CEO (Agriculture / Fruit) Full Time Job

CEO (Agriculture / Fruit) position available in Paarl.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership and overall operational oversight of the business.
• Develop and implement growth strategies to drive profitability, sustainability, and market expansion.
• Lead international marketing and sales initiatives, focusing on export growth and customer retention.
• Negotiate major export programmes, customer contracts, and commercial agreements.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with growers, producers, customers, shareholders, and industry stakeholders.
• Oversee all operational areas, including production, packing, logistics, exports, technical functions, and marketing.
• Monitor industry trends, market conditions, and competitor activity to identify opportunities and mitigate risks.
• Manage seasonal planning, forecasting, and execution of export programmes.
• Take overall responsibility for financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, and profitability.
• Ensure compliance with export regulations, food safety standards, governance requirements, and risk management practices.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the management team, fostering a high-performance and accountable culture.
• Provide regular strategic, operational, and financial reporting to the Board of Directors.

Minimum Requirements:

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Commerce, Agriculture, Business Management, Finance, or a related field.
• Extensive senior management experience within the fresh produce, fruit export, agriculture, or related industries.
• Proven experience in international fruit marketing and export markets.
• Strong understanding of table grape production, packing, logistics, and export operations.
• Demonstrated experience in business leadership, strategic planning, and financial management.
• Experience managing complex stakeholder relationships, including growers, customers, shareholders, and service providers.
• Strong commercial acumen and strategic thinking ability.
• Excellent leadership, people management, and team development skills.
• Strong negotiation, relationship management, and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
• Sound understanding of financial management, budgeting, and business performance analysis.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, seasonal export environment.
• High levels of professionalism, integrity, accountability, and decision-making ability.