Group Procurement Manager – Fresh Produce

Avolands; Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Avolands, a leading South African avocado specialist, seeks a Group Procurement Manager to drive national sourcing strategy and supplier relationships. The role combines strategic oversight with field engagement across growers and packhouses to ensure year‑round supply.

You will lead a small team, shape forecasts, negotiate prices, and coordinate with operations. Travel to farming regions is required to maintain strong partnerships and supply security.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in fresh produce procurement.
• Experience in the avocado industry would be highly advantageous.
• Existing relationships within the grower and packhouse community would be advantageous.
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills.
• Good understanding of agricultural production, seasonality and fresh-produce supply chains.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a rolling 12-month national procurement programme aligned with forecast sales demand.
• Map avocado supply by region, grower, packhouse, variety and season; identify future supply gaps.
• Build long-term relationships with strategic growers and packhouses through regular visits.
• Understand crops, harvest timing, varieties, sizes, quality and market conditions.
• Identify and develop new growers, packhouses and supply regions.
• Lead commercial negotiations relating to fruit pricing, volumes, and procurement terms.
• Manage transitions between growing regions and develop import programmes for year‑round supply.
• Build a diversified supplier base and monitor performance across quality, reliability and pricing.
• Stay informed on crop forecasts, pricing, export dynamics and industry trends.
• Lead the procurement team and coordinate with Operations, Finance and QA.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Supplier relationship mgmt

Forecasting & planning

Negotiation

Travel willingness

Job description

About Avolands

Founded on an avocado farm in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands in 2005, Avolands has grown into one of South Africa's leading specialist ripe-and-ready avocado businesses. Today, we operate nationally through four regional ripening facilities across South Africa's major regions, sourcing directly from growers and packhouses and supplying major retail, hospitality and key-account customers. Our capabilities extend from fresh avocado packing and ripening through to guacamole production, giving us multiple routes to market for the fruit we procure.

Purpose of the Role

The Group Procurement Manager is responsible for developing and managing Avolands' national avocado procurement strategy, with the primary objective of securing a reliable, competitive and high-quality 12-month fruit supply programme.

This is primarily a strategic sourcing and supplier relationship role. The successful candidate will lead a small procurement team responsible for weekly orders, fruit allocations, logistics and administration, allowing the Procurement Manager to focus on strategic sourcing, seasonal planning, grower and packhouse relationships, commercial negotiations and long-term supply security.

A key part of the role will be spending time in the field, developing trusted, long-term relationships with growers and packhouses throughout South Africa.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a rolling 12-month national procurement programme aligned with forecast sales demand.
• Map avocado supply by region, grower, packhouse, variety and season, and proactively identify future supply gaps.
• Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with strategic growers and packhouses through regular farm and packhouse visits.
• Develop a detailed understanding of expected crops, harvest timing, varieties, sizes, quality and market conditions.
• Identify and develop new growers, packhouses and supply regions.
• Lead commercial negotiations relating to fruit pricing, volumes, supply programmes, packing and procurement terms.
• Manage the transition between South Africa's different growing regions and develop appropriate import programmes where required to maintain year-round supply.
• Build a diversified supplier base that reduces reliance on individual growers, packhouses or production regions.
• Monitor supplier performance across quality, reliability, pricing and volume commitments, working closely with Quality Assurance and Operations.
• Maintain a strong understanding of crop forecasts, pricing, export-market dynamics, competitor activity and wider avocado industry trends.
• Lead the procurement team and ensure effective coordination between Procurement, Operations, Finance, Quality and Avolands' regional facilities.

Team Structure

Procurement Operations Coordinator - responsible for daily supplier orders, fruit allocations, transport coordination, inbound deliveries and communication with Avolands' regional facilities.

Procurement Administrator - responsible for supplier invoice reconciliation, fruit payment administration, intercompany invoicing, purchase-order administration and procurement records.

The Group Procurement Manager remains accountable for the overall procurement function while ensuring that day-to-day execution is effectively managed by the procurement support team.

Candidate Profile

• Strong experience in fresh produce procurement, agricultural sourcing or a related commercial role.
• Experience in the avocado industry would be highly advantageous.
• Existing relationships within the grower and packhouse community would be advantageous.
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills.
• Good understanding of agricultural production, seasonality and fresh-produce supply chains.
• Strong analytical, planning and forecasting capability.
• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills.
• Experience leading and developing a team.
• Willingness to travel regularly to farms, packhouses and production regions.
• Experience with international sourcing or imports would be advantageous.