Commercial Manager – Food Ingredients

POSITION INFO:
Our client is an established and entrepreneurial trading group expanding into the Food Ingredients space. They seek a commercially driven individual to establish, grow and lead this new division, taking full responsibility for commercial strategy, supplier sourcing, customer development, and overall financial performance. Key Responsibilities Develop and execute commercial strategy for the Food Ingredients division, identifying and prioritising key product categories such as starches, sweeteners, proteins, emulsifiers, stabilisers and functional ingredients. Establish and manage international supplier relationships, negotiate commercial agreements and manage supplier performance. Build and maintain strong relationships with procurement and technical teams at food manufacturers across South Africa. Drive a hybrid trading model combining contracted volume and opportunistic spot trading. Set and manage pricing strategies, margins and commercial terms to achieve division profitability. Manage working capital, stock exposure and commercial risk within the division. Leverage existing group infrastructure including import, logistics, finance and compliance functions. Establish systems, processes and controls required to run the division effectively. Recruit and lead a lean commercial and operational team over time. Take full accountability for revenue, margin, cost control and overall financial performance of the division. Requirements Minimum 5+ years' experience within food ingredients, additives or related ingredient trading, distribution or sourcing. Proven exposure to full financial accountability including revenue, margin and cost control. Strong established network within the South African food manufacturing sector. Experience negotiating supply agreements and managing supplier relationships at senior level. Solid understanding of pricing structures, margin management and commercial risk. Knowledge of logistics, shipping processes and international trade dynamics. Entrepreneurial mindset with demonstrated ability to build and grow a business from the ground up. Financially astute, margin-focused and an independent decision-maker. Comfortable operating in a lean, fast-moving environment and thriving in performance-driven settings.