Key Account Manager Vegetable Seeds, UK and Scandinavia
Region: United Kingdom & Scandinavia
Location: Flexible (UK), employed through RAGT’s UK organisation
Reporting to: Sales Manager, Van WaverenSaatenGmbH (Germany)
Travel: Approximately 30%, across the UK and Scandinavia
Closing date: 28thAugust 2026
We are looking for an entrepreneurial and commercially driven Key Account & Market Development Manager to lead our growth across the UK and Scandinavia. In this high-impact role, you will own key customer relationships, revenue and margin performance, while developing new market opportunities and building long-term partnerships across the frozen food, canning and fresh produce sectors. Working closely with customers, growers, product management and breeding teams, you will combine commercial leadership with strong technical and agronomic understanding to bring new varieties to market and support customers from variety selection through to harvest. This is an opportunity for a hands-on, results-focused professional to take real ownership of a growing regional business, shape its commercial strategy and make a significant impact across an international market.
Who We Are
Van Waveren Saaten GmbH is the European market leader in the breeding and distribution of vining peas, with a strong and growing portfolio in green beans and sweetcorn. From our headquarters in Germany, we supply leading processing companies – frozen food and canning industries – as well as fresh market customers across Europe and beyond. Our customer relationships go are built on varietal quality, reliability, and personal trust.
As a company of the RAGT Group, we combine the agility and market intimacy of a specialist with the breeding power, resources, and international network of one of Europe’s leading seed groups. We are now entering a phase of substantial, structural expansion of our variety portfolio and market coverage across the EMEA region – and we are strengthening our commercial organisation to match.
Your main responsibilities
Key Account Management & Commercial Ownership
- Take full responsibility for revenue, margin, and sustainable growth in the UK and Scandinavia
- Manage, deepen, and expand relationships with key accounts in the frozen food and canning industries
- Lead annual contract and price negotiations with senior procurement and management stakeholders
- Establish long-term supply partnerships and secure our position as preferred variety partner
- Actively develop the fresh market segment in Scandinavia and open new customer structures
Strategic Market Development
- Develop and execute a regional market strategy aligned with our growth agenda
- Monitor markets, competitors, and acreage development; identify and convert growth opportunities
- Drive the introduction and positioning of new varieties in close cooperation with product management
- Help shape and strengthen our commercial structures in your region
Planning, Controlling & Reporting
- Own the annual sales planning and rolling forecasts for your region as input to seed production planning
- Monitor accounts receivable, payment terms, and commercial risk for your customer base
- Track performance against budget and deliver transparent, data-driven reporting to headquarters
- Provide reliable market intelligence to support portfolio and production decisions
- Set up, coordinate, and monitor the import of seed into the UK – including all required applications, permits, and phytosanitary documentation – in close cooperation with RAGT’s UK organisation
Technical & Agronomic Leadership
- Plan, coordinate, and evaluate variety trials with customers and growers in your region
- Build strong working knowledge of varietal characteristics, agronomy, and industrial processing requirements
- Act as the technical-commercial interface between customers, product management, and breeding
- Support customers along the value chain – from variety selection to harvest quality
Your Skills
- Degree in agricultural sciences, horticulture, agribusiness, or a comparable qualification – or equivalent experience gained in the field
- Several years of B2B key account or sales experience, ideally in seeds, vegetables, fresh produce, or food processing
- A commercially driven personality first and foremost
- Proven planning and controlling skills: forecasting, budgeting, margin management, and receivables discipline are part of how you run your accounts
- Experience with trials or agronomic customer support is a strong advantage
- Fluent English; a Scandinavian language is a plus
- Willingness to travel internationally
What sets you apart
- Entrepreneurial mindset –you take ownership, act with accountability, and are results oriented
- High standards for yourself and the ambition to build something significantly bigger
- A confident, approachable communicator with strong intercultural competence
- Structured, resilient, and hands-on: you combine strategic thinking with disciplined execution
- Integrity and reliability –our customer relationships are built on trust earned over decades
What We Offer
- A key role in one of the most ambitious growth stories in the European vegetable seed industry
- Genuine ownership: your region, your accounts, your results – reporting directly to the Sales Manager
- The strength and reputation of a market leader, combined with the stability and international backing of the RAGT Group
- A close-knit, experienced headquarters team that has your back: product management, breeding, seed production, and quality
- Independent working from a home office, with real decision-making latitude
- An attractive, performance-oriented compensation package and long-term development perspectives
How to Apply
We would genuinely like to get to know you. Please send your CV and a short cover letter, including your salary expectations to Frederik Fahrenholz (HR van Waveren Saaten GmbH). If you have questions before applying, feel free to reach out informally to [email protected] by 28th August 2026. All applications will be treated in strict confidence.
Pay: £55,000.00-£75,000.00 per year
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Ickleton
