Agri Serbia General Manager

Job Location: ​Aleksa Šantić, Serbia​

Company description

Ferrero is a family-owned company with a truly progressive and global outlook and iconic brands such as Nutella®, Tic Tac®, Ferrero Rocher®, Raffaello®, Kinder Bueno® and Kinder Surprise®. As the love for our brands continues to grow, so too does our global reach. Represented in more than 50 countries, with products sold in more than 170, the Ferrero Group is loved by generations around the world. The secret to our global success? 38,767  dedicated employees who celebrate care and quality to craft a business, careers and brands we are proud of. Join us, and you could be one of them.

Diversity Statement

Ferrero is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at Ferrero. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.

About the Role:

Created in 2015, Ferrero Hazelnut Company, a division of the Ferrero Group, brings all of Ferrero’s hazelnut activities together under one structure to drive quality and innovation. For our Agri Serbia entity, you’ll drive the business as General Manager leading all the functions under your responsibility to achieve performance objectives according to the Central Guidelines. You’ll be the main interface for the Hazelnut Company department in Serbia reporting to the Head of Agri Business Development for all corporate topics and local strategies.

Who we are looking for:

PROFILE:
•    Master Degree’s or equivalent;
•    Proven experience as a General Manager or equivalent executive role in agricultural business or similar development experience;
•    Experience in managing people, ensuring a management system based on Group values, motivation, diversity & inclusion, competence development and empowerment;
•    Be able to promote the proper communication and cascading through the line managers to the teams; 

 

IT SKILLS:
•    Good skills in MS-Office applications.

 

LANGUAGES:
•    Fluent Serbian will be considered as a plus;
•    Strong verbal/written communication skills in English.

 

Main Responsibilities:

In addition to the responsibilities and tasks assigned by the statutory and legal provisions, the General Manager must ensure adequate control of the following components:

  • Budgeting and cost management
  • Compliance with Serbian regulatory framework and Ferrero Policies
  • Business development, specifically outgrowing
  • Farm management

 

Budgeting and cost management:
In close coordination with the CFO, the DG ensures efficient budget management, through:

  • Preparation of work plans and annual budgets: review and finalization of the sector budgets prepared by the various line managers of the Company. Prepare PS budgets and forecasts;
  • Ensure tight control over activities and budget execution;
  • Implement periodic cost analyzes on different operations in order to identify possible improvements in efficiency and cost savings;
  • Keep budget implementation (SAF) up to date;
  • In close coordination with CFO, ensure timely and efficient implementation of SAP-ECC;
  • Procurement (No Hazelnut): As Procurement Manager, supervises the activities of the Procurement Officer in (i) preparing annual procurement plans, (ii) implementing procurement procedures in line with the central guidelines and in according to plan plus maintaining strict cost and schedule control; (iii) implement periodic and ad hoc market surveys to monitor the price trend of AgriSerbia's main supplies and services.

 

Compliance:
Keeping the overall responsability on:

  • H&S: with the support of the Human Resources Manager and the H&S Officer, carry out periodic assessments of possible risks/non-compliances, implement the H&S procedures and strengthen their application by company personnel
  • GRC: With support from HCo's CFO and Head of GRC, ensure regular GRC reviews
  • Ensure full compliance with the Serbian regulatory framework
  • Review and update, if necessary, the AgriSerbia procedural framework
  • Work closely with external legal counsel and HCo's legal counsel to ensure compliance and full control of all legal matters, including contractual provisions

 

Business development:
The GM will focus on the development of outgrowing, in Serbia and neighboring Balkan countries according to the  hazelnut development strategies of HCo

  • Supervise Outgrowing Manager on definition and implementation of hazelnut development program in Serbia
  • Organize technical support services to farmers in liaison with the Head of Aagronomist and Outgrowing Manager
  • Implement, in close coordination with HCo AgriBusiness Manager and IA&CC, PR and communication activities with Serbian institutions and large business operators to promote the hazelnut development program and investments on large hazelnut plantations
  • Actively participate in the definition and implementation of development programs in neighboring Balkan countries
  • Supervise the harvesting campaigns by coordinating all the departments involved (Agronomy, Outgrowing, Technical Support, Finance, ..) ensuring efficient management of the entire supply chain, promoting quality and traceability.

 

Farm and Nursery management (owngrowing):
The GM must ensure coordination between the different departments involved in the management of the farm, such as the agronomic, farm operations and technical support, in order to have an efficient management of the farm and the nursery.

That is to say, it must:

  • Review of agronomic management protocols and annual work plans;
  • In close coordination with the ACC of HCo, implement business management tools suitable for ensuring strict monitoring of activities and costs;

How to be successful in the role and at Ferrero:

Consumers, quality and care are at the heart of everything we do. So, to be successful at Ferrero, you’ll need to be just as consumer and product centric as we are - dedicated to crafting brilliant results for consumers around the world. 

Contacts

Recruiter: Tanja Stupar

Line Manager: Stefano Gagliasso