Export Sales Manager

POSITION Export Sales Manager

DEPARTMENT Exports

REPORTS TO General Manager

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF POSITION

The Export Sales Manager is responsible for leading and executing the company’s international sales growth strategy, developing new export markets and customers, managing export sales operations, and overseeing the full product and customer journey from concept stage through to final market distribution.

This is both a strategic and operational sales role, requiring strong commercial awareness, export sales experience, leadership capability, and the ability to manage projects from concept to market launch.

The Export Sales Manager works closely with the General Manager and senior management team and is responsible for expanding the company’s international presence, particularly within European markets. The role also requires full ownership of the end-to-end export process, ensuring that customers are properly serviced, orders are managed efficiently, and products leaving the factory meet customer specifications, agreed standards, packaging requirements, labelling requirements, and market expectations.

TASKS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

RESPONSIBILITIES

A - Strategic Sales and Business Development

• Develop and implement the company’s export sales and international growth strategy.
• Identify and develop new export markets, customers, distributors, and sales channels.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with international clients, distributors, and commercial partners.
• Use existing commercial connections, export knowledge, and industry contacts to expand sales opportunities.
• Lead market research, product positioning, competitor review, and market entry strategies.
• Prepare and present export sales plans, market development plans, customer development plans, and growth proposals to the GM and senior management.
• Travel overseas, particularly within Europe, to meet clients, distributors, commercial partners, and attend trade fairs

B - Product Development and Market Execution

• Manage the full product development cycle for export markets, from concept stage through to market launch.
• Work closely with factory, production, design, quality, and marketing teams to develop products suitable for specific markets and customers.
• Ensure products meet applicable regulatory, packaging, labelling, quality, and market requirements.
• Lead new product development initiatives for export customers and target markets.
• Manage the critical path from product concept to production, shipment, and final market launch.
• Coordinate internal teams to ensure product development timelines, approvals, and launch deadlines are achieved.
• Ensure that customer requirements are properly captured at concept stage and reflected throughout product development, production planning, packaging, labelling, and final dispatch

C - Export Sales Operations Management

• Manage the end-to-end export sales process, ensuring that customers are properly serviced from initial enquiry through to order confirmation, production coordination, shipment, delivery, and after-sales follow-up.
• Act as the main point of coordination between customers, distributors, production, quality, logistics, finance, and internal departments to ensure a smooth and efficient export process.
• Ensure that customer requirements are clearly understood, communicated internally, and followed throughout the process.
• Ensure that products leaving the factory are in line with customer specifications, agreed product standards, packaging requirements, labelling requirements, and market requirements.
• Oversee customer orders, export documentation, shipping arrangements, delivery timelines, and follow-up actions.
• Ensure customers receive timely updates regarding order progress, shipment status, delivery timelines, and any issues requiring attention.
• Monitor service levels and ensure that export customers receive a professional, responsive, and reliable service.
• Ensure compliance with export regulations, customs requirements, documentation requirements, and food export regulations where applicable.
• Identify and resolve operational issues that may affect customer service, product accuracy, delivery performance, or export timelines.
• Ensure deadlines, customer commitments, shipment schedules, and project timelines are met.

D - Financial and Sales Performance Management

• Manage and monitor export sales performance.
• Take responsibility for export sales growth, gross margin, and customer profitability.
• Monitor pricing structures, product costs, freight costs, and profitability by market and customer.
• Prepare export forecasts, sales budgets, pipeline updates, customer reports, and performance reports monthly.
• Review market and customer performance and recommend actions to improve sales growth, margin, and customer development.
• Monitor the financial impact of export operations, including pricing, logistics costs, production costs, and customer-specific requirements.
• Ensure export sales activity supports agreed commercial objectives and profitability targets.

E - Customer Relationship and Service Management

• Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with export customers, distributors, and commercial partners.
• Ensure export customers receive a high level of service, communication, and follow-up.
• Understand customer expectations, product requirements, commercial terms, and market-specific needs.
• Address customer queries, concerns, and service issues in a timely and professional manner.
• Coordinate internally to ensure customer commitments are properly managed and delivered.
• Support customer retention and repeat business through reliable service, accurate execution, and proactive communication.

F - Leadership and Team Management

• Lead and manage the export sales team.
• Manage senior employees and cross-functional teams involved in export sales projects.
• Coordinate internal departments, including production, finance, logistics, quality, marketing, and sales.
• Provide direction, structure, and accountability within export sales projects.
• Support, guide, and monitor team members to ensure objectives and deadlines are achieved.
• Manage teams located locally and abroad, where applicable.
• Promote clear communication, ownership, and accountability across all departments involved in export sales and export operations.

G - Requirements & Experience

• Minimum of 6 years’ experience in export sales, international sales, business development, or export project management.
• Proven experience in developing export markets, customers, distributors, and sales channels.
• Experience in food export is highly preferred.
• Experience managing projects from concept stage to market launch.
• Experience managing end-to-end export processes, including customer requirements, production coordination, documentation, logistics, shipment, and after-sales follow-up.
• Experience managing teams, including senior staff and/or international teams.
• Strong knowledge of export sales procedures, international logistics, customs requirements, export documentation, and food export regulations where applicable.
• Strong commercial and financial understanding, including pricing, costs, profitability, and gross margin management.
• Strong understanding of customer service standards and the importance of accurate order execution.
• Experience working directly with senior management, General Manager, or CEO level.
• Strong communication, negotiation, planning, and organisational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple customers, projects, deadlines, markets, and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to coordinate with production, quality, logistics, finance, sales, and marketing teams to ensure customer and market requirements are met.
• Willingness to travel internationally, particularly within Europe.

COMPANY POLICY

Company policies may change depending on operational and commercial requirements. This job description may be amended accordingly.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I confirm that I have read and understood the responsibilities, requirements, and expectations of the position outlined above.