At Syngenta Crop Protection, we're pioneering solutions that safeguard global food security while championing sustainable agriculture. As a world market leader headquartered in Switzerland, we empower farmers with innovative crop protection technologies that defend against nature's toughest challenges. We unite advanced science with digital solutions to develop intelligent crop protection that maximizes yields while minimizing environmental impact. Join our mission of revolutionizing plant protection from seed to harvest.

Job Description

ROLE OVERVIEW

We're seeking a seasoned Public Affairs and Sustainability Manager professional to shape and support the freedom to operate (FTO) and sustainability strategy for the overall Syngenta South Africa legal entity to enable current and future business operations in accordance with the regulator’s requirements and societal expectations. The main objectives of the role are:

Shape and support the freedom to operate (FTO) and the sustainability strategy for the overall Syngenta South Africa legal entity to enable current and future business operations in accordance with the regulator’s requirements and societal expectations.
Collaborate with all the key stakeholders to drive a culture of sustainable and responsible business activities
Build and manage sustainable relationships with all relevant government institutions, key industry players and partners
Act as a custodian for all public affairs, stakeholder management and advocacy related matters.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Public affairs

Identify key stakeholders, understand their priorities, and develop a strategic plan for engagement
Monitor political and economic developments, identify trends with implications to the business and engage with and build coalitions with stakeholders.
Develop and implement/supervise a Public Affairs strategy in support of FTO and Sustainability plans for the BA, such as food and value chain partnerships, Regulatory Data Protection, MRL/IT strategy, product approvals, counterfeit and illicit product and the business impact of the geopolitical environment.
Align the Public Affairs strategy with local Country and BA LTs, determine local governance processes and required collaboration processes with BA Teams.
Advise Country and Business Area Leadership Teams (BALT) on business implications of any changes in government policies.
Advocate on local policy initiatives and implementation of country policies in collaboration with Syngenta’s industry associations, the BA Directors and the AME Sustainability Head.
Deliver pro-active reputation management through developing thought leadership platforms, regular formal and informal stakeholder engagement, effective use of multiple media channels, corporate engagements, and Publications.
Represent Syngenta externally, be the face of the company to external stakeholders and present Syngenta’s position to government to safeguard business interests.
Set up transparent and measurable KPIs and assess the business impact of Public Affairs efforts.
Develop processes and internal governance for Public Affairs issue management and Policy/media monitoring in the BA

Sustainability

Develop and implement/supervise a Sustainability Strategy for the BA, considering Global, Regional and Commercial Unit (CU) priorities, local stakeholder expectations, local policy initiatives and local business strategies.
Align the Sustainability strategy with local Country and BA LTs, determine local governance processes and required collaboration processes with BA Teams.
Develop strategic partnerships and oversee effective community engagement across the BA, with targeted progressive NGOs and value chain players, including the farmers and the food companies.
Ensure that there is an effective and well-functioning horizon scanning and crisis management system in place across the BA and report escalation if necessary.
Support BA in leveraging their sustainability projects by amplifying the success externally, with the ambition to support company reputation and LTO agenda.
Collaborate with the relevant functions to create and drive BBBEE strategy in line with the local legislation (incl Employment Equity Act) and ensure delivery of agreed targets across the legal entity

Qualifications

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & CAPABILITIES

Critical qualification & experience

Bachelor’s degree in Communication, Political Science, or equivalent qualification
8 years of experience in crop protection or parallel industry
Proven senior leadership experience
Proven experience of successfully managing cross functional collaborations and understanding of the challenges in/from the “real” market place
Track record of successfully managing broad, complex projects, change projects and/or business processes
Proven ability to deal with complex issues and develop effective strategies and solutions for managing them.
Experience working with external collaborators, country teams and regional / global stakeholders.

Critical skills & knowledge

Good understanding of the local political, social, and cultural complexity and diversity .
Ability to implement commercially relevant sustainability and Public Affairs strategy
A mature and motivated professional with a high EQ and ‘sense making’ capability, together with strong decision-making and influencing skills
A high level of presence and personal credibility, with the authority to build respect and trust at all levels of a company
Confident and collaborative. Comfortable “rolling up the sleeves” with a “can do” approach
Resilient and resourceful, able to think creatively in order to achieve objectives
A strong passion for building and sustaining positive relationships with key internal and external stakeholders
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and strong analytical and creative problem-solving capability
Demonstrate drive and lead the mindset change to bring sustainability on the agenda on different platforms
Leadership and teamwork in a multicultural, matrix environment.

Critical functional competencies

Government Relations
Stakeholder Management
Agriculture industry and market dynamics
Commercial inclination
Strong leadership capabilities

Other behaviours critical for the role

A collaborative and empowering leadership style
Culture of learning, customer satisfaction and high performance
High level of discretion and integrity to handle confidential material sensitively
Alignment with Syngenta’s leadership culture (Curious, Collaborative, Courgeous & Accountable)

Key stakeholders

Regional Corporate & Sustainability Team
Grain SA
CropLife South Africa
The Registrar
Agriculture South Africa (AgriSA)
Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz)
Potato SA

Additional Information

Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) commitment

“Embracing diversity and inclusion makes Syngenta Group a better workplace where people feel they belong and can be the best version of themselves, building a lasting organization for generations to come. Together we unlock our collaboration and innovation potential to shape the future of agriculture and build a more equitable and sustainable world for all.” COME AS YOU ARE. Here #Every1counts

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