Director of Product Management

Ocean Mist Farms•Castroville, CA

5d•$158,800 - $204,900

About The Position

The Director of Product Management is responsible for leading the Company’s commodity business across all commodity categories. This position owns enterprise-wide commodity strategy, commodity sales performance, supply planning, pricing strategy, market development, inventory position, grower returns, and profitability performance. The Director works collaboratively with senior management, Sales, Marketing, Production, Harvesting, Operations, Finance, R&D, affiliated companies, and key customers to maximize revenue opportunities, customer satisfaction, market share, product movement, and grower returns. The role requires clear business vision, strong execution against the commodity plan, and the ability to balance customer demand, market conditions, available product, quality, inventory aging, and Company profitability. This position directly leads the Commodity Managers and commodity-focused sales personnel responsible for specific commodity categories. The Director of Sales remains responsible for sales personnel who do not manage a commodity, customer development activities, and non-commodity sales execution.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Sales, Marketing, Agricultural Economics, Agriculture, Supply Chain, or related field required
Minimum of 7 to 10 years of progressive experience in sales, commodity sales, commodity management, agricultural sales, or a comparable role
Minimum of 3 to 5 years of leadership experience managing sales, commodity, account management, or cross-functional teams
Proven track record achieving revenue, profitability, market share, customer growth, commodity performance, and/or grower return objectives
Experience with strategic planning, market analysis, sales performance analysis, pricing strategy, contract management, and budget management
Strong knowledge of fresh produce markets, commodity sales, inventory management, market conditions, customer programs, supply planning, and product quality factors
Strong communication, interpersonal, negotiation, analytical, organization, and problem-solving skills
Ability to maintain effective working relationships with customers, industry stakeholders, employees, affiliates, supervisors, peers, and cross-functional departments
Working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office Suite, CRM or sales performance tools, and industry-specific sales systems
Ability to travel frequently to meet with customers, attend industry events, visit offices, coolers, fields, and other business locations as required

Nice To Haves

MBA or other advanced degree preferred
Previous working experience in the Agriculture or Fresh Produce industry preferred
Experience managing multiple commodity categories and motivating a team of commodity or sales professionals
Experience developing customer profitability tools, sales databases, and contract compliance reporting
Working knowledge of Famous software, iTrade, Food Link, finance tools, database tools, or comparable systems preferred
Valid class C California Driver’s license and ability to be insured, if required by Company policy

Responsibilities

Develop and execute commodity sales and management strategies across all commodity categories to support Company profitability, market share, customer satisfaction, and grower return objectives
Lead annual commodity planning with Production and Harvesting, including volume planning, commodity growth planning, forecast alignment, and supply strategy
Monitor harvest projections, inventory position, actual sales, market demand, and quality conditions to identify shortages, excess supply, promotional opportunities, outside purchase needs, and product movement strategies
Balance the overall commodity plan, sales needs, customer commitments, market conditions, product quality, and available supply to maximize returns
Oversee commodity inventory across all categories and ensure compliance with aging and inventory management policies
Monitor commodity commitments during high-volume periods, holidays, promotions, and limited-supply situations to prevent over-commitment
Make final allocation and customer service decisions during periods of limited product availability in partnership with Sales leadership
Own commodity sales performance, customer profitability, pricing discipline, market share progress, grower returns, and profit/loss performance across all commodity categories
Review and analyze sales performance against sales budgets, revenue goals, product mix, pricing, profitability, and industry trends to determine effectiveness
Develop and administer annual revenue, margin, expense, and departmental budgets for the commodity sales function
Lead commodity pricing strategy, review pricing adjustments, and ensure all pricing decisions are accurate, timely, and aligned with market conditions and Company objectives
Work closely with Finance to develop customer profitability, contract compliance, reporting, and performance management tools
Monitor adjustments, claims, deductions, settlements, and receivables to ensure timely resolution within established Company timelines
Prepare business reviews, performance updates, and executive reporting on commodity results, risk areas, and strategic opportunities
Participate in product positioning, packaging, pricing strategy, and market strategy discussions to maximize long-term market share
Actively support Sales and Marketing efforts to promote Company products through relevant customer, consumer, and trade channels
Participate with and support development of new profitable products, category extensions, and market growth opportunities
Support R&D and cross-functional teams in the development of new products, product line extensions, and strategies that improve visibility and profitability
Directly lead, coach, develop, and manage all Commodity Managers and commodity-focused sales personnel
Create and maintain a high-performance commodity team by attracting, motivating, training, developing, and retaining key personnel
Select, supervise, support, discipline, counsel, and evaluate assigned staff, including accurate and timely performance reviews
Provide professional growth opportunities for Commodity Managers, commodity-focused Account Managers, Sales Associates, and support personnel within the commodity function
Assign work schedules, coordinate time off, establish backup coverage, and oversee commodity management duties during staff absences
Plan, organize, and implement team improvement plans that increase efficiency, accountability, communication, analytical discipline, and service performance
Train the commodity team on selling skills, market execution, customer interactions, business reviews, contract negotiations, terms, compliance, pricing, inventory management, and commodity strategy
Ensure accurate and on-time reporting that supports sales organization effectiveness, customer tracking, commodity planning, and executive decision-making
Track sales performance, customer activity, market movement, inventory trends, commodity performance, pricing results, and category opportunities
Create annual or periodic reports on customer databases, commodity performance, sales targets, profitability, and market opportunities
Ensure orders, estimates, forecasts, and customer commitments related to commodity categories are entered accurately and in a timely manner to support order fulfillment and customer service
Coordinate strategies with multiple departments across the Company, including Production, Harvesting, Operations, Finance, Marketing, R&D, Customer Service, Sales, and affiliated companies
Partner closely with the Director of Sales to align commodity strategy, customer commitments, account coverage, and customer service execution
Attend relevant meetings and report to executive leadership or the Board of Directors as requested
Monitor Sales Assistant responsibilities and workload where support is assigned to the commodity function to ensure appropriate distribution of work
Perform other duties and special projects as assigned