Commercial Manager - Agriculture

Our client, operating in the Agriculture and Farming industry, is seeking the services of a dynamic Commercial Manager to join their team. The purpose of this role is to protect and enhance commercial performance by coordinating market, logistics, procurement, finance, systems, and operational information, translating it into clear controls, insightful reports, and informed business decisions.

The successful candidate must have:

• Matric with a Degree in Agricultural Economics, Accounting, Engineering, or a Master of Business Administration (MBA) qualification.
• Minimum of 3–5 years' experience in a Commercial Manager role within the agricultural sector.
• Proven experience within the agriculture industry is essential.
• Excellent computer literacy (MS Office – Outlook, Word & Excel)
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines
• Excellent written & verbal communication skills
• Must have a driver’s licence and own reliable transport

Commercial Control & Director Visibility

• Prepare and compile director packs, weekly commercial dashboards, issue logs, seasonal performance reviews, and escalation reports to support informed decision-making and strategic oversight.

Finance & Margin Analysis

• Provide budget input and support financial planning processes.
• Conduct cost variance analyses to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Monitor and track logistics costs to ensure cost-effective operations.
• Analyse seasonal profitability and margin performance, providing insights to support commercial decision-making.
• Maintain visibility of working capital and cash flow drivers to support financial sustainability.

Sales & Market Coordination

• Coordinate customer programme commitments to ensure alignment between operational capacity and market demand.
• Maintain visibility of open-market trading activities and provide allocation recommendations based on commercial priorities.
• Monitor customer performance and prepare performance summaries to support relationship management and strategic decision-making.
• Facilitate communication and coordination between sales, operations, and logistics teams to ensure efficient fulfilment of customer requirements.

Export Logistics Governance

• Monitor shipment performance, freight costs, delivery delays, claims exposure, and service provider performance to ensure efficient and cost-effective export operations.
• Oversee delegated logistics activities and ensure compliance with established processes, service standards, and commercial objectives.
• Identify and escalate logistics risks and performance issues, implementing corrective actions where necessary.
• Analyse logistics data and reporting to support continuous improvement and informed decision-making.

Procurement Commercial Control

• Review and analyse supplier spend trends to identify cost-saving opportunities and improve procurement efficiency.
• Monitor and evaluate key supplier terms and agreements to ensure commercial competitiveness and compliance.
• Identify, investigate, and report procurement exceptions, ensuring appropriate corrective actions are implemented.
• Maintain and enforce approval workflow discipline to ensure adherence to procurement policies, controls, and delegated authorities.
• Provide procurement-related insights and reporting to support informed commercial and operational decision-making.

Systems, Data and Reporting

• Own and maintain the reporting framework, ensuring the timely delivery of accurate and meaningful commercial and operational reports.
• Establish and uphold data standards to ensure data integrity, consistency, and reliability across all systems.
• Drive workflow improvements and process optimisation across Xero, ApprovalMax, Dext, DEAR/Cin7 Core, QX, and Excel.

Risk and Claims Management

• Maintain visibility of all claims.
• Ensure disciplined documentation and evidence management to support claim resolution and risk mitigation.
• Monitor and report on claims exposure, identifying trends, risks, and potential financial impacts.
• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate the timely resolution of claims.
• Provide regular claims and risk reports to support informed decision-making and effective commercial governance.

Operational Alignment

• Integrate production, packhouse output, market requirements, logistics planning, and commercial reporting to ensure end-to-end operational alignment.

Please note that only short listed candidates will be contacted.

To be discussed during the interview process.

PeopleFinder Career Placements

Recruiter: Wallindi Schirnig

Email:  ***email_hidden***