy at local level;

• Contribute to the Global Account strategy by providing insights from the ground;

• Understand local context, attend strategic meetings with key stakeholders to provide insights and influence the program strategy.

Ensure contractual commitments, profitability, and contribute to adaptive management:

• Deliver our contractual commitments at local level (supporting reporting, providing customers insights to/from the field) and ensure efficiency and alignment across clients;

• Activate adaptive management at local level: renegotiating roadmap, pricing, changes in strategy, etc. in collaboration with operations and global programs teams;

• Identify profitability issues and recommend corrective action plan in coordination with the global commercial team;

• Ensure all internal tools are updated on an ongoing basis.

Develop Upsell / Cross Sell opportunities for the account:

• Identify local cross sell and upsell opportunities with the account

• Contribute to the Feasibility Study by providing clients and local supply chain insights

• To a lesser extent, this role can support the global Business Development strategy and qualify opportunities at regional level when relevant for the account strategy (synergies at landscape level).

Team Management:

• Management of one junior Account Manager;

• Transversal interactions with the Operations and the Central Commercial Team based in Paris and Toronto.

We are looking for a candidate with:

• A minimum of 10 years of experience as a Key Account Manager, including with large accounts and ; expertise in long (and complex) sales cycles and sustainability programs;

• Experience working in sub-Saharan Africa and deep understanding of local culture;

• Ability to build long-term partnership, build trust to represent PUR at local level and influence the local ecosystem;

• Experience in restoration projects, climate initiatives, agroforestry, and social and environmental policy, as well as corporate social responsibility, is highly valued. (Nature Based Solution)

• Experience in management and working in a cross functional way with an international team

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, able to interact with local Operations and central decision makers;

• Able to draw recommendations through data driven insights and support arbitration points;

• Capacity to manage long term and complex projects with robust leadership skills and positive collaboration with internal stakeholders;

• Experience in Negotiations to reorient scopes and budgets;

• Understand legal and financial risks for the company to be able to defend PUR’s interest;

• Understand PUR’s business offer and environmental interventions at regional level, the Industry frameworks and local carbon regulation;

• Must be fluent in both English and French.

Recruitment process :

1. HR Interview

2. Case study with the manager

3. Interview with Regional Manager + Reference check

4. Interview with CCO and CEO