Strategic Development Manager

As Strategic Channel Development Manager, you will be responsible for shaping and executing the strategic direction of Lely’s market approach through our global network. You will drive innovation in how we reach and serve farmers, ensuring our channel strategy is future-proof, data-driven, and aligned with Lely’s long-term vision.

This role is pivotal in translating Lely’s corporate strategy into actionable channel development initiatives. You will work closely with internal stakeholders across clusters, business teams, competence teams and your colleagues within the Distribution Channel Development team to ensure a seamless and scalable customer experience across all touchpoints. Your strong financial knowledge will help you to be successful in this role, both internally and externally.

Why This Role Is Essential to Lely
This role is pivotal in developing and safeguarding Lely’s long-term strategic vision for its global distribution network. It ensures a healthy balance between the Lely Center concept and broader company goals—preventing short-term thinking, fragmented execution, and misalignment. By maintaining coherence across regions and channels (omnichannel), this role supports sustainable growth, fosters strong relationships with partners, translates corporate strategy into actionable channel initiatives and delivers consistent customer value.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Network Development
  • Define and evolve the long-term vision for Lely’s distribution network, ensuring alignment with the Lely Center concept and corporate strategy.
  • Strategically guide the development of the current network, balancing growth, scalability, and operational excellence.
  • Safeguard long-term distribution revenue streams through proactive planning and partner engagement.
  • Advise on new concepts and their implementation across the network, ensuring strategic fit and operational feasibility.
• Innovation & Market Entry
  • Support validation for new market entry business cases, potentially including Route to Market (RTM) strategies.
  • Translate Lely’s Network Vision 2035 into tactical and strategic RTM plans for franchise and distribution partners.
  • Collaborate with Business Teams and Competences on new product launches and innovation concepts.
• Omnichannel & Online Sales Integration
  • Work closely with the Online Sales team to align online and offline channel strategies.
  • Drive strategy of the online sales channel within the network, ensuring it complements local operations and supports global consistency.
  • Shape Lely’s omnichannel vision—balancing short-term tactical needs with long-term strategic goals.
• Data Ownership & Process Development
  • Act as domain owner for customer data within channel development, ensuring it is leveraged for strategic insights and decision-making.
  • Analyze network data to inform strategic decisions and advise leadership.
  • Design and implement scalable processes for identifying and onboarding new entrepreneurs into the Lely network.
• Entrepreneurship & Network Growth
  • Own the process for identifying, attracting, and onboarding new entrepreneurs into the Lely network.
  • Develop and maintain the scalable funnel and selection process for potential Lely Center owners and distribution partners.
  • Support contract extensions and strategic alignment with existing partners.
• Financial Strategy & Franchise Support
  • Define franchise fees and funding recommendations for network support across Europe and emerging markets.
  • Provide strategic input on pricing and margin structures, assessing impact on business models for both Lely Centers and distribution partners.

Required Skills & Mindset:

• Deep understanding of distribution channels and the dynamics within the Lely network.
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to balance long-term vision and short-term execution.
• Entrepreneurial mindset—able to identify and capitalize on opportunities.
• Creative and out-of-the-box thinker with a strong grasp of business models.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, both internally and externally.
• Strong financial knowledge to support distribution development initiatives and business analysis purposes.
• International orientation and cultural sensitivity. Having an agricultural background in international (emerging) markets, would be considered as a benefit

Your Profile
You are a strategist with a commercial mindset and a passion for building scalable, future-ready channels. You thrive in cross-functional environments and are comfortable navigating complex stakeholder landscapes.You bring:

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in business, strategy, finance or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in channel development, market strategy, or franchise/distribution management.
• Proven ability to translate corporate strategy into actionable channel initiatives.
• Strong financial and analytical skills and experience with business case validation.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills in English; Dutch is a plus.

What We Offer

• A strategic leadership role in one of the most innovative companies in the agricultural sector.
• An international working environment with room for initiative and entrepreneurship.
• Competitive salary and benefits, including up to 8 weeks of vacation and a strong pension scheme.
• Access to Lely Academy for personal and professional development.
• A modern campus with sports facilities, healthy food options, and a hybrid work policy.
• A culture that celebrates success and values long-term partnerships.

About Lely

At Lely, we believe in achieving a sustainable, profitable, and enjoyable future for dairy farmers by combining robotization, engineering, and farming expertise. With over 75 years of innovation, we are global leaders in automated systems for dairy farming. From our headquarters in Maassluis, we manage nine regional clusters and collaborate with over 200 Lely Centers worldwide, our route to market, whether through franchise partners or Lely-owned operations.