Commercial Director
Fresh People are recruiting for a Commercial Director on behalf of a well-established hi growth Fresh Produce business in the South East.
This is a senior leadership position with a clear and uncompromising focus on customer management, executive-level interface and strategic account ownership.
The successful candidate will act as the principal commercial lead across the organisation’s customer portfolio, holding full accountability for relationship stewardship, commercial governance and performance delivery across the entire lifecycle. From contract negotiation and onboarding through to operational oversight, structured reviews, renewal and expansion, this role sits at the centre of customer engagement.
You will operate as the senior conduit between customers and internal delivery teams, ensuring alignment, transparency and commercial rigour. The role requires strong visibility, credibility and presence at executive level, with the ability to influence both externally and internally.
This opportunity offers the platform to shape commercial direction within a growing organisation that values partnership, accountability and long-term sustainable relationships.
The Person
·10+ years’ commercial experience, including at least five years at senior or director level within Fresh Produce, Food Manufacturing or a fast-paced service-led environment.
·Proven leadership of strategic customer accounts at executive level, with a strong track record of improving retention, satisfaction and sustainable revenue growth.
·Experienced in managing complex commercial agreements, pricing strategy, risk exposure and multi-site profitability.
·Commercially and financially astute, with budget ownership and revenue forecasting capability.
·Credible, influential and emotionally intelligent leader, able to balance growth with operational discipline in matrix environments.
·Resilient, accountable and solutions-focused with a collaborative leadership approach.
Key Requirements
- Lead and execute the organisation’s commercial strategy with customer partnership at its core.
- Take full ownership of key strategic accounts, acting as the senior customer interface.
- Build and maintain executive-level relationships that drive long-term partnership and growth.
- Oversee the complete customer lifecycle including onboarding, contract governance, service performance, renewal and expansion.
- Align cross-functional teams (Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Customer Service) to deliver integrated, margin-protected solutions.
- Lead structured performance reviews and governance forums with customers.
- Drive service excellence through clear KPIs, performance reporting and continuous improvement.
- Identify opportunities for commercial optimisation, innovation and value creation.
- Oversee pricing strategy, contract compliance and commercial risk management.
- Manage forecasting, revenue growth and margin performance across multi-site operations.
- Champion a culture of accountability, transparency and customer-first thinking across the organisation.
- Develop and strengthen the commercial function and future leadership capability.
If this opportunity aligns with your experience and you are motivated by leading customer partnerships at executive level, please apply via Totaljobs with your updated CV
Full company details will be shared with shortlisted candidates at early interview stage.
