Dry Vegetable Sales Professional

PIONEER GROWERS COOPERATIVE

DRY VEGETABLE SALES PROFESSIONAL

Location: Belle Glade, Florida or Remote for Qualified Candidates | Full-Time | Sales

POSITION SUMMARY

Pioneer Growers Cooperative is seeking an experienced Dry Vegetable Sales Professional with extensive knowledge of the fresh dry vegetable market. This position requires someone who understands the dry-veg business - not simply general produce sales.

The successful candidate should have direct experience buying, selling, marketing, or managing dry vegetable commodities and possess a strong understanding of market pricing, growing regions, seasonal transitions, supply and demand, quality, packaging, freight, and customer programs.

We are looking for a produce professional who can read the market, communicate intelligently with customers and growers, identify opportunities, and use market knowledge to build profitable year-round business.

Remote Work: Pioneer Growers is open to remote candidates who have proven dry vegetable market experience, established industry relationships, and the ability to contribute immediately. Remote sales professionals must maintain strong daily communication with Pioneer's sales, operations, grower, shipping, and management teams and be available to travel as needed for customer meetings, growing-area visits, company meetings, and industry events.

REQUIRED DRY VEGETABLE MARKET KNOWLEDGE

Candidates must have demonstrated knowledge and experience with the dry vegetable industry, including:

• Daily and weekly dry-veg market conditions and pricing
• Supply-and-demand dynamics and the ability to recognize changing market direction
• FOB and delivered market pricing
• Major domestic and import growing regions
• Seasonal transitions between growing areas
• Weather-related market impacts, production gaps, and periods of oversupply
• Commodity-specific grades, sizing, quality standards, and packaging
• Retail, wholesale, and foodservice requirements
• Freight, delivered-cost calculations, and produce logistics
• Contract, promotional, ad, and open-market sales
• USDA market reporting and other produce market intelligence
• Forward pricing based on anticipated supply and market conditions

The successful candidate should be comfortable explaining where the market is today, why it is moving, and where it is likely headed to customers and Pioneer management.

COMMODITY EXPERIENCE

Strong working knowledge of multiple dry vegetable commodities is required, including Bell Peppers, Hot Peppers, Green Beans, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cucumbers, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Eggplant, Hard Squash, Leafy Vegetables, and Specialty Vegetables.

Candidates with extensive experience in peppers, squash, cucumbers, beans, cabbage, broccoli, and eggplant will receive strong consideration.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Sell and market Pioneer's dry vegetable production and sourced products.
• Develop and maintain retail, wholesale, foodservice, and distribution accounts.
• Use market knowledge to establish competitive and profitable daily pricing.
• Communicate significant market changes and opportunities to customers and management.
• Monitor growing regions, weather, acreage, harvest volumes, and seasonal transitions.
• Identify upcoming supply shortages, market opportunities, and potential oversupply.
• Develop seasonal and year-round customer programs.
• Build new business while expanding existing customer relationships.
• Manage daily sales, orders, inventory positions, and customer communication.
• Work directly with growers and operations to understand upcoming harvest volumes and available supply.
• Help determine when product should be contracted, committed, promoted, or left available for the open market.
• Assist with customer bids, RFPs, contract pricing, and promotional programs.
• Coordinate with operations, shipping, and logistics to meet customer expectations.
• Monitor account profitability, freight exposure, claims, and margins.
• Represent Pioneer Growers at customer meetings, growing-area visits, trade shows, and produce industry events.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Proven professional experience in the dry vegetable industry.
• Strong working knowledge of dry vegetable markets, pricing, and seasonal supply.
• Demonstrated understanding of major growing regions and market transitions.
• Experience selling multiple dry vegetable commodities.
• Ability to evaluate market conditions and make sound pricing decisions.
• Understanding of FOB, delivered pricing, freight, and produce logistics.
• Strong customer relationships, negotiation skills, and communication skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in the fast-moving fresh produce industry.

Preferred:

• Established relationships with retail, wholesale, and/or foodservice produce buyers.
• Existing book of dry vegetable business.
• Experience developing retail programs and annual contracts.
• Experience with major grocery retailers and distribution organizations.
• Experience working directly with growers and packing operations.
• Experience with produce ERP and sales systems.

THE PERSON WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Pioneer is not looking for a general salesperson who will need to learn the dry vegetable business from the ground up. We are looking for someone who already understands the market.

The ideal candidate should be able to evaluate current inventory and upcoming production, understand what is happening in the major growing regions, know the prevailing market, and immediately begin making informed sales and pricing decisions.

They should have the relationships and market knowledge necessary to create business while also having the discipline to protect margins and develop long-term customer programs.

ABOUT PIONEER GROWERS

Pioneer Growers Cooperative is a grower-owned fresh produce organization with more than 75 years of experience growing, packing, cooling, marketing, and distributing fresh vegetables. Pioneer is continuing to expand its dry vegetable platform with the objective of providing customers with dependable, competitive year-round supply across multiple growing regions.

COMPENSATION

Pioneer Growers offers a competitive compensation package designed to attract an experienced dry vegetable professional. Compensation will be based on dry vegetable sales experience, market knowledge, existing customer relationships, existing book of business, ability to generate new profitable sales, and overall contribution to the growth of Pioneer's dry vegetable division.

The compensation structure may include a competitive base salary, performance-based incentive or bonus opportunity, benefits, paid time off, business travel reimbursement, and long-term advancement opportunities.

Pioneer Growers Cooperative is an Equal Opportunity Employer.