Sales Manager

Role purpose

Candidate requirements

• Proven and recent dates-industry sales experience is mandatory.
• Strong understanding of the Saudi dates market and practical experience with international customers or relevant sales channels.
• Understand producing regions, market channels, customer segments, and seasonal demand in the Saudi dates sector.
• Know major dates varieties, commercial positioning, grades, sizes, moisture characteristics, packaging formats, and applications.
• Understand the dates value chain from farm or producer through processing, packing, distribution, wholesale, retail, and export.
• Translate customer specifications and market requirements into commercially viable product offerings.
• Understand international market preferences and export-destination commercial requirements.

Key competencies

• Dates-industry expertise and Saudi market knowledge.
• International business development, export sales, key account management, and distributor management.
• Commercial negotiation, strategic sales planning, market intelligence, and customer relationship management.
• Team leadership, sales forecasting, profit and margin awareness, problem solving, and decision making.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.

Sales strategy and planning

• Develop and execute annual, quarterly, and monthly sales plans aligned with revenue and profitability objectives.
• Set sales targets by customer, channel, product, territory, and market.
• Develop pricing, promotional, distribution, and customer-acquisition strategies with management.
• Monitor market conditions, seasonality, crop availability, pricing, competitor activity, and customer demand.
• Build accurate sales forecasts and maintain a healthy sales pipeline.

Saudi market development

• Expand sales through Saudi wholesalers, distributors, modern and traditional trade, retailers, foodservice, hotels, restaurants, cafés, institutions, and B2B customers.
• Develop relationships with key Saudi retailers, distributors, wholesalers, traders, and strategic accounts.
• Identify underserved regions and customer segments and plan to increase market penetration.
• Monitor customer pricing, competitor activity, product assortment, promotions, and market-share opportunities.

International sales and exports

• Identify export markets and establish relationships with importers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and food companies.
• Develop market-entry plans and assess customer, regulatory, packaging, pricing, and logistical requirements.
• Generate export leads through research, networks, referrals, trade fairs, exhibitions, chambers of commerce, and digital channels.
• Manage international negotiations through order confirmation and customer development; grow long-term buyer relationships and export volumes.

Accounts and business development

• Manage strategic accounts to support customer satisfaction and retention; conduct customer visits and business reviews.
• Understand requirements for varieties, grades, sizes, packaging, private label, certifications, shelf life, and delivery.
• Resolve commercial issues promptly and coordinate internally to fulfill commitments.
• Build a qualified pipeline of customers and distributors; identify product, packaging, private-label, and channel opportunities.
• Attend local and international food exhibitions and convert leads into commercial opportunities; develop strategic partnerships.

Commercial management

• Negotiate prices, payment terms, volumes, contracts, rebates, promotions, and other commercial conditions within approved authority.
• Protect margins while remaining competitive; coordinate with Finance on credit limits, collections, overdue balances, and commercial risks.
• Provide management with market intelligence and recommendations on pricing and commercial positioning.

Team and cross-functional leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop the sales team; establish KPIs, conduct pipeline and performance reviews, and guide customer development, negotiation, planning, and account management.
• Support sales recruitment and onboarding when required.
• Work with Production, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, Quality, Marketing, and Logistics to meet customer requirements.
• Coordinate availability, production planning, specifications, packaging, delivery schedules, documentation, and export requirements; escalate issues and support timely resolution.