Senior Commercial Manager in Bedford

Hybrid Role (1 day per week in office minimum)

Scotland or Northern England based

Highly competitive salary + Car Allowance + 30 Days Annual Leave

About our Client

Alexander Steele are working exclusively with ESG Drysdale, the UK's only brassica-focused Producer Organisation and one of just three recognised vegetable POs nationwide. Formed through the successful merger of Drysdale and East of Scotland Growers, the business has built a commercially robust, future-focused operation supplying fresh produce at scale. With 18 dedicated farmers operating across 200 miles of fertile Scottish coastline, ESG Drysdale has created an integrated grower network that delivers resilience, regional diversity, and year-round supply. The group supplies major UK supermarkets, B2B partners, and foodservