WE ARE HIRING: Head of Sales – International

Location: Pune, Maharashtra, India
Employment Type: Full time
Work Mode: On-site 
Industry: Coconut Products / Food Ingredients / Agro-Processing / International B2B Sales

Role Overview

We are seeking a commercially driven and entrepreneurial Head of Sales – International to build and scale the B2B international sales business across global markets, with a primary focus on Europe and the USA.

The selected candidate will be responsible for developing international market strategies, acquiring high-value B2B customers, managing key accounts, negotiating supply contracts, building buyer pipelines, attending international trade shows, and working directly with senior leadership to shape the global revenue agenda.

Key Responsibilities

New Client Acquisition and Business Development

• Identify, prospect, and convert high-value B2B clients across international markets.
• Target food manufacturers, food processors, private label brands, retailers, and international buyers.
• Build a strong pipeline of buyers for coconut milk, coconut cream, and related food ingredients.
• Develop market-entry strategies for new countries, product categories, and customer segments.
• Leverage existing networks in Sri Lankan, Indian, and global coconut supply chains to accelerate business development.
• Build long-term relationships with international customers and strategic buyers.
• Work closely with production and quality teams to align product offerings with international buyer requirements.
• Identify opportunities to expand sales across Europe, the USA, and secondary export markets.
• Maintain strong visibility of customer requirements, market opportunities, and competitive positioning.

Pricing and Contract Negotiation

• Lead commercial negotiations with international clients.
• Negotiate pricing, volumes, payment terms, supply agreements, contract renewals, and amendments.
• Develop competitive pricing frameworks in coordination with senior leadership and operations teams.
• Monitor global commodity pricing trends, including coconut, freight, and foreign exchange movements.
• Use market intelligence to support pricing decisions, margin protection, and customer negotiations.
• Manage long-term supply contracts with key international accounts.
• Ensure commercial agreements support sustainable revenue growth and profitability.

International Marketing and Trade Shows

• Represent the business at international trade shows and food industry exhibitions.
• Attend or support events such as SIAL, Anuga, FMI, SupplySide West, and other relevant global exhibitions.
• Build brand visibility and credibility within the international B2B food ingredients sector.
• Collaborate with marketing teams to develop international sales collateral, digital presence, product information, and client-facing content.
• Develop country-specific go-to-market strategies with distributors, agents, or strategic partners where applicable.
• Monitor global food ingredient trends, buyer preferences, competitor activity, and market requirements.
• Support international customer presentations, product introductions, and commercial discussions.

Sales Team Building and Leadership

• Build and mentor an international sales team as the business scales.
• Set individual and team KPIs aligned with revenue, market share, customer acquisition, and pipeline growth.
• Foster a high-accountability, results-oriented, and commercially disciplined sales culture.
• Provide regular sales forecasts, pipeline reports, market intelligence, and performance updates to senior leadership.
• Establish sales processes, CRM discipline, reporting structures, and customer management standards.
• Lead by example through hands-on customer acquisition and strategic account development.
• Support team capability building in international sales, pricing, negotiation, and buyer management.

Target Customer Profile

• B2B food manufacturers and processors purchasing coconut milk, coconut cream, and related ingredients.
• Retailers and private label brands sourcing coconut-based products for own-label ranges.
• Distributors, importers, agents, and strategic partners in international food ingredient markets.
• Key geographies including the UK, Germany, Netherlands, France, Nordics, wider Europe, and the USA.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Food Technology, or a related field.
• MBA or postgraduate qualification in Sales, International Business, or a related discipline will be preferred.
• Additional certifications in food safety, export management, or international trade will be an advantage.
• Minimum 8 years of B2B sales experience.
• At least 4 years of experience in international markets is required.
• Proven track record of selling into Europe and/or USA food and beverage markets.
• Experience in coconut products, coconut milk, coconut cream, agro-processing, or food ingredients will be strongly preferred.
• Candidates from Sri Lankan or Indian coconut industry backgrounds will be given strong preference.
• Demonstrated ability to independently acquire and manage international key accounts.
• Experience attending or exhibiting at international food trade shows will be highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of B2B food ingredient sales cycles and buyer decision-making processes.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience in pricing strategy, margin management, and contract negotiation.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills in English.
• Knowledge of an additional European language will be an advantage.
• Strong network within the global coconut or tropical food ingredient supply chain.
• Proficiency in CRM tools, sales reporting, and pipeline management.
• Ability and willingness to travel internationally, especially to Europe and the USA.
• Self-driven, entrepreneurial, and capable of working with minimal hierarchy.
• Strong negotiation, relationship-building, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Results-oriented, proactive, accountable, and comfortable building a business from the ground up.

What the Role Offers

• High-impact leadership role with direct access to senior management.
• Opportunity to build an international business from the ground up.
• Competitive compensation with performance-linked incentives.
• International travel and exposure to global food ingredient markets.
• Long-term career growth within a rapidly expanding food manufacturing business.

Ready to take your career to new heights?

We're InTalent Asia, your go-to recruitment partner, and we've got an exciting opportunity for you! Our client is looking for a strategic and commercially driven professional to fill the role of Head of Sales – International.

Apply now and see how you can be the perfect fit for this exclusive leadership position!

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