The UK Food Trader will manage the sourcing, procurement, and sale of food products across international markets. This role focuses on driving profitable trade while navigating complex UK and international customs, logistics, and regulatory environments. You'll shape trading strategies, maintain close supplier and client relations, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver seamless import/export operations.
Trading & Commercial Strategy
1. Identify new and existing opportunities in both domestic (UK) and international markets (e.g. EU, Asia, Middle East).
2. Source and negotiate pricing, contracts, and terms with suppliers and clients.
3. Align trade activities with company goals for volume, margin, and profitability.
Market Intelligence & Risk Management
4. Track global market trends, geopolitical events, currency fluctuations, and commodity prices.
5. Provide insights to inform hedging/tender strategies and manage risk.
6. Stay aware of emerging opportunities (e.g., new export markets or imported product innovations).
Regulatory Compliance & Documentation
7. Ensure all imports and exports adhere to UK food safety regulations
8. Prepare and manage accurate documentation
9. Coordinate with customs brokers, freight forwarders, and logistics teams to ensure timely delivery and customs clearance.
Supplier & Customer Relationship Management
10. Develop and maintain relationships with international suppliers (e.g. producers, packers, cooperatives) and domestic clients (e.g. wholesalers, foodservice operators, retail chains).
11. Address supply chain issues, navigate disruptions, and ensure product quality and delivery expectations are met.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
12. Work closely with logistics, quality assurance, finance, and legal teams to align trading activities with logistical capabilities and financial controls.
13. Coordinate quality inspections, trace-ability, and food safety assessments
Skills & Competencies
14. Strong commercial acumen, negotiation ability, and pricing strategy capability.
15. Deep understanding of UK and international food trading markets and terminology
16. Excellent communication and stakeholder management.
17. Sharp analytical skills-comfortable with numbers, forecasting, and margin calculations.
18. Adaptable and resilient-with experience managing regulatory or supply disruptions.
19. IT literate: advanced Excel
Experience & Qualifications
20. Track record in food trading, commodity trading, or international agri-food procurement-preferably with UK-based import/export experience.
21. Strong network within the food industry: producers, wholesalers, exporters/importers, customs brokers.
22. Knowledge of UK trade policy changes, post-Brexit regulatory updates, and incident response in supply chain.
23. Degree in Supply Chain, International Trade, Business, Economics, or related discipline (preferred but not mandatory).
Why Join Us?
24. Be at the heart of global food movements-shaping what gets traded and where.
25. Work in a fast-moving environment
26. Opportunity for international travel and developing global networks.
27. Contribute to strategic growth and market diversification in the UK's dynamic import/export sector.