Senior Manager - Agriculture

Do you want to play a defining role in the future of sustainable dairy farming while helping shape the strategy of one of the world's leading farmer‑owned dairy cooperatives? Join us as our new

In this new role, you will lead Arla's Agriculture agenda across the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. You will connect the interests of approximately 1300 farmer owners with the commercial ambitions of the business, translating global strategy into regional execution and creating long‑term value for farmers, customers and consumers.

Reporting to the Vice President Agriculture, you will be a member of both the Benelux & France Leadership Team and the Global Agriculture Leadership Team. In this highly visible leadership role, you will influence business strategy, strengthen Arla's agricultural position, drive organizational development and represent Arla externally within the agricultural sector.

This is a unique opportunity to operate at the intersection of agriculture, commercial strategy, sustainability and cooperative leadership.

Based within the Benelux organization, you will lead the regional Agriculture function and be responsible for translating Arla's global Agriculture strategy into tangible business results across multiple countries and stakeholder groups. You will

• Lead Arla's Agriculture strategy across the Benelux region, aligning farmer‑owner priorities, commercial objectives and global strategic ambitions;
• Act as the senior representative for approximately 1300 farmer owners across the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, building trusted relationships and ensuring strong engagement, governance and cooperative participation;
• Drive long‑term competitiveness of the regional milk supply through initiatives focused on farm profitability, sustainability, quality and supply resilience;
• Represent Agriculture within the Benelux & France Leadership Team, ensuring agricultural, milk supply and farmer‑owner perspectives are embedded in strategic commercial and operational decision‑making;
• Lead the Benelux Agriculture organization, creating a high‑performing team while developing future leadership capability, engagement and succession readiness;
• Deliver regional and global transformation initiatives, leading organizational change and driving alignment across diverse markets and cultures;
• Build strategic partnerships with governments, industry associations, financial institutions, agricultural organizations and other external stakeholders to strengthen Arla's position within the sector;
• Partner closely with Commercial leadership to develop customer propositions that translate Arla's agricultural strengths into competitive advantage and sustainable growth;
• Contribute to the future direction of Arla's global Agriculture agenda as an active member of the Global Agriculture Leadership Team.

You are an experienced executive with a strong agricultural background and a genuine understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing modern dairy farming. You combine strategic vision with commercial awareness and are able to build trust across a wide range of stakeholders—from individual farmer owners to executive leadership teams and external institutions. You bring

• A university degree in Agriculture, Business, Food Science, Economics, Environmental Sciences or a related discipline. An MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification is considered an advantage;
• Significant senior leadership experience within agriculture, dairy, food, cooperative or similarly stakeholder‑complex organizations;
• Proven experience leading multi‑country organizations or regional business functions, translating strategy into measurable business outcomes;
• Demonstrated success operating as part of a senior leadership team, influencing decisions beyond your own functional responsibility;
• Strong understanding of agricultural value chains, dairy production, farm economics, sustainability and long‑term milk supply resilience;
• Experience leading organizational transformation, change management and business integration within complex matrix…