Technical Services Manager - Animal Nutrition

Technical Services Manager – Animal Nutrition (East Africa)

Purpose of the Role

The Technical Services Manager – Animal Nutrition (East Africa) will provide technical leadership and expertise across feed additives, premixes, concentrates, complete feeds, and specialty nutritional solutions for the livestock production industry. The role supports multiple species, including poultry, swine, ruminants, and aquaculture.

Working closely with customers and internal stakeholders, the incumbent will drive technical excellence, product performance, customer success, and business growth through technical support, product development, field services, training, innovation, and commercial collaboration. The role will partner with regional commercial and technical teams to deliver innovative, compliant, and high-performing nutrition solutions across East Africa and other international markets.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Technical Support

• Serve as the primary technical contact for customers across B2B and B2F market segments.
• Identify customer challenges and opportunities, leveraging the company's products, services, and technical expertise to deliver effective solutions.
• Conduct farm, feed mill, and production audits to assess operational efficiency, nutritional performance, and management practices.
• Evaluate feed formulation strategies, production performance metrics, and animal health indicators to identify areas for improvement.
• Provide technical recommendations, troubleshooting support, and practical solutions to optimize productivity and profitability.
• Deliver technical training programs and workshops for customers, distributors, consultants, and internal teams.
• Support customers through on-farm visits and technical service activities to enhance animal health, welfare, nutrition, and production outcomes.

Business Development & Commercial Support

• Partner with commercial teams to support business growth through technical engagement and customer relationship development.
• Present and position feed additives, premixes, concentrates, specialty products, and complete feed solutions to customers and industry stakeholders.
• Support the design, execution, and evaluation of product trials and validation studies.
• Provide technical guidance on premix formulation, product optimization, and application strategies.
• Investigate and resolve technical challenges encountered by customers, contributing to long-term customer retention and satisfaction.
• Translate technical benefits into practical and commercially relevant customer solutions.

Innovation & Product Development

• Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and market developments within the animal nutrition sector.
• Collaborate with R&D, formulation, quality, marketing, and sales teams to identify opportunities for product innovation and portfolio enhancement.
• Participate in the development and evaluation of new products, formulations, and nutritional solutions.
• Lead or support field trials, technical demonstrations, and research initiatives.
• Conduct competitor assessments and market analyses to identify gaps and opportunities.
• Contribute to the development of technical content, training materials, and customer-facing resources.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with regional and global technical teams to ensure alignment on product positioning, technical messaging, and customer support strategies.
• Support quality assurance and regulatory compliance initiatives.
• Contribute technical expertise to internal projects, product launches, and strategic growth initiatives.
• Foster strong collaboration across technical, commercial, operations, and supply chain teams.

Candidate Profile

Education

• Master's Degree in Animal Nutrition, Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Science, or a related discipline.
• A PhD qualification would be considered advantageous.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience within animal nutrition, technical services, livestock production, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with customers in a technical advisory or field service capacity.
• Experience in feed manufacturing, premix production, feed formulation, or nutritional consulting is highly desirable.
• Multi-species experience across poultry, ruminants, swine, and/or aquaculture is preferred.

Technical Knowledge

• Advanced understanding of animal nutrition and health.
• Strong feed formulation and feed ingredient knowledge.
• Livestock production systems and farm management expertise.
• Technical service delivery and product application.
• Feed additive, premix, and specialty nutrition solutions.
• Raw material evaluation, quality management, and regulatory compliance.
• Research methodologies, field trials, and innovation processes.
• Commercial and market awareness within the animal nutrition industry.

Key Competencies

• Commercial Acumen & Problem Solving – Ability to identify customer needs, develop practical solutions, and create business opportunities through technical expertise.
• Ownership & Accountability – Highly self-motivated professional capable of managing priorities independently and delivering results in a dynamic environment.
• Communication & Influencing Skills – Ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences, from farm personnel to senior management.
• Customer Focus – Demonstrates a strong commitment to customer success through responsiveness, partnership, and value-added support.
• Team Collaboration – Thrives in high-performance environments and contributes positively to cross-functional teamwork and continuous improvement.
• Cross-Cultural Agility – Builds trust and develops effective relationships across diverse cultures and international business environments.