Position: LATAM Commercial Lead
Territory: Brazil – National (Tier 1 Launch: Minas Gerais · São Paulo)
Location: Remote / Brazil – base in Belo Horizonte, Uberlândia, Ribeirão Preto, or São Paulo
Reports to: Head of Sales, Ohalo
The Opportunity
Ohalo is hiring its first in-country commercial leader in Brazil. The Head of Brazil is a senior, highly autonomous role responsible for building Ohalo’s commercial presence in the largest potato market in Latin America from the ground up. This is not a management role inherited from a mature operation — it is a builder’s role: you will define the go-to-market model, land the first anchor grower partnerships, assist in driving regulatory strategy, and lay the foundation for a commercial team that scales with Ohalo’s technology adoption.
Brazil represents a pivotal opportunity for Ohalo’s True Potato Seed (TPS) technology. With ~4.2 million tonnes of annual production across 100,000 hectares, a dominant seed-tuber supply system under structural pressure from disease and cold-chain fragility, and a major processor expansion underway (McCain Foods, BRL 1.8B Araxá plant, H2 2027), the conditions for TPS adoption are uniquely favorable. The person in this role will be Ohalo’s face, voice, and decision-maker in Brazil.
This role is ideal for a commercially sharp, scientifically literate agricultural leader who has operated within Brazil’s agribusiness ecosystem at a senior level, has credibility with large commercial growers and institutional partners, and is energized by the challenge of introducing a genuinely new technology to market.
Market Context
Ohalo’s Tier 1 launch territory covers Minas Gerais (Triângulo Mineiro, Alto Paranaíba, Campo das Vertentes) and São Paulo (Sudoeste Paulista, Itapetininga corridor) — together representing over 55% of national potato production and the heartland of Brazil’s commercial processing supply chain. Key actors in this ecosystem include the Rocheto Group (Brazil’s largest potato operation at ~15,000 ha), McCain’s Araxá processing complex, EMBRAPA Hortaliças (Brazil’s national potato breeding program), and the ABBA (Associação Brasileira da Batata), the industry’s primary professional association.
The Head of Brazil will need to engage all of these players — as commercial targets, regulatory validators, and strategic partners — from Day 1.
Key Responsibilities
Commercial Leadership & GTM Execution
- Own and execute Ohalo’s go-to-market strategy in Brazil, starting with the Tier 1 MG/SP territory and expanding to Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and beyond as the launch scales.
- Lead the recruitment and management of Ohalo’s Founders Farm program in Brazil — identifying, signing, and stewarding the first cohort of pioneer grower partners (Fazendas Pioneiras) whose performance data will anchor the commercial narrative.
- Personally drive and close Ohalo’s anchor commercial partnerships, including large irrigated commercial operations in Triângulo Mineiro and processor-contracted growers in the Araxá / McCain supply chain.
- Build and own the Brazil commercial pipeline: lead generation, qualification, forecasting, and close — carrying a national revenue target.
- Develop and execute channel strategy: identify, negotiate, and manage distributor (revendas agrícolas) and cooperative partnerships that extend Ohalo’s commercial reach beyond the direct sales team.
- Represent Ohalo at the highest level across the Brazilian agribusiness ecosystem — ABBA events, Batata Show, grower associations, processor supply chain conversations, and government forums.
Regulatory Strategy & Institutional Partnerships
- Own Ohalo’s MAPA (Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento) regulatory pathway for TPS variety registration in Brazil — including RNC (Registro Nacional de Cultivares) filing strategy, timeline management, and engagement with Brazil’s seed certification system (SIPE).
- Lead and manage Ohalo’s relationship with EMBRAPA Hortaliças — negotiating and executing a bilateral R&D trial agreement that positions EMBRAPA as a credibility validator for TPS adoption across the Brazilian grower community.
- Build relationships with SENAR, EMATER-MG, CATI-SP, and other public extension networks to support grower education and technology dissemination at scale.
