About Our Client
International company with operations in Spain
Job Description
Lead the business to become a scaled, professionally run agribusiness platform combining:
- profitable organic growth in citrus
- a growing trading business (buy/sell, sourcing, arbitrage)
- cost leadership via operational excellence and targeted capex
- selective M&A to accelerate scale and integration
Strategic Priorities (in order)
1. Build a High-Performance Leadership Team
- Hire and develop:
- COO / Operations Director
- Head of Trading / Commercial
- strong second layer
- Create clear ownership, accountability, and decision rights
- Remove CEO dependency from daily operations
1. Drive Profitable Organic Growth
- Improve:
- yield, planning accuracy, and throughput
- customer profitability (mix, pricing discipline)
- Strengthen relationships with major retailers
- Expand volumes without margin dilution
1. Build & Scale a Trading Business
- Develop sourcing beyond own production:
- third-party growers
- international sourcing (when relevant)
- Build capabilities in:
- pricing & margin management
- supply balancing (own vs. traded volume)
- Establish company as a reliable trading partner
This requires commercial sharpness + risk awareness
1. Operational Excellence & Cost Leadership (via Capex)
- Lead modernization of:
- packhouses (automation, sorting, grading)
- Improve:
- cost per kg
- labor productivity
- waste reduction
- Drive decisions on capex allocation and ROI
1. Selective Buy & Build (Enabler, not driver)
- Acquire:
- fincas (production assets)
- selective add-ons (packing, trading, logistics)
- Focus on:
- integration into platform
- operational synergies
- Avoid "deal-driven" behavior
The Successful Applicant
1. Agribusiness / Fresh Produce Background
- Direct exposure to:
- citrus / fruit / fresh produce
- OR adjacent perishable food environments
Must understand:
- seasonality
- quality variabilityoperational reality
1. Proven Team Builder
- Built and led a strong second management layer
- Track record of:
- hiring strong operators
- delegating effectively
- developing leaders
1. Commercial & Trading Mindset
- Experience in:
- trading / sourcing / distribution
- managing margins, not just volumes
- Ability to balance:
- own production vs. traded volumes
1. Operational Depth (without micromanagement)
- Strong understanding of:
- packhouse operations
- supply chain & logistics
- Manages via:
- KPIs
- systems
- team
1. Scaling Mid-Sized Businesses
- Experience growing:
- €30M → €70M+
- Professionalizing structures and processes
Nice to Have
- M&A / integration experience
- capex-heavy transformation projects
- Private Equity exposure
Background
- Ideally Spanish or strong Spain experience
- Alternatively:
- European (DE/NL/FR) with proven Southern Europe success
- Languages:
- Spanish (required)
- English (required)
What's on Offer
An exciting professional challenge in the fresh produce sector with strong growth potential
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