About the Company - Emirates Bustanica is one of the world's largest indoor vertical farms, located in Dubai, UAE. Using advanced hydroponic and aeroponic technologies, it grows crops like lettuce, spinach, and kale without soil, reducing water usage by 90% compared to traditional farming. The farm uses AI to optimize growing conditions, and it produces up to 1 million kg of fresh greens annually. As part of Emirates Crop One, Bustanica promotes sustainable agriculture and food security in the Middle East, helping reduce reliance on imports and showcasing innovative farming practices to the public.
About the Role - We are now looking for a General Manager to lead on the strategic and commercial operations of Emirates Bustanica. The role requires driving business growth across HORECA and retail segments, building strong partnerships, and ensuring operational excellence while fostering a culture of sustainability and innovation within the organization. You should be able to set a clear path towards growing revenues and capturing market share of leafy greens and other markets that Bustanica operates in.
Responsibilities
- Team Leadership: Lead a diverse team across multiple areas (precision farming, logistics, plant science, marketing, sales, etc.) to plan and execute annual goals while proactively addressing immediate challenges.
- Performance & Development: Provide clear objectives and targeted development plans to enhance team performance, foster talent growth, and align with Emirates Bustanica's values and conduct.
- Strategic Expansion: Identify and execute strategic partnerships to accelerate business growth and explore new opportunities for both new and existing business expansion.
- Marketing Strategy: Implement a marketing strategy to enhance Emirates Bustanica's brand, market position, and sales in the HORECA and retail segments, driving strong customer engagement.
- Pricing & Negotiation: Develop and execute pricing and negotiation strategies to drive revenue, profitability, and long-term business growth.
- Collaboration & Compliance: Work with internal stakeholders (Legal, Finance, HR, IT) to evaluate and finalize contracts, ensuring compliance with SLAs, organizational integrity, and governance principles.
- Online Sales Optimization: Develop strategies to optimize online sales channels, enhance customer experience, and expand market reach, resulting in increased revenue and market share.
- Market Insights & Product Strategy: Analyze market trends and competitors to ensure the facility delivers the right products at the right time, optimizing operations.
- Customer Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, ensuring consistent alignment with SLAs and SOPs, and driving exceptional customer satisfaction.
- Commercial Strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive commercial strategy to meet growth targets in the HORECA and retail produce segments, optimizing profitability and market position.
- Revenue & Value Capture: Continuously explore new areas for revenue generation and value capture to ensure sustained business growth.
Qualifications - Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent professional experience.
Preferred Skills
- Leadership Experience: 9+ years in leadership roles with a focus on brand-based product portfolios targeting quality-conscious customers.
- Sales Expertise: Strong strategic approach with a sales focus in the Dubai retail and FMCG markets.
- Food Service Market Knowledge: Preferably experienced in the local/regional food service industry.
- Team Leadership: Proven ability to lead and inspire teams to drive business results and market growth.
- Customer Engagement: Extensive experience in negotiating contracts and building long-term relationships with both local and international customers.
- Technology Implementation: Skilled in adopting and managing technology solutions to optimize operations and improve efficiency across the value chain.
- Market Awareness: Understanding of market trends, particularly related to ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance), with the ability to track and report against targets.
- Industry Knowledge: Familiarity with controlled environment agriculture is a plus, with an ability to understand and manage engineering and horticultural concepts.
