VP of Branded Technologies & Biological Solutions

Company: Wilbur-Ellis Company
Location: Denver
Posted on: May 17, 2025

Job Description:

Investing in You, join a 100-year-old, family-owned leader in Ag - and grow with us!Wilbur-Ellis invests heavily in our employees by offering skill development and training, competitive compensation and benefits, and a tradition of promoting from within for a broad range of career opportunities. And we foster a supportive, people-first work environment."We know the confidence gap can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates, so please don't hesitate to apply - we'd love to hear from you."General Purpose and Scope of Position: The Vice President of Branded Technology and Biological Solutions is a pivotal leadership role responsible for steering the strategic direction, development, and commercialization of Wilbur-Ellis Company's branded product portfolio. This encompasses crop protection, actives, adjuvants, Pro Markets products, value-added nutrition products and Biological Solutions. This role leads and manages Research & Development, Branded Territory Managers, Branded Portfolio Managers, Product Label Regulatory Department, Data Technicians, and Formulation Chemists.This is a fully remote role, but as Wilbur-Ellis is headquartered in Denver, CO, we'd prefer candidates local to that area. This role requires up to 50% travel.Key Responsibilities:

• Develop strategy roadmap for Branded Tech Portfolio based on data, alignment to overall company strategy, and in collaboration with business lines. Adjust as customer needs change. Oversee the end-to-end process of product innovation, from ideation through R&D, formulation, testing, and market launch, ensuring timely and cost-effective delivery.
• Manage and optimize the branded product portfolio, including pricing strategies, brand positioning, and lifecycle management, to maximize market share and profitability. Evaluate market trends, grower needs, and emerging technologies to guide product innovation and portfolio expansion. Ensure we have Brand Ladders for critical needs for various customer segments.
• Originate new products to meet customer needs and strategic objectives.
• Cultivate and sustain strategic partnerships with external suppliers and vendors, fostering collaboration and innovation in product development. Communicate Wilbur-Ellis strategy and associated goals to Portfolio Managers and ensure the execution of strategic plans and objectives.
• Direct the facilitation of field trials and data collections captured into database to assure access to the trial data for use in registration, marketing, and sales support.
• Direct the production of trial protocols agreed upon by internal and external partners.
• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Maintain a robust set of processes to manage prioritization and completion of a large portfolio of active projects.
• Oversee the negotiation of legal contracts with technology partners to allow for development work with mutually protected intellectual property.
• Work with Wilbur-Ellis business lines to gain efficiency within the product portfolios and expand the business outside of the Wilbur-Ellis Ag Retail & Wholesale business line.
• Forecast raw goods components with the manufacturing group to optimize seasonal needs of products in the portfolio.Key Qualifications & Skills:
  • Deep understanding of Ag industry crops, technologies, and modern farming practices. Specifically, production agriculture field practices, cropping systems, and technologies, with the ability and understanding to provide soil and plant analysis and crop protection, adjuvant, and plant nutrition recommendations to branch operations.
  • Demonstrated leadership capability to develop and motivate teams while providing clear direction of the overall short- and long-term vision. Minimum education requirements of a bachelor's degree in Agriculture; Master's or Ph.D. in Agronomy, Crop Science, Soil Science, or related field preferred.
  • Strong ability to develop and maintain industry relationships with suppliers and trade associations, as well as negotiation skills.
  • Demonstrates innovative problem-solving abilities, coupled with a flexible and adaptable approach to work. Effectively prioritizes tasks and manages multiple responsibilities simultaneously to meet evolving demands.
  • Ability to support product acquisition integration to immediately capture synergies.
  • Experience in identifying adjuvant, surfactant, and niche product acquisition opportunities.
  • Experience in managing agricultural field research programs with experience in planning, executing, and gathering the desired type of data from trials.
  • Experience managing a P&L.
  • Demonstrated ability to build relationships, work across functional lines, possess superior interpersonal and communication skills, and influence without authority.
  • Strong presentation skills with an ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization.
  • Ability to remain detail-oriented with a wide range of responsibilities.Compensation and Benefits:
    • In addition to salary, this position is eligible for an annual discretionary bonus and vacation, holidays, health, dental, vision, mental health, and retirement plan participation, including an employer contribution of up to 7% into your 401(k). Follow this link for more information regarding Wilbur-Ellis employee benefits:
    • Drug-Free WorkplacePlease note that salary ranges provided for this role on external job boards are salary estimates made by outside parties and may not be accurate.Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:Diversity of people, cultures, opinions, and ideas makes us all stronger. From leadership commitment to employee buy-in, we know that creating an inclusive environment and providing opportunities for all employees to reach their full potential is a shared responsibility.Wilbur-Ellis is a company you can be proud to call your employerWilbur-Ellis markets and distributes agricultural products, animal feed specialty chemicals, and food ingredients. A privately held and consistently profitable company, we employ more than 4,000 people throughout North America and Asia-Pacific.Wilbur-Ellis is for and about peopleWilbur-Ellis has enjoyed over 100 years of success and growth, all thanks to our people. Our employees are both leaders and team players who thrive on creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and a dedication to quality work, our customers, and each other.Wilbur-Ellis invests in the industry's best workforceWilbur-Ellis invests heavily in our employees by offering skill development and training, competitive compensation and benefits, and a tradition of promoting from within for a broad range of career opportunities. And we foster a supportive, people-first work environment.Follow our career social media accounts!Instagram: * TikTok: * Facebook: * LinkedIn:

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