Commercial Manager – Trading & Emerging Markets

Fyffes; Rotterdam; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Job summary

Fyffes is seeking a Commercial Manager – Trading & Emerging Markets to join our European commercial organisation. This role blends fresh produce trading, account management and new business development, with a focus on surplus/spot fruit and expanding in Eastern Europe.

You will build and protect pricing strategies, nurture customer relationships and work with cross-functional teams to maximise commercial value across Europe.

Qualifications

• Commercial experience within fresh produce, FMCG, food trading or another fast-moving commercial environment.
• Experience with bananas or tropical fruit would be a strong advantage.
• Strong commercial judgement and confidence making decisions in rapidly changing market conditions.
• Experience in business development, account management and negotiation.
• Understanding of pricing, margins, quality, logistics and supply chain.
• Ability to evaluate opportunities based on overall commercial return, not just selling price.
• Resilience and persistence when developing new customers and markets.
• Confidence working across different countries, cultures and customer types.
• Willingness to travel regularly across Europe, particularly Eastern Europe.
• Fluency in English; additional Eastern European languages advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Surplus & Spot Fruit Management: sell surplus, distressed and unallocated fruit volumes, mainly bananas.
• Identify opportunities based on price, margin, quality, specification, location and logistics.
• Collaborate with European commercial teams to gauge demand and opportunities.
• Respond quickly to market changes while protecting pricing and customer relationships.
• Maximise recovery and minimise losses and write-offs.
• Coordinate with supply chain and logistics to place fruit in the right market at the right time.
• Build a network of spot and secondary-market customers.
• Account Management & Business Development: grow existing banana accounts by volume, margin and relationships.
• Develop new banana business, especially in emerging Eastern Europe markets.
• Engage retailers, wholesalers, importers, distributors and ripeners.
• Understand customer requirements across quality, origin, specification, packaging and logistics.
• Convert opportunities into profitable recurring business; negotiate terms with focus on margin and long-term value.
• Monitor market trends and routes to market for opportunities.
• Regularly visit customers across Europe, with emphasis on Eastern Europe.

Skills

Fresh produce trading

Banana/tropical fruit experience

Pricing & margins

Account management

Willing to travel

Fluent English

Cross-cultural collaboration

Job description

About the Role

We are looking for a Commercial Manager – Trading & Emerging Markets to join our European commercial organisation.

This is a dynamic commercial role combining fresh produce trading, account management and new business development. You will be responsible for maximising the commercial return from surplus and opportunistic fruit volumes across Europe, while growing existing banana accounts and developing new business, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe.

The role requires someone who can operate confidently in a fast-moving market, make sound commercial decisions quickly and, at the same time, build customer relationships that develop into profitable, sustainable business.

Key Responsibilities

• Surplus & Spot Fruit Management

  • Manage and sell surplus, distressed and unallocated fruit volumes, primarily bananas.

  • Identify the best commercial opportunities based on price, margin, quality, specification, location, maturity and logistics.

  • Work closely with commercial teams across Europe to identify market demand, shortages and opportunities.

  • Respond quickly to changing market conditions while protecting pricing and existing customer relationships.

  • Maximise commercial recovery and minimise potential losses and write-offs.

  • Partner with supply chain, quality, ripening and logistics teams to place fruit in the right market at the right time.

  • Build a strong and reliable network of spot and secondary-market customers across Europe.

  Account Management & Business Development

  • Manage and grow existing banana accounts, with responsibility for volume, margin and customer relationships.

  • Develop new banana business, particularly across emerging markets in Eastern Europe.

  • Identify and engage retailers, wholesalers, importers, distributors and ripeners.

  • Understand customer requirements across quality, origin, specification, packaging, ripening and logistics.

  • Convert initial opportunities and trial volumes into profitable, recurring business.

  • Negotiate pricing, volumes and commercial terms with a strong focus on margin and long-term value.

  • Identify market trends, competition and routes to market and translate these into commercial opportunities.

  • Regularly visit customers and prospects across Europe, particularly in Eastern Europe.

Skills & Experience Required

• Commercial experience within fresh produce, FMCG, food trading or another fast-moving commercial environment.

• Experience in bananas or tropical fruit would be a strong advantage.

• Strong commercial judgement and confidence making decisions in rapidly changing market conditions.

• Experience in business development, account management and negotiation.

• A good understanding of pricing, margins, quality, logistics and supply chain.

• The ability to evaluate opportunities based on overall commercial return, not simply selling price.

• Resilience and persistence when developing new customers and markets.

• Confidence working across different countries, cultures and customer types.

• Willingness to travel regularly across Europe, particularly Eastern Europe.

• Fluency in English. Additional Eastern European languages would be an advantage.

Why Join Us?

• Gain exposure to some of the most important retail customers in the market.

• Take ownership of your own customer portfolio from an early stage in your career.

• Work alongside experienced commercial leaders and cross-functional teams.

• Build expertise across sales, category management, customer development and commercial execution.

• Be part of a collaborative team focused on growth, innovation and customer excellence.

• Competitive Base Salary Range: € 90k-100k (Including Holiday and 13th Month)