Head of Commercial

ACGT Sdn Bhd; Kulai; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

ACGT Sdn Bhd, in Kulai/Johor, seeks a Head of Commercial to lead strategy, sales, and market expansion for premium fresh-produce ventures. You will align customer needs with production, pricing, and logistics while building partnerships across regional markets.

You will drive revenue growth, negotiate major contracts, and develop a strong commercial team, reporting to the General Manager in a JV setup with CSV.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Business Administration, Marketing, International Trade, Supply Chain or related discipline.
• At least 10 years of relevant commercial, sales, marketing or business-development experience.
• Experience across Malaysia and/or Southeast Asia; exposure to Singapore and/or Middle East markets highly advantageous.
• Experience in fresh produce, horticulture, perishable food, agribusiness or related sector preferred; strong network and market-development capability considered.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute SVA's commercial strategy, business plan and market-expansion roadmap.
• Identify and prioritise revenue opportunities, target customers, market segments, channels and strategic partnerships based on commercial viability.
• Lead entry into Singapore, the Middle East and other selected markets, including evaluation of distributors, partnerships and routes to market.
• Build and manage a structured commercial pipeline and lead negotiations with major customers, importers, distributors and strategic partners.
• Develop effective domestic and export sales channels for SVA's fresh-produce portfolio.
• Appoint, develop and manage distributors and commercial partners while building direct relationships with priority retail, food-service, processing and institutional customers.
• Develop SVA's market positioning, product propositions and marketing strategy based on freshness, quality, consistency, food safety, traceability, sustainability and customer needs.
• Develop pricing strategies based on cost, product quality, market conditions, competitor positioning and targeted margins.
• Build and lead a high-performing Commercial function covering business development, sales, marketing, distribution and partnerships.
• Provide the General Manager and JV leadership with regular updates on commercial performance, forecasts, market opportunities, customer risks and regional expansion.

Skills

Commercial judgement

Business development

Sales leadership

Negotiation

Pricing

Partnerships

Contract management

Market development

Export knowledge

Cross-cultural communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture / Agribusiness / Business Administration

Job description

SVA is the operating platform for a premium fresh-produce business established as a joint venture between ACGT Sdn Bhd and CSV. ACGT is a wholly owned subsidiary of Genting Plantations Berhad specialising in genomics, artificial intelligence, precision agriculture, controlled-environment farming and sustainable food production. Based at the AgTech Campus in Kulai, Johor, SVA is developing an integrated farm-to-market ecosystem encompassing greenhouse and open-field cultivation, nursery and propagation, post-harvest handling, grading and packing, cold-chain logistics and export-oriented agribusiness. The venture aims to supply premium fresh produce to domestic customers and high-value export markets, particularly Singapore and the Middle East.

About the role

The Head of Commercial leads SVA's overall commercial strategy and is accountable for business development, sales, marketing, pricing, distribution, regional expansion, revenue and key customer relationships. The role will establish SVA's routes to market, convert opportunities into sustainable revenue and build long-term relationships with retailers, importers, distributors, food-service operators, food processors and institutional buyers. Working closely with Production, AgTech and Innovation, Quality, Supply Chain and Finance, the position will align customer requirements and sales commitments with product specifications, production capacity, delivery capability and targeted margins.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and execute SVA's commercial strategy, business plan and market-expansion roadmap
• Identify and prioritise revenue opportunities, target customers, market segments, channels and strategic partnerships based on commercial viability
• Lead entry into Singapore, the Middle East and other selected markets, including the evaluation of distributors, partnerships, joint ventures and other routes to market
• Build and manage a structured commercial pipeline and lead negotiations with major customers, importers, distributors and strategic partners
• Develop effective domestic and export sales channels for SVA's fresh-produce portfolio
• Appoint, develop and manage distributors and commercial partners while building direct relationships with priority retail, food-service, processing and institutional customers
• Develop SVA's market positioning, product propositions and marketing strategy based on freshness, quality, consistency, food safety, traceability, sustainability and customer needs
• Develop pricing strategies based on cost, product quality, market conditions, competitor positioning and targeted margins
• Build and lead a high-performing Commercial function covering business development, sales, marketing, distribution and partnerships
• Provide the General Manager and JV leadership with regular updates on commercial performance, forecasts, market opportunities, customer risks and regional expansion

Job Requirements

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Business Administration, Marketing, International Trade, Supply Chain or a related discipline. A postgraduate business qualification would be advantageous.
• At least 10 years of relevant commercial, sales, marketing or business-development experience, including significant leadership responsibility.
• Proven record of opening markets, building distribution channels, securing strategic customers and delivering revenue and margin growth.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate major commercial agreements and long-term supply contracts.
• Experience across Malaysia and/or Southeast Asia; exposure to Singapore and/or Middle East markets is highly advantageous.
• Experience in fresh produce, horticulture, perishable food, agribusiness or a related sector is preferred. Candidates from adjacent sectors may be considered if they have a strong relevant network and proven market-development capability.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong commercial judgement with ownership of revenue, margin and customer performance.
• Business development, sales leadership, negotiation, pricing, partnership and contract-management capabilities.
• Ability to build markets, distribution channels, strategic accounts and a commercial function from the ground up.
• Understanding of export processes, Incoterms, customs, phytosanitary requirements, cold-chain operations and food-safety standards.
• Ability to translate technical and agricultural capabilities into customer-focused commercial propositions.
• Entrepreneurial, analytical and results-oriented, with strong stakeholder-management and cross-cultural communication skills.

Language

• Professional proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia and English is required.
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written Mandarin is required, as the role involves regular commercial coordination, relationship management and negotiations with CSV and other Mandarin-speaking business stakeholders.
• Additional regional or international language capabilities would be advantageous.

Key Performance Indicators

• Sales revenue, gross margin and customer-acquisition achievement.
• Domestic and export-market penetration, particularly in Singapore and the Middle East.
• Conversion of qualified opportunities into confirmed orders and sustainable contracts.
• Customer retention, repeat orders and performance of distributors and channel partners.
• Accuracy of sales forecasts and alignment of demand with production and delivery capability.
• Successful commercialisation of new products and crop varieties.
• Effectiveness of pricing, profitability and commercial-contract management.

ACGT is a centre of excellence in genomic science, established to conduct R&D activities in the exciting field of plant biotechnology, with the aim of discovering novel genes for improving crop productivity and mitigating climate change. The company is a subsidiary of Genting Plantations Berhad, a public listed company listed on Bursa Malaysia. Incorporated in 2006, ACGT is a BioNexus status company, awarded by Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation Sdn Bhd, an agency under the purview of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia (MOSTI).

In line with the Company's continued progress and expansion, we are looking for suitable candidates to join the team.

ACGT is a centre of excellence in genomic science, established to conduct R&D activities in the exciting field of plant biotechnology, with the aim of discovering novel genes for improving crop productivity and mitigating climate change. The company is a subsidiary of Genting Plantations Berhad, a public listed company listed on Bursa Malaysia. Incorporated in 2006, ACGT is a BioNexus status company, awarded by Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation Sdn Bhd, an agency under the purview of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia (MOSTI).

In line with the Company's continued progress and expansion, we are looking for suitable candidates to join the team.