Commercial Trader
Come and join the leading #avoexperts 🥑
Westfalia Fruit is a leading multinational supplier of fresh fruit and related value-added products to global markets. Through our vertically-integrated supply chain we grow, source, ripen, pack, process and market quality avocadoes & fresh produce – 365 days a year & across the globe.
With the largest avocado-growing footprint in the world, we are recognised as the leading #avoexperts and considered as the supplier of choice to both retail & wholesale customers whom we serve from sales offices in the UK, Europe, North America, Latin America & Southern Africa.
We’re looking for a Commercial Trader to join our team in, Poeldijk, Netherlands.
Role Summary
The Wholesale Market Trader (Avocados) is responsible for driving spot-market trading performance across the Dutch and wider European wholesale markets. The role plays a critical part in maximising daily and weekly margins, managing real-time stock positions, and ensuring Westfalia maintains a competitive, agile presence within the highly dynamic avocado category.
Operating at the intersection of Customer (Sell) and Supply Chain (Move), the Trader works closely with the Netherlands Commercial team, Customer Business Development, and the Demand & Supply Planning team to ensure optimal stock rotation, market penetration, and customer satisfaction. The role requires deep commercial instinct, exceptional market awareness, and strong negotiation capability to achieve rapid, profitable trading decisions within the fresh produce environment.
Travel Requirements
Occasional travel within the Netherlands and Europe may be required to visit suppliers and customers.
Responsibilities include:
- Execute daily spot-market avocado trades across Europe, making rapid pricing and stock allocation decisions to maximise margin.
- Monitor live market conditions, pricing movements, and competitor activity to drive informed trading and commercial recommendations.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with wholesale customers, traders, ripeners, and brokers across European markets.
- Optimise stock usage by managing ageing, quality, and risk, ensuring the best route-to-market for every specification.
- Collaborate closely with Planning, Logistics, Quality, and Customer teams to align stock availability with trading opportunities.
- Provide trading insights to commercial and leadership teams, contributing to forecasting, S&OP cycles, and commercial reviews.
- Maintain accurate trading records, ensuring compliance with financial, food safety, and ethical trading standards.
- Analyse margin performance and identify opportunities to improve profitability across channels and customers.
- Negotiate effectively to secure competitive advantage while upholding Westfalia’s values, brand reputation, and sustainability commitments.
- Demonstrate strong commercial judgement, resilience, and numerical capability in a fast-paced trading environment.
Requirements
Experience we look for:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Commerce, Agriculture, or a related commercial discipline (preferred).
- Relevant industry certifications in trading, commercial negotiation, or fresh produce operations (advantageous).
- Proven experience in fresh produce trading, ideally with exposure to exotics — strong preference for avocados and/or other high-value categories.
- Demonstrated success in wholesale or spot-market trading environments across the Netherlands or Europe.
- Strong track record of margin delivery, stock optimisation, and rapid trading decision-making.
- Experience working within an integrated commercial function alongside planning, logistics, and customer teams.
- Strong numeric capability and real-time decision-making skills.
- Ability to interpret daily pricing movements, supply dynamics, and external market drivers.
- Proficiency with trading/demand systems, stock management tools, and ERP systems (MS D365 advantageous).
- Intermediate to advanced Excel skills.
- Knowledge of EU fresh-produce compliance, quality standards, and wholesale market regulations.
- Highly commercial with strong entrepreneurial mindset.
- Resilient, decisive, and comfortable making rapid trading decisions under pressure.
- Excellent communicator able to build strong rapport with buyers, market agents, internal teams, and suppliers.
- Strong negotiation and persuasion skills.
- Collaborative, team-oriented, and aligned to Westfalia values.
- High integrity and strong commitment to responsible trading practices.
Benefits
What can Westfalia Fruit offer you?
- 26 days vacation, plus national holidays
- Competitive salary
- Company pension scheme
- Company phone & laptop
Please note that this position does not have a specific closing date. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and the advert may be removed at any time.
We’re an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to age, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, or veteran, neurodiversity or disability status.