Head of BU Corn (all gender)

Field of Work: Marketing & Sales; General Management; Strategy & Planning, General Management, Strategy & Planning
Location: Einbeck 
Legal Entity: KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA 
Contract Type: Regular
Is Full Time: Yes
Job ID: 16613

About the role
As Head of Business Unit Corn (all gender) at KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA, you will take full ownership of one of our core business pillars, with a clear mandate to drive profitable growth and strengthen market position in a dynamic and increasingly demanding market environment.

We are looking for a commercially driven leader who combines strong sales expertise with the ability to transform and future-proof the business - balancing performance delivery with structural change.

In this role, you will lead and further develop the commercial organization, sharpen strategic direction, and ensure rigorous execution across markets - while actively reshaping the business unit to enhance competitiveness, performance, and long-term value creation in close alignment with global functions and senior leadership.

Your responsibilities

• Drive profitable growth and market share expansion of the Corn business unit across Europe and globally


• Lead the global commercial organization end-to-end (sales, business development, product management, marketing) with a clear focus on performance and customer impact


• Own full P&L responsibility, including revenue, margins, and cost management and ensure sustainable value creation


• Shape and execute the transformation of the business unit, mode land organization to evolving market conditions, while creating commitment to change, developing a culture of continuous improvement and ensuring disciplined execution and measurable impact


• Develop and execute the short-, mid-, and long-term business strategy for the Business Unit Corn


• Identify and implement growth-oriented commercial strategies to ensure sustainable profitability


• Lead and develop high-performing teams, fostering a performance-driven and collaborative culture


• Drive commercial excellence by continuously improving sales processes, structures, KPIs, and ways of working


• Ensure alignment with global functions, group standards, and cross-Business Unit initiatives

Your profile

• Proven track record in driving profitable growth and market share expansion combined with leading transformation initiatives


• Strong commercial and sales leadership expertise, with the ability to steer organizations via KPIs and performance management


• Demonstrated ability to evolve and reposition businesses in changing or challenging global market environments


• Track record of building and leading high-performing, performance-driven teams


• Highly motivating leadership style with the ability to inspire and energize teams


• Strategic, analytical, and entrepreneurial mindset with a strong customer focus


• Ability to build strong relationships with customers and partners to ensure long-term business success


• High level of process discipline and organizational rigor, ideally in a standardized/transforming environment


• Several years of relevant professional experience, including multiple years in leadership roles


• Fluent in English, additional languages are an advantage 

What we offer

At KWS, you step into a role with true entrepreneurial responsibility and the opportunity to shape the future of agriculture.

• High-impact leadership role
  Take full ownership of a global business unit and actively shape strategy, performance, and long-term success.


• Purpose-driven environment
  Contribute to sustainable innovation in agriculture and help address global food challenges.


• Entrepreneurial culture
  We value initiative, accountability, and long-term thinking – empowering you to make decisions and drive impact.


• Strong collaboration across a global network
  Work closely with international teams, senior leaders, and cross-functional experts in a highly collaborative setting.


• Performance-driven and supportive culture
  Join an environment that combines high expectations with trust, openness, and mutual support.


• Stability with long-term perspective
  Be part of an independent, family-owned company focused on sustainable success over short-term gains.

Why KWS?
At KWS, we combine scientific excellence, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit.
We believe in empowering our leaders to take ownership and create lasting impact – for our customers, our colleagues, and future generations.

Interested in shaping the future of our Corn business?
We look forward to connecting with leaders who are ready to drive performance and transformation at scale.

About KWS

KWS is one of the world’s leading plant breeding companies. Nearly 5,000 employees in more than 70 countries generated net sales of around €1.68 billion in the fiscal year 2023/2024. A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for almost 170 years. It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for sugarbeet, corn, cereals, vegetables, oilseed rape and sunflower. KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to continuously improve yield for farmers and plants’ resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested more than €300 million last fiscal year in research and development. For more information: www.kws.com/career. Follow us on LinkedIn® at https://linkedin.com/company/kwsgroup/.

Our data privacy policy for candidates is available on www.kws.com/dataprotection. Please select the country where the job you applied for is posted in and, if applicable, the specific business unit.