- Monitor the Brazilian regulatory and legislative environment for agricultural biotechnology and seed commercialization, advising Ohalo’s global leadership on risks and opportunities.
- Coordinate with Ohalo’s global regulatory and legal teams to ensure Brazil operations are structured appropriately under Brazilian agricultural, commercial, and labor law.
Team Building & Commercial Operations
- Recruit, onboard, and manage Ohalo’s Brazil commercial team as it scales — initially including Technical Sales Representatives (TSRs) for MG/SP and a Field Development Agronomist, expanding to additional territories in Years 2–3.
- Establish Brazil commercial operating rhythms: territory reviews, pipeline calls, field activity standards, and CRM discipline.
- Partner with Ohalo’s global agronomy and product teams to ensure TPS agronomic protocols are adapted for Brazilian growing conditions across the three annual planting windows (verão, inverno, primavera) in MG and SP.
- Define and track Brazil KPIs: pilot farm count, trial hectares, seed sales volume, grower satisfaction, and regulatory milestone progress.
Market Intelligence & Reporting
- Serve as Ohalo’s primary intelligence source on the Brazilian potato market — variety dynamics (Agata, Asterix, EMBRAPA BRS cultivars), price signals (CEPEA/ESALQ, CONAB), seasonal planting calendars, and competitive activity.
- Report directly to Ohalo’s global commercial leadership with structured market and pipeline updates, including expansion scenario recommendations for Tier 2 territory activation (Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul).
- Translate grower and market feedback into product and agronomy insights for Ohalo’s breeding and commercial teams.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree (M.S., MBA in Agribusiness) is a strong plus.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in Brazilian agribusiness, with at least 3–5 years in a senior commercial, business development, or country leadership role.
- Demonstrated track record of building and executing commercial strategies in Brazil’s agricultural input or seed sector — including personally closing significant partnerships or deals.
- Deep knowledge of Brazil’s potato production ecosystem: key geographies, major growers, processor relationships, variety landscape, and seasonal dynamics.
- Existing senior-level relationships with large commercial potato growers, agro-input distributors, and / or processing companies (McCain, Lamb Weston) in Minas Gerais and São Paulo.
- Experience navigating Brazil’s agricultural regulatory environment (MAPA, seed certification, cultivar registration) or demonstrated ability to lead regulatory processes with institutional partners.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with high tolerance for ambiguity — experience building something new, not just managing an established commercial operation.
- Exceptional interpersonal, negotiation, and communication skills in Portuguese; professional proficiency in English required for collaboration with Ohalo’s global leadership team.
- Willingness to travel extensively within Brazil and internationally (~40–50% travel).
Preferred
- Prior experience with seed technology commercialization, including variety trialing, agronomic demonstration programs, and grower adoption campaigns.
- Established relationships within EMBRAPA Hortaliças, ABBA, or Brazil’s public agricultural extension networks.
- Experience operating in an early-stage or venture-backed agricultural technology company.
- Familiarity with True Potato Seed or other novel seed delivery systems.
- Knowledge of MAPA’s RNC and SIPE systems for cultivar registration and seed certification.
Compensation
This role offers a competitive base salary, performance-based variable compensation tied to commercial and regulatory milestones. Full details will be shared during the interview process.
About Ohalo
Ohalo™ aims to accelerate evolution to unlock nature’s potential. Founded in 2019, Ohalo develops novel breeding systems and improved plant varieties that help farmers grow more food with fewer natural resources — increasing the yield, resiliency, and genetic diversity of crops to sustainably feed our population. Ohalo’s breakthrough technology, Boosted Breeding™, will usher in a new era of improved productivity to radically transform global agriculture.
Brazil — as Latin America’s largest potato market and one of the world’s most dynamic agricultural economies — is a cornerstone of Ohalo’s international expansion strategy. The Head of Brazil will be among the most consequential early hires in the company’s history.
For more information, visit www.ohalo.com.
