Job description

Commercial Director – Seafood Canning
 

Position Summary

The Commercial Director is responsible for leading the company's commercial strategy to achieve sustainable revenue growth, increased profitability, stronger market positioning, and long-term customer partnerships. The role oversees Sales, Marketing, Business Development, Brand Management, Trade Marketing, Customer Service, Pricing, and Commercial Planning across domestic and international markets.
The Commercial Director develops and executes strategies that maximize market share while ensuring profitable growth, customer satisfaction, and alignment with the company's production capacity and strategic objectives. The Commercial Director  will report to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
 

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Strategy

• Develop and implement the company's commercial strategy.
• Build sustainable revenue growth across existing and new markets.
• Align commercial plans with production, supply chain, and financial capabilities.
• Deliver annual sales, profitability, and market share targets.

Sales Leadership

• Lead domestic and international sales operations.
• Develop regional growth strategies.
• Establish annual sales budgets and forecasts.
• Monitor sales performance and implement corrective actions.
• Negotiate strategic customer agreements.

Marketing & Brand Management

• Develop corporate and product marketing strategies.
• Build strong private label and company-owned brands.
• Improve brand awareness and customer loyalty.
• Lead product launches and promotional campaigns.
• Strengthen digital marketing presence.

Market Positioning

• Position the company as a preferred seafood supplier.
• Develop competitive differentiation strategies.
• Monitor competitor activities and pricing.
• Identify emerging market opportunities.
• Increase presence in premium and value segments.

Business Development

• Identify new distributors and strategic customers.
• Expand exports into new countries.
• Develop strategic partnerships.
• Support new product development based on market trends.

Profitability Management

• Ensure profitable sales rather than volume alone.
• Lead pricing strategy.
• Optimize customer and product profitability.
• Improve gross margin performance.
• Manage commercial risks.

Customer Relationship Management

• Build executive relationships with key customers.
• Improve customer satisfaction.
• Resolve major commercial issues.
• Develop long-term strategic partnerships.

Commercial Planning

• Lead annual sales planning.
• Improve forecast accuracy.
• Coordinate demand planning with Operations and Supply Chain.
• Optimize inventory and product availability.

Cross-functional Leadership

• Collaborate closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, Quality Assurance, and Research & Development to ensure successful commercial execution.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, International Business, or related field.
• MBA preferred.
• 12–15 years of commercial leadership experience.
• Minimum 5 years in senior commercial management.
• Seafood, FMCG, or food manufacturing experience preferred.
• International export experience is essential.

Required Competencies

• Strategic thinking
• Commercial acumen
• Sales leadership
• Marketing strategy
• Brand development
• Negotiation
• Financial analysis
• Market intelligence
• Customer relationship management
• Team leadership
• Change management
• Decision making
• Cross-functional collaboration

Preferred Industry Experience

• Canned tuna
• Canned sardines
• Seafood processing
• FMCG
• Private label manufacturing
• Retail and foodservice channels
• International export markets

Success Profile

• Deliver profitable and sustainable sales growth.
• Expand the company's international footprint.
• Strengthen the company's brands and market position.
• Build high-performing commercial teams.
• Develop strategic customer relationships.
• Increase market share while protecting margins.
• Position the company as a leading regional seafood producer and trusted global private-label partner.