Director of Commercial Relations and Producer Education
St Joseph, MO, USA
The American Angus Association is seeking a relationship-driven, industry-focused leader to serve as Director of Commercial Relations and Producer Education, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer. This position will strengthen connections with commercial cattle producers and the broader beef industry. This role serves as a key external voice for the Association, helping build trust, promote Angus programs, support producers in making informed decisions, and provide leadership for the Commercial Programs department.
This position blends industry relationships with producer education. It focuses on helping producers understand and apply Angus genetics, data, and programs in a practical way that supports their operation and the broader beef value chain.
The role works closely with internal teams and industry partners to ensure messaging is clear, consistent, and relevant. Success in this position comes from strong relationships, practical communication, and the ability to translate complex information into something producers can use.
The ideal candidate understands the beef industry and is comfortable working directly with producers and industry partners. They are a strong, practical communicator who can take technical information and make it usable, while building trusted relationships that drive engagement and adoption and confidently representing the Association externally.
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:
Commercial Programs Leadership
- Provide leadership and direction for the Commercial Programs department, including oversight of AngusLinkSM, customer service, and strategic priorities.
- Provide leadership and support to the Commercial Programs team while ensuring the successful delivery and growth of commercial program initiatives and producer engagement efforts.
- Partner with the Commercial Programs team to identify opportunities to enhance the producer experience, improve processes, and increase program participation.
- Establish priorities and align resources to support both program growth and industry engagement efforts.
Industry Relationships
- Build and maintain relationships with commercial producers, feeders, packers, and industry partners.
- Represent the Association at meetings, conferences, and industry events.
- Stay connected to industry trends and bring insight back to internal teams.
Producer Education
- Lead efforts to educate producers on Angus genetics, genetic selection tools, and Association programs, including AngusLink and GeneMax.
- Deliver presentations, field days, and producer-focused meetings.
- Translate technical topics into practical, easy-to-use information.
- Help producers apply data and programs to real-world decisions.
Industry Engagement
- Support awareness and adoption of Association programs and services.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen the role of Angus across the beef supply chain.
- Share feedback from producers and industry partners to help guide priorities.
Collaboration
- As a member of the Management Team, support and work with team members across departments and entities including communications, member services, performance programs, Angus Media, Certified Angus Beef, and AGI.
- Contribute to team priorities and organizational initiatives as needed.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Strong understanding of the beef industry and how the value chain works.
- Ability to build and maintain relationships with producers and industry partners.
- Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to make complex topics practical and easy to understand.
- Comfortable representing the Association in front of producers and industry groups.
- Ability to stay organized, manage priorities, and work independently.
- Takes ownership of work and follows through on commitments.
- Strong listening skills and ability to bring feedback back to the organization.
- Ability to collaborate across teams and work effectively with different groups.
- Willingness and ability to travel up to 50% of the time.
- A practical, problem-solving mindset with a focus on results.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:
- Bachelor’s degree in animal science, agricultural business, agricultural communications, or related field.
- 7 – 10+ years of experience in the beef cattle industry.
- Strong understanding of the beef value chain and beef cattle genetics.
- Experience working directly with producers and allied industry partners.
- Experience in producer education, outreach, or industry engagement preferred.
- Familiarity with Angus cattle, genetics, and Association programs preferred.
Local candidates are preferred; however, remote or hybrid candidates with deep commercial cattle or beef industry experience will also be considered.
Employees of the Association enjoy a strong benefits package including medical insurance, dental insurance, vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and a 401(k). Personal Time Off (PTO) is also included.
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, salary requirements, and references or CV to www.angus.org/careers.
