Territory Manager, Farmer & Industry Relations

Dairy MAX•Fort Worth, TX

4d•Remote

About The Position

The Territory Manager, Farmer & Industry Relations is responsible for establishing, maintaining and growing business relationships with dairy farmers, industry representatives, and key organizations within the assigned Dairy MAX region. This role plays a critical part in ensuring continued engagement and support for dairy promotion, education, and research initiatives at the local, regional, and national level. The Territory Manager, Farmer & Industry Relations serves as a trusted connector between dairy farmers and the dairy checkoff, communicating the value, impact, and outcomes of initiatives led by Dairy MAX, Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), and other national dairy organizations.

Requirements

Background in agricultural marketing, communication and/or sales.
Experience managing stakeholder relationships or partnerships.
Experience planning and executing events.
Experience leading projects or initiatives.
Experience presenting to groups and facilitating meetings.
Knowledge of Agricultural Policy and Industry Trends
Ability to embody the Dairy MAX Mission, Vision, and Values and act with authenticity to cultivate a culture of integrity, inclusion, and mutual respect.
Ability to deliver verbal and written information in a clear, concise manner to ensure comprehension and achieve desired results.
Able to interpret and demonstrate excellent attention to detail
Ability to shift attention between multiple activities and competing demands, and to manipulate the order of tasks by importance.
Able to work independently with minimal supervision.
Bachelor's degree
Minimum of 4 years of experience in dairy or agriculture communications
Minimum of 1 year administrative experience
Travel is expected to not exceed 60% of time depending upon event schedule while throughout the assigned multi-state territory.

Nice To Haves

Ability to communicate complex concepts in a clear and compelling manner and connect farmers to the impact of dairy checkoff investments.
Ability to build, maintain, and strengthen relationships with diverse stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple projects, events, and priorities simultaneously while delivering quality outcomes.
Ability to address differing perspectives and difficult conversations with professionalism and respect.
Ability to represent Dairy MAX professionally in a variety of farmer, industry, and public settings.
Ability to connect programs, partnerships, initiatives, and industry issues into a broader strategic narrative.
Ability to thrive in a changing environment and help others navigate change.

Responsibilities

Develop business relationships with area dairy farmers, dairy industry representatives, co-op field reps and community leaders representing dairy interests.
Utilize a sales-minded approach to effectively communicate the value of Dairy MAX check-off programs and how they drive demand for dairy farmers and industry leaders.
Build and manage relationships with strategic partners, cooperatives, universities, industry organizations and community stakeholders to help amplify our impact and value for our dairy farmers.
Navigate difficult conversations and differing viewpoints with professionalism and composure.
Develop and execute a territory engagement strategy that leverages one-to-one, one-to-few, and one-to-many interactions, with a primary focus on scalable engagement opportunities (one-to-many or one-to-few) that strengthen farmer connections, foster dialogue, and effectively communicate the value of dairy checkoff investments.
Develop and maintain strategic partnerships that advance Dairy MAX priorities, adds value to our dairy farmers and helps us amplify impact.
Identify opportunities to collaborate with universities, industry organizations, agriculture partners, and community leaders, especially around next generation ag leadership.
Represent Dairy MAX at industry meetings, conferences and stakeholder engagements (ex. Cooperative meetings).
Foster collaboration among farmers, partners, and Dairy MAX teams.
Work with the Director and the Farmer Relations team to develop and implement effective programming in assigned territory related to regional (Dairy MAX) and national (DMI) dairy check-off.
Lead select territory-based projects and initiatives.
Manage project timelines, budgets, stakeholders, partners and KPI outcomes.
Proactively identify and leverage opportunities to advance Dairy MAX programs, partnerships, and initiatives that drive value for dairy farmers.
Collaborate with internal subject matter experts (SME’s) to connect farmers with relevant resources and information.
Lead and support strategic farmer and agriculture industry events that advance Dairy MAX priorities, strengthen dairy farmer relationships and awareness of dairy checkoff.
Maintain accurate territory plans, stakeholder records, engagement activities, and event outcomes.
Report farmer insights, stakeholder feedback, opportunities, risks, and emerging trends.
Track progress against territory goals and organizational priorities.
Utilize organizational systems (business cases, tactic charters, etc.) and tools (HubSpot, Monday.com) to document activities and support data-driven decision making.
Increase industry awareness and knowledge through trainings and other educational activities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and engaging with professional organizations.
Collaborate with other departments within Dairy MAX to support and accomplish our strategic objectives and foster a culture of trust.