Commercial Trading Manager

Zest Recruitment; West Midlands; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Zest Recruitment is helping a well‑established fresh produce business in the West Midlands to recruit a commercially minded Fresh Produce specialist. You will own daily trading activities across wholesale, foodservice, export and independents, working directly with the CEO to shape strategic direction.

You will drive buying/selling, pricing, margins and stock risk while building supplier relationships and expanding non-retail opportunities in a fast-paced, market-led environment.

Qualifications

• 2–3+ years' experience buying, selling or trading fresh produce (or short shelf-life FMCG).
• Strong commercial judgement and natural trading instinct.
• Experience supplying wholesale and/or foodservice customers.
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, margin-driven environments.
• Confident working with pricing, costings and financial data.
• Established network within non-retail fresh produce markets.
• Experience across fruit, vegetables or specialist categories.
• Strong analytical capability.
• Willingness to travel when required.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of daily buying and selling activity.
• Set and adjust pricing in line with live market conditions
• Deliver and protect gross margin performance
• Manage stock risk and short shelf-life exposure
• Align supply with customer demand to optimise returns
• Drive growth across wholesale, foodservice and independent accounts
• Identify and secure new non-retail opportunities
• Expand product listings and introduce commercially viable new formats
• Support export market development where appropriate
• Build strong, performance-driven supplier relationships
• Coordinate supply programmes aligned to trading strategy
• Monitor quality, availability and commercial performance
• Contribute to category growth initiatives
• Maintain forward visibility on volumes and margin
• Anticipate volatility, shortages and oversupply risks
• Work cross-functionally to safeguard service and profitability
• Maintain accurate reporting on trading activity and margin
• Participate in weekly performance reviews
• Conduct regular customer engagement
• Support working capital control and debtor management

Skills

Fresh produce trading

Commercial judgement

Wholesale & foodservice

Pricing & margins

Travel willingness

Job description

A super opportunity to join this well established fresh produce business that is looking to recruit a driven, commercially minded Fresh Produce specialist to step into this high-impact, newly created commercial / trading role.

If you have experience buying, selling or trading fresh produce - and you thrive in the fast-moving, world of fresh - this could be your ideal next role.

Working directly with the CEO, you will sit at the heart of the non-retail function with real ownership, real accountability and a clear pathway to accelerate your career.

You will take responsibility for buying, selling, pricing and margin delivery across wholesale, foodservice, export and independent channels - shaping commercial direction while operating in a dynamic, market-led environment.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Trading

• Take ownership of daily buying and selling activity
• Set and adjust pricing in line with live market conditions
• Deliver and protect gross margin performance
• Manage stock risk and short shelf-life exposure
• Align supply with customer demand to optimise returns

Business Development

• Drive growth across wholesale, foodservice and independent accounts
• Identify and secure new non-retail opportunities
• Expand product listings and introduce commercially viable new formats
• Support export market development where appropriate

Supplier & Grower Partnerships

• Build strong, performance-driven supplier relationships
• Coordinate supply programmes aligned to trading strategy
• Monitor quality, availability and commercial performance
• Contribute to category growth initiatives

Forecasting & Risk Management

• Maintain forward visibility on volumes and margin
• Anticipate volatility, shortages and oversupply risks
• Work cross-functionally to safeguard service and profitability

Commercial Governance

• Maintain accurate reporting on trading activity and margin
• Participate in weekly performance reviews
• Conduct regular customer engagement
• Support working capital control and debtor management

What We're Looking For

Essential

• 2-3+ years' experience buying, selling or trading fresh produce (or short shelf-life FMCG)
• Strong commercial judgement and natural trading instinct
• Experience supplying wholesale and/or foodservice customers
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, margin-driven environments
• Confident working with pricing, costings and financial data

Desirable

• Established network within non-retail fresh produce markets
• Experience across fruit, vegetables or specialist categories
• Strong analytical capability
• Willingness to travel when required

You will have the autonomy to make trading decisions, develop new revenue streams and directly impact business performance - while working with the CEO in a growing, ambitious business.