Commercial Account Manager

Dole plc; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

25 days annual leave

Discretionary annual bonus

Global exposure

Job summary

Dole plc in Maidstone is seeking a commercially minded, relationship-focused professional to join our team. You will be the key link between our retail customer, growers, packhouses and internal teams, ensuring programmes run smoothly and products meet quality standards.

You will own customer account support, stock management, grower programmes and performance reporting, building trusted partnerships and driving continuous improvement in a fast-paced fresh produce environment.

Qualifications

• Experience with fresh produce retailers or similar retail-facing commercial environments.
• Proven ability to build and maintain long-term customer relationships.
• Experience coordinating multiple stakeholders (customers, growers, operations).
• Understanding of retail customer expectations, service levels and quality standards.
• Knowledge of berries programmes or willingness to develop this expertise.

Responsibilities

• Act as a key point of contact for the retail customer, maintaining regular communication with buying, category, technical and supply chain teams.
• Manage grower programmes, coordinate seasonal reviews and work with growers and production partners to meet customer requirements.
• Monitor stock levels and coordinate supply with packhouses, logistics providers and internal teams.
• Ensure programmes are delivered effectively and proactively identify opportunities to improve service.
• Prepare monthly financial forecasts, weekly financial reports and performance updates.
• Maintain weekly KPIs and highlight trends, risks and opportunities.
• Collaborate across commercial, technical, supply chain and finance teams to ensure alignment.
• Support wider team priorities and ad hoc projects to drive operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

Skills

Relationship management

Customer relationships

Stock management

Supply chain coordination

Forecasting & reporting

KPI management

Commercial collaboration

Job description

We are looking for a commercially minded, relationship-focused professional with experience working with fresh produce retailers to join our team in Maidstone. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who understands the fast-paced nature of the retail fresh produce industry and knows how to build and maintain strong customer relationships. You will be a key link between our retail customer, growers, packhouses and internal teams, ensuring programmes run smoothly, products meet customer expectations and service levels remain consistently high. You will take ownership of customer account support, stock management, grower programmes and performance reporting, helping to ensure the right products are delivered at the right time and to the right quality standards. Building trust, communicating effectively and proactively resolving challenges will be central to your success.

• Customer Relationship Management: Act as a key point of contact for the retail customer, building strong relationships and maintaining regular communication with buying, category, technical and supply chain teams.
• Grower & Programme Management: Manage grower programmes, coordinate seasonal reviews and work closely with growers, production partners to ensure customer requirements are met.
• Stock & Supply Chain Management: Monitor stock levels, coordinate supply and work collaboratively with packhouses, logistics providers and internal teams to maintain continuity of supply.
• Customer Service & Operational Delivery: Ensure customer programmes are delivered effectively, addressing issues quickly and proactively identifying opportunities to improve service.
• Commercial Performance: Prepare monthly financial forecasts, weekly financial reports and performance updates to support effective decision-making.
• KPI Management: Maintain and monitor weekly KPIs, highlighting trends, risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Build effective working relationships across commercial, technical, supply chain and finance teams to ensure alignment and successful programme delivery.
• Continuous Improvement: Support wider team priorities and ad hoc projects, contributing to operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

We are looking for someone who combines strong relationship-building skills with a practical understanding of the fresh produce supply chain.

You will ideally have:

• Experience working with fresh produce retailers, ideally within a supplier, grower, packhouse or retail-facing commercial environment.
• A proven ability to build, develop and maintain strong customer relationships over the long term.
• Experience managing multiple stakeholders, including customers, growers and operational teams.
• An understanding of retail customer expectations, service levels, quality standards and supply chain challenges.
• Knowledge of berries and berry programmes, or a willingness to develop this expertise.
• Strong planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-moving environment.
• Confidence working with financial forecasts, reports, KPIs and performance data.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• A proactive, commercially aware approach, with a focus on finding solutions and delivering results.
• Above all, you will be someone who enjoys working collaboratively, takes ownership of challenges and understands the value of building trusted, long-term partnerships.

• Competitive, negotiable salary based on experience.
• 25 days' annual leave, plus bank holidays.
• Discretionary annual bonus based on business performance.
• The opportunity to work with a global fresh produce business and build strong relationships across the retail and grower supply chain.