Business Development Manager, Agronomy Sales

The Opportunity

Our client, a pioneering biotechnology company based at Western Research Parks in London, Ontario, is hiring an experienced Business Development Manager – Retail & Distribution to lead the growth of our retail, wholesale, e-commerce and distribution business across North America.

The successful candidate will take ownership of our registered product portfolio in the US, CA, UK, and EU - including Rootmax, Tricho Pro, Super Microbes and Universal Microbes - and build a scalable commercial platform covering:

• Direct online sales

• Amazon and other online marketplaces

• Independent garden centres and nurseries

• Agricultural and horticultural retailers

• Wholesale and distributor partnerships

• Commercial customer accounts

• Business-to-business sales through our Partner Portal

This is a senior, hands-on commercial leadership role for someone who has previously built and grown a retail or distribution business, developed reseller networks, managed digital sales channels and created systems for repeatable revenue growth.

Employment Type: Permanent Full-Time

Location: London, Ontario (onsite)

What You'll Do

• 1. Retail and Distribution Strategy

• Develop and execute the overall retail, wholesale and distribution strategy for the company.

• Build a multi-channel commercial plan covering e-commerce, Amazon, direct retail, wholesale, distributors and commercial accounts.

• Identify priority markets, customer segments, product categories and geographic regions.

• Establish annual revenue, margin, account acquisition and distribution targets.

• Develop a clear market-entry strategy for garden centres, nurseries and agricultural retailers.

• 2. Offline Distribution Development

• Build a network of retailers, distributors, wholesalers and commercial resellers.

• Develop relationships with independent garden centres, nursery groups, hydroponic retailers, farm stores and horticultural suppliers.

• Negotiate commercial terms, pricing, margins, minimum order quantities and promotional programs.

• Create retailer onboarding, merchandising and sales-support programs.

• Develop regional and national distribution partnerships.

• Build a sales pipeline for case-quantity and pallet-quantity customers.

• Travel across Canada and the United States, and occasionally internationally, to meet with retailers, distributors and commercial partners, attend trade shows and support market development activities.

• 3. eCommerce and Digital Growth

• Lead the continued growth of Amazon and direct-to-consumer business.

• Improve product visibility, conversion rates, advertising performance and customer retention.

• Develop strategies for the company website, online marketplaces and digital sales campaigns.

• Coordinate search advertising, social media, email marketing, content marketing and marketplace promotions.

• Use customer and sales data to improve targeting, product positioning and marketing return on investment.

• Ensure consistency between online pricing, retail pricing and distributor pricing.

• 4. Partner Portal and B2B Customer Acquisition

• Lead the commercial development of US Partner Portal.

• Build campaigns to attract commercial growers, landscapers, retailers, resellers and agricultural businesses.

• Develop a structured process for business-account registration, qualification, onboarding and conversion.

• Create wholesale pricing tiers for case, pallet and recurring-volume customers.

• Establish account-development programs to increase repeat orders and customer lifetime value.

• Coordinate with the operations team to ensure accurate inventory, fulfilment and customer support.

• 5. Sales and CRM Leadership

• Implement and manage a structured CRM system for retail, wholesale and commercial accounts.

• Build sales funnels, account stages, follow-up processes and performance dashboards.

• Track leads, conversion rates, average order values, repeat purchases and account activity.

• Develop sales forecasts and monthly business reviews.

• Recruit, train and manage sales, customer service, digital marketing and channel-development personnel as the business grows.

• Establish clear targets, incentives and accountability across the commercial team.

• 6. Product and Market Development

• Develop channel-specific positioning for biological products.

• Work with the technical and regulatory teams to ensure product claims, labels and marketing materials remain compliant.

• Recommend pack sizes, bundles, pricing and promotional programs for different customer segments.

• Gather feedback from retailers, distributors and end users to guide product development.

• Identify opportunities for new products, private-label programs and channel partnerships.

• Develop educational materials that help retailers and customers understand microbial and biological products.

• 7. Commercial and Financial Management

• Take ownership of revenue growth, gross margins and commercial operating expenses for the division.

• Prepare annual business plans, budgets and forecasts.

• Evaluate channel profitability and customer acquisition costs.

• Develop pricing structures that protect margins while remaining attractive to retailers and distributors.

• Manage promotional spending, retailer incentives and digital marketing budgets.

• Provide regular reporting to the CEO and leadership team.

Requirements

• What You'll Bring

• 7+ years of experience in retail, wholesale, distribution, e-commerce or commercial sales leadership.

• Experience in one or more of the following sectors: Lawn and garden, Horticulture, Agricultural inputs, Fertilizers and soil amendments, Biological products, Plant nutrition, Hydroponics, Home-growing products, Nursery or garden-centre distribution, etc.

• Demonstrated experience building or significantly expanding a retail or distribution network.

• Strong knowledge of digital marketing, online marketplaces, CRM systems and sales management.

• Experience working with physical retailers, distributors, wholesalers or reseller networks.

• A proven record of delivering revenue growth and developing new commercial channels.

• Experience managing Amazon or other major e-commerce marketplaces.

• Strong commercial negotiation, pricing and account-management skills.

• Experience developing and managing sales teams.

• Strong understanding of inventory, fulfilment, retail margins and channel economics.

• Ability to operate strategically while remaining directly involved in execution.

• Willingness and ability to travel regularly for business across Canada, with occasional international travel, as required.

Benefits

• Opportunity to be part of the founding members of a fast-growing team in a promising industry.

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage.

• Mental health and wellness support programs.

• Virtual healthcare access.

• Travel emergency medical coverage.

• Life and accident insurance protection.

• At Talencore, we stand against racism and discriminatory practices. We stand against violence.

• We proudly support and partner with organizations that lift people up so everyone can succeed and thrive, and honour our candidates' experiences, perspectives and unique identity.

• We are committed to continuing to make diversity, equity, and inclusion part of everything we do – from how we work with our talented candidates to how we support our clients in building their diverse workforce.