Production Specialist - GROWMARK, Inc. - Bloomington, IL

SALARY RANGE: $60,100.00 - $82,662.50

GROWMARK is an agricultural cooperative serving almost 400,000 customers across North America, providing agronomy, energy, facility engineering and construction, and logistics products and services, as well as grain marketing and risk management services. Headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, GROWMARK owns the FS trademark, which is used by its member cooperatives. GROWMARK also owns and operates SEEDWAY, the largest full-line seed company in the United States. More information is available at growmark.com.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY STATEMENT

Assist Production & Purchasing Manager and Lead in facilitating production and purchasing, coordinating internal/external workflows, researching and evaluating preferred vendors. Serves as a project liaison among the Enterprise Marketing team to ensure continuous communication occurs for production activities.

Assures that GROWMARK & FS marketing direction is creative, focused, branded, effective, and coordinated across all divisions.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Assist internal co-workers and external customers to determine requirements for products and services and identify preferred vendors to meet those requirements.  Research information, enter on-line orders with vendors, track shipments, maintain open lines of communication between vendors and customers.

Follows production/purchasing departmental procedure and production standards. Implement operational efficiencies, decreasing turnaround times, and streamline work processes including identification and execution of self-service tools/platforms which better meet customer needs.

Assists in leading production process within Enterprise Marketing to assure production process is followed and completed for the utmost in customer service. Assists in providing feedback to production team including co-workers to ensure work is completed on-brand and on-time.

Assist in providing ongoing communication from preferred vendor selection and accurate quotes related to printing, duplication, display, decals, signage etc. jobs with outside printing services and vendors. Assist in negotiating contracts/quotes with vendors, quote creation with purchase orders if needed, monitoring and communicating the status of order including tracking of shipments to payment.

Resolve customer complaints and inquiries. Contacts vendors regarding problems or questions with orders, Work with vendor and customer to identify and implement the appropriate corrective action. 

Collaborates with marketing strategists and content analysts across the enterprise marketing team to ensure all enterprise marketing content supports the overall strategy related to goals, voice and brand. 

Assists in supporting and execution of additional enterprise marketing teams duties including but not limited to overall brand administration and product divisions in regularly reviewing, updating and production of guides, manuals and other supporting material/collateral when necessary.

Provides support and assists in end-to-end planning and execution of enterprise marketing initiatives in coordination with GROWMARK event planning and corporate sponsor(s) {division and/or executive areas} at select events ensuring the experience is creative, focused, and effective.

OTHER JOB FUNCTIONS

Responsible to stay actively engaged and build overall personal awareness on current and emerging trends, best practices and other relevant information related to enterprise marketing with an emphasis on digital.

In collaboration with leadership, proactively researches both industry and competitors marketing approach both at enterprise and regional level for awareness and overall effectiveness.

Stays current with design trends and is committed to consistently finding fresh creative solutions.

Proficient in digital asset management systems such as Bynder, and workflow management systems such as Monday.

Confidently and concisely build recommendations and present to all levels of leadership. Ability to effectively communicate both technical and non-technical information internally and externally teams.

Responsible for encouraging, supporting, and promoting innovative practices, ideas, and technologies within the team. Anticipates bottlenecks, clarifies project priorities, identify risks and escalates issues that cannot be internally resolved.

Follows GROWMARK’s Code of Conduct and Corporate Compliance Program, Environmental Health and Safety, OSHA and DOT policies and procedures, as they apply.

Performs all other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS

Normally requires a bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or the equivalent thereof, and 2+ years or more of marketing related work experience to demonstrate strategic marketing knowledge, critical thinking, project management, and presentation skills.

Demonstrates essential abilities including business knowledge, collaboration, communication, customer focus, decision making and skill development.

Exceptional attention to detail, superb prioritization and organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced work environment.

Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license and satisfactory driving record.

Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license and the ability to travel independently and overnight when necessary.

May required to lift and move 21-50 lbs.

May be required to work beyond what are considered normal business hours.

Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a valid passport.Ability and willingness to participate in required training that may include education on GROWMARK’s policies and procedures and additional training as it relates to the requirements of the position.

At GROWMARK, we are dedicated to supporting the long-term financial well-being of our employees through a fully funded pension, a cornerstone benefit that ensures security for the future. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, along with a variety of supplemental plans like accident, critical illness, disability, hospital indemnity, and identity theft protection. To promote a healthy work-life balance, employees enjoy generous paid time off (PTO), paid holidays, and parental leave, giving you time to recharge and focus on what matters most. Additionally, our 401(k) plan with company matching helps you plan for retirement, while our free Employee Assistance Program (EAP) supports your overall well-being. Whether you're starting your career, balancing family life, or planning for retirement, our company is committed to providing employees with a comprehensive and competitive Total Rewards package that meets your needs at every stage. Benefits eligibility may vary depending on the position.

Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, location, and other factors permitted by law.  In addition to base pay, certain roles may be eligible for bonuses, incentives, and commissions.