UNFI · 1 day ago
Commodity Sales & Sourcing Manager - Produce
Providence, RI
Full-time
Hybrid
Mid Level
3+ years expUNFI is a leading distributor of grocery and natural products, and they are seeking a Commodity Sales & Sourcing Manager for Produce. This role is responsible for developing and managing grower relationships, executing fresh produce sales, and ensuring superior customer service while meeting sales targets and managing supplier performance.
Food and BeverageHealth CareHospitalityOrganic Food
Responsibilities
Responsible for meeting or exceeding established targets for sales, category growth, and gross margin within assigned commodity responsibilities
Monitor current and anticipated future market price ceilings and floors for all assigned commodities
Provide Sales, Replenishment, and Customers with information on product availability, quality, and market price promptly
Negotiate pricing on all needs within commodity responsibilities and manage supplier performance
Suggest substitutions to Sales, Replenishment, and Customers for unavailable or otherwise unacceptable products
Respond to customer inquiries and ensure that customer comments, problems, complaints, and requests are resolved and/or forwarded to an appropriate individual(s) in an appropriate and timely manner; escalate, as necessary
Negotiate commodity programs with customers to secure long-term sales
Negotiate credit requests and problem arrivals per policy; monitor history and report results
Facilitate customer meetings and presentations
Find and develop commodity sales opportunities by identifying market changes and establishing grower relationships to secure volume in collaboration with division replenishment and sales teams
Collaborate with business partners in the supply chain to establish sourcing forecasting and planning
Provide timely responses to grower questions and offer solutions to deal with problems
Facilitate grower settlement presentations and negotiate final grower returns
Continuous review and development of supplier relationships through regular communications and supplier visits
Communicate with suppliers to facilitate compliance requirements for supplier approval, organic certification, and food safety
Identify, qualify, and make phone solicitations to facilitate meetings with potential new suppliers and evaluate supply opportunities
Manage grower performance by ensuring suppliers clearly understand expectations and meet/exceed UNFI expectations for agreed-upon volume, logistics scheduling, and quality
Collaborate with internal UNFI teams within Transportation, Replenishment, and Accounts Payable teams to ensure timely grower payments
Attend and actively participate in trade shows and execute follow-up as needed
Collaborate with the Sales team in developing strategies and tactics to grow revenue
Review and understand technology trends and improvements within assigned commodity responsibilities to drive best-in-class alignments with key suppliers
Review and compile relevant industry data to understand trends and make category recommendations to drive performance
Collaborate with Replenishment and Transportation to move rejected products
Collaborate with the Grower settlement department to close open trouble and price–after-sale files
Conduct Grower visits regularly to identify best practices within the Grower network
Perform all duties and responsibilities by HACCP and Safe Quality Food (SQF) policies and procedures, as appropriate for location
Follow all policies and procedures outlined in the UNFI Recall Plan
Performs other duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Associates degree in relevant field
Ability to conceptualize markets and anticipate changes
Ability to effectively close sales
Capable of thriving in a dynamic, sales-driven team environment
Able to develop and maintain effective, positive internal and external working relationships with a diverse group of individuals
Ability to be comfortable in a highly open, dynamic, and collaborative work environment
Reliable and highly motivated team player
Strong organizational skills with ability to multi-task and work effectively in a fast-paced environment under pressure
Ability to set priorities and meet deadlines while accomplishing team objectives
Ability to work independently and exercise good judgement
Proven customer service standards of excellence and related philosophy
Proactive with excellent follow-through
Possess good communication skills, both verbal and written. Deal effectively with a wide variety of people both in person and over the telephone
Strong computer skills including MS Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook
Competent to learn and adapt to new computer applications, system upgrades and other technology
Good judgment is required for this position as there may be times when direct supervision may not be immediately available
Preferred
3 years minimum of produce sales, purchasing, and/or produce category management experience preferred; organic experience a plus
Benefits
Paid Time Off
Sick Time
Paid holidays and parental leave
401K Program
Medical, dental, vision, life, and accidental death/dismemberment insurance
Short-term and long-term disability insurance program
Flexible Spending Account and/or Health Savings Account
Company
UNFI
UNFI is North America’s Premier Food Wholesaler.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$507.1M2024-04-25Post Ipo Debt· $500M
2014-07-15Post Ipo Equity· $7.1M
1996-11-01IPO
Leadership Team
Sandy Douglas
Chief Executive Officer
Giorgio Matteo Tarditi
President and CFO
Recent News
Digital Commerce 360
2025-12-17
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
2025-12-03
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