FC Commercial Unit Head

Syngenta Seeds is one of the world’s largest developers and producers of seed for farmers, commercial growers, retailers and small seed companies. Syngenta seeds improve the quality and yields of crops. High-quality seeds ensure better and more productive crops, which is why farmers invest in them. Advanced seeds help mitigate risks such as disease and drought and allow farmers to grow food using less land, less water and fewer inputs.

Syngenta Seeds brings farmers more vigorous, stronger, resistant plants, including innovative hybrid varieties and biotech crops that can thrive even in challenging growing conditions.

Syngenta Seeds is headquartered in the United States.

Job Description

The Commercial Unit Head - Field Crops (Seeds Business) provides overall strategic and commercial leadership for the Syngenta Philippines Field Crop Seeds business. Accountable for annual P&L delivery, long-term growth, and people development, the role operates in full compliance with Philippine regulatory and business standards.

• Business Leadership: Lead and drive the entire PH Field Crop Seeds team in executing the Philippines Seeds strategy, targeting annual P&L budget delivery and sustainable long-term growth.
• Strategic Planning: Chair the PH Field Crop Leadership Team (FCLT) in developing mid-to-long-term business plans covering Product Strategy, Go-to-Market (GTM), and People & Organizational Strategy.
• P&L Accountability: Ensure annual Sales and bottom-line budget targets are met or exceeded through effective risk management, channel execution, and expense control aligned with DOA/LOA.
• Supply & Operations: Collaborate with the Seeds Operations team to build a local production expansion strategy aimed at COGP optimization and supply self-sufficiency within the Philippine context.
• People & Talent: Lead, coach, and develop the PH FC Seeds leadership team; drive talent retention, succession planning, and career development programs aligned with Syngenta One Syngenta Talent Framework.
• Compliance & Ethics: Ensure full compliance with Philippine laws (Seeds Act of 1992, NSIC regulations, Plant Variety Protection Act, DOLE labor standards, BIR, SEC) and Syngenta global Code of Conduct.
• Stakeholder Management: Own strategic partnerships with key customers (distributors, dealers, retailers, cooperatives), government agencies (DA-BPRE, NSIC, PhilRice, PhilMaize), and research institutions (CLSU, UPLB, DA-PhilRice).
• Innovation & Improvement: Promote a culture of innovation and regularly improve commercial processes, digital tools, and systems to strengthen competitive position in the Philippine seeds market.

Key Accountabilities:

• Strategic Direction: Lead the PH FCLT in working with the Regional FCLT and Country Leadership Team (CLT) to co-create strategy with detailed action plans for short-term delivery and long-term growth.
• Business Reviews: Chair FCLT forums, Monthly Business Reviews (MBR), Demand Reviews, and S&OP meetings to assess performance, identify risks, and capture market opportunities across key PH regions (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao).
• Financial Management: Monitor and manage function expenses within budget, in full compliance with DOA/LOA and Philippine government financial reporting requirements; coordinate with the Seeds Finance Business Partner.
• Production & Supply: Guide the Seeds P&S (Field Operations) team in developing a grower network strategy, expanding local seed production, and managing production costs efficiently across key growing provinces.
• Team Coaching:  Directly manage and coach the Commercial Business Head, Brand & Marketing Head, Commercial Excellence, Business Intelligence and Agronomy Head to build clear execution plans and achieve annual targets.
• Talent Development: Lead talent retention and succession planning discussions within FCLT forums, building a strong people pipeline that reflects diversity, equity, and inclusion principles aligned with Philippine labor norms.
• Culture & Safety: Model and embed Syngenta values, safety standards, and ethical behavior across the FC Seeds organization; ensure compliance with DOLE OSH standards and Syngenta Life-Saving Rules.
• Process Excellence: Regularly review and improve commercial processes, digital systems, and reporting tools; promote an innovation mindset at every level of the organization.
• Partnerships: Build and manage strategic partnerships with distributors, cooperatives, government agencies (DA-BPRE, PhilMaize, NSIC), and academic institutions to maximize Syngenta value for all stakeholders.

Qualifications

Critical Success Factors and Key Challenges:

• Proven Strategic Thinking: Translate market insights into clear, executable strategies with measurable outcomes relevant to Philippine agriculture dynamics.
• Financial Acumen: Strong competency in P&L management, financial analysis, budgeting, and forecasting within a Filipino business environment.
• Stakeholder Communication: Communicate effectively at all levels - from field-level farmers and dealer networks to regional and global leadership - in both English and Filipino.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Manage matrix organizations across Sales, Marketing, Agronomy, Operations, and Finance, both locally and regionally.
• Regulatory Awareness: Deep understanding of Philippine agricultural regulations, seed certification processes, and government partnership protocols (DA, NSIC, PhilRice).
• People Leadership: Build high-performing, inclusive teams; experienced in managing diverse teams across multiple provinces and functions.
• Market Knowledge: Deep understanding of the Philippine seeds market - rice, corn, and other field crops - including the unique dynamics of the smallholder farming sector.

Knowledge, Experience and Capabilities:

Critical Knowledge

• Deep understanding of Philippine agricultural business, including rice, corn, and field crop value chains.
• Strong knowledge of Syngenta's Seeds portfolio and competitive landscape in the Philippine market.
• Knowledge of GTM strategies relevant to Philippine smallholder and commercial farming segments.
• Understanding of channel partner dynamics - distributors, dealers, retailers, and cooperatives - in the Philippine context.
• Familiarity with Philippine government agricultural programs (PhilMaize, DA-BPRE, NSIC, PCIC) and relevant regulations.
• Understanding of people management aligned with DOLE labor standards, company HR policies, and Philippine labor law.

Critical Experience

• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Agronomy, Agricultural Economics, or a closely related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in agricultural business management, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven track record in P&L management and commercial delivery within the Philippine or Southeast Asian agricultural sector.
• Demonstrated experience in building and leading high-performing, multi-functional teams across multiple Philippine regions.
• Experience working with Philippine government agencies and regulatory bodies in the agriculture sector.
• Exposure to Syngenta or multinational agribusiness environments is a strong advantage.

Critical Capabilities

• Strategic Direction-Setting: Develop and communicate a clear, long-term commercial vision for the PH FC Seeds business.
• Results-Driven Execution: Consistent delivery of financial and commercial targets in a dynamic agricultural market.
• Leadership & People Development: Skilled in motivating, coaching, giving feedback, and developing talent at all levels.
• Influence & Stakeholder Management: Ability to influence across functions, country, regional, and global leadership levels.
• Analytical & Decision-Making: Data-driven approach to market analysis, sales forecasting, and risk management.
• Communication Proficiency: Fluent in English and Filipino (Tagalog); proficiency in regional dialects is an advantage.
• Digital & Technology Savvy: Comfortable using SAP, CRM, and digital marketing tools to drive commercial decisions.

Additional Information

In Syngenta we recognize that diversity and inclusion is important to our business. We embrace the unique perspective and capabilities of our employees, which will help us continue to drive innovation and achieve our business goals. Our culture enables us to create an environment of involvement, respect and connection with the communities where we operate - benefitting individual employees and the company.