General Manager / CEO (Bakery Ingredients)

Our client is a food technology company that specializes in R&D, production, and sales of bakery ingredients - especially non-dairy whipped cream.

They are seeking a worldly and versatile General Manager/CEO with extensive experience in the bakery ingredients segment to lead the company's overall business operations, commercial strategy, and long-term growth in Brazil. In this role, you will work closely with the BoD, senior leadership, sales, operations, manufacturing, supply chain, finance, R&D, and key customers to drive business performance and strengthen the company's market position. The ideal candidate should possess immaculate leadership experience within the bakery ingredients segment, and a heightened understanding of ingredient manufacturing, B2B commercial operations, product development, and the food manufacturing value chain.

This is a FULLY REMOTE role - however candidates should already be living in/willing to relocate to Brazil and possess strong business relationships in the country for this sector.

Strong professional working fluency in English, and fluency in Portuguese is REQUIRED.

Finally, please note that only candidates that have significant commercial management experience in the bakery ingredients segment will be selected for interviews. Equity can be offered for the right candidates.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead the overall strategic direction, operational performance, and financial management of the business to achieve sustainable growth and profitability.
• Develop and implement long-term business plans, annual operating plans, and growth initiatives aligned with the company's commercial objectives
• Drive sales growth by expanding existing customer relationships, identifying new market opportunities, and strengthening the company's position within the bakery ingredients industry.
• Build and maintain executive-level relationships with key customers including commercial bakeries, industrial food manufacturers, distributors, foodservice companies, and strategic business partners.
• Oversee manufacturing operations to ensure production efficiency, product quality, cost competitiveness, inventory optimization, and on-time customer delivery.
• Lead new product development initiatives in collaboration with technical application, R&D, and commercial teams to meet evolving customer and market requirements.
• Establish pricing strategies, commercial policies, and key account plans that maximize profitability while maintaining long-term customer partnerships.
• Monitor market trends, competitive activity, raw material developments, and consumer trends to identify new business opportunities and potential risks.
• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, quality standards, and applicable industry certifications throughout the organization.
• Develop and mentor the senior leadership team while fostering a high-performance, customer-focused, and results-driven culture.
• Drive operational excellence initiatives focused on productivity improvements, cost optimization, supply chain efficiency, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee financial performance including budgeting, forecasting, capital investment planning, cash flow management, and profitability analysis.
• Represent the company in meetings with customers, suppliers, industry associations, regulatory authorities, and other external stakeholders.

REQUIREMENTS:

• At least 15 - 20 years of progressive commercial leadership experience within the ingredients industry, and 5 recent years focusing specifically on bakery ingredients.
• Held previous roles as National/Commercial Director, Business Unit Director, General Manager, COO, CEO, or other senior executive leadership positions.
• Deep understanding of bakery ingredients including bread improvers, premixes, enzymes, emulsifiers, non-dairy cream products, fats and oils, flour treatment solutions, and other functional bakery ingredients.
• Strong knowledge of commercial bakery operations, industrial food manufacturing, ingredient applications, and product development processes.
• Proven track record of driving revenue growth, improving profitability, and successfully leading business transformation initiatives.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing P&L, budgeting, forecasting, pricing strategies, and capital investment decisions.
• Experience overseeing manufacturing operations will be a major plus.
• Strong professional working fluency in English, and fluency in Portuguese is REQUIRED.
• Willingness to travel frequently to support customers, distributors, and sales teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Food Science, Food Technology, Engineering, or a related discipline; an MBA is highly preferred.

If you are qualified and interested, we kindly invite you to apply! In the meantime, please consider following our company page for more updates and relevant job opportunities.