Procurement & Trade Manager
Guildford | Permanent, Full-Time | £50,000 – £60,000 + Benefits
We're recruiting on behalf of a confidential client in the international rice trading sector for a Rice Procurement & Trade Manager to lead global sourcing, purchasing, and supply relationships across all origins.
This is a commercially critical, relationship-led role. You'll be trusted to travel independently to origin markets such as Uruguay, Cambodia, and Vietnam, representing the business face to face with suppliers, rice millers, and trading partners. The client is clear on what matters most here: the ability to build genuine trust and rapport quickly with people from different cultures and backgrounds comes first, ahead of ticking every technical box. The right person will combine strong relationship instincts with commercial and operational rigour, not one at the expense of the other.
What You'll Be Doing
- Leading rice procurement across all origins worldwide, negotiating purchase contracts with suppliers, millers, and trading counterparties
- Building and maintaining a strong supplier base through direct, on-the-ground relationships, including regular independent travel to origin markets
- Owning QA and food safety standards across sourced product, ensuring compliance with UK and EU regulations
- Monitoring rice price movements and market intelligence, translating this into procurement strategy
- Tracking global harvest conditions, crop forecasts, and trade policy developments across key origins
- Managing ocean freight procurement and shipment logistics for non-USA origins
- Maintaining expert knowledge of UK/EU import duties, tariffs, and trade policy affecting landed cost
What We're Looking For
- Demonstrable experience in commodity procurement, ideally rice or a closely related agri-food category
- Strong supplier negotiation and contract management background
- Familiarity with ocean freight markets and international shipping documentation
- Understanding of UK/EU customs procedures and import duty frameworks
- Confidence and comfort travelling and building relationships independently in unfamiliar markets and cultures
- Excellent communication skills, with genuine ease connecting with people from diverse backgrounds
Nice to have: Spanish, Portuguese, or French language skills (bilingual/trilingual a strong plus), given the origin markets involved.
What's On Offer
- Salary: £50,000 – £60,000, plus benefits
- Genuine autonomy and trust, representing the business independently on international trips
- A central, high-visibility role sitting at the intersection of trading, supply chain, and relationship-building
- Based in Guildford, full-time office role
This role is being recruited on a confidential basis. Full company details will be shared with shortlisted candidates.
To apply, please submit your CV.
Pay: £50,000.00-£60,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
