Commercial Manager – Fresh Produce

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Role: Commercial Manager – Retail | Salary: £55,000 + Bonus & Benefits | Location: Kent | Monday–Friday</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">The Opportunity</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Are you an experienced Commercial Manager, Account Manager or Business Development professional with a strong background in UK retail and fresh produce?</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Our client is a leading international fresh produce business with an established presence across the UK, supplying high-quality products to major retail customers.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">They are now looking for an experienced Commercial Manager to take ownership of key UK retail accounts, driving sales, margin, volume and customer growth while developing long-term strategic relationships with major retail customers.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Working closely with the Sales Director, Procurement, Supply Chain, Operations and Technical teams, you will translate customer</p>

<h5 class="fw-bold text-success mt-4 mb-3">requirements into clear commercial plans, ensuring strong forecasting, availability, service and overall commercial performance.</h5>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Experience within fresh produce is highly desirable, with specific experience across Fruit categories particularly attractive.</p>

<h5 class="fw-bold text-success mt-4 mb-3">Key Responsibilities</h5>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Retail Account Management: Develop and manage strong, strategic relationships with major UK retail customers, acting as the primary commercial point of contact.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Commercial Strategy: Develop and deliver the UK retail commercial strategy, translating wider business objectives into clear customer, category, revenue and profitability plans.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Sales & Profitability: Own sales, volume, margin and profitability targets, taking corrective action where performance falls below plan.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Joint Business Planning: Build and execute effective Joint Business Plans with key retail customers to drive sustainable growth.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">New Business: Identify, develop and secure new retail opportunities, building and managing a strong commercial pipeline.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Commercial Negotiation: Lead commercial negotiations, annual customer reviews and tender submissions.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Pricing & Promotions: Manage customer pricing and promotional investment, ensuring activity delivers sustainable commercial returns.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Category Growth: Identify opportunities for category development, innovation and customer partnerships.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Customer Performance: Monitor weekly customer performance, including sales, margin, forecast accuracy, service, claims and waste.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Supply Chain Collaboration: Translate customer demand into clear commercial</p>

<h5 class="fw-bold text-success mt-4 mb-3">requirements, proactively managing supply, availability, seasonal transitions and surplus or short positions.</h5>

<h5 class="fw-bold text-success mt-4 mb-3">Cross-Functional Leadership: Work closely with Procurement, Supply Chain, Operations and Technical teams to ensure customer requirements are delivered effectively.</h5>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Market Intelligence: Monitor competitor activity, market trends and routes to market, using insight to shape commercial strategy.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Budget Management: Own the retail commercial budget and financial performance, including sales, gross margin, promotional investment and customer profitability.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">What You’ll Bring</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Retail Experience: Proven experience managing and developing UK retail accounts, ideally within fresh produce, FMCG or a similar environment.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Commercial Track Record: A strong track record of winning and growing business, with clear commercial and financial accountability.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Fresh Produce: Experience within the fresh produce sector would be highly advantageous.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Category Knowledge: Experience within Fruit categories would be particularly desirable.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Negotiation: Strong commercial negotiation and influencing skills, with the confidence to operate at senior customer level.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Stakeholder Management: Excellent relationship-building skills across retail buying, category and supply chain teams.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding of sales, margin, profitability, pricing and promotional investment.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Analytical Skills: Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills, with the ability to analyse commercial data and turn insight into action.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop long-term commercial plans while remaining hands-on in delivering day-to-day customer performance.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Why Apply?</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Retail Exposure: Manage and develop relationships with major UK retail customers while having significant commercial responsibility.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Fresh Produce: Join an established international fresh produce business operating across the global fresh produce supply chain.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Variety: A genuinely broad commercial role covering retail account management, category development, pricing, negotiations, supply chain and business development.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Career Opportunity: Work closely with the Sales Director and wider senior leadership team, with the opportunity to make a significant impact on UK commercial growth.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Benefits: £50 monthly phone allowance and 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Working Pattern: Monday–Friday, 40 hours per week, standard office hours.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Location: Kent — office based</p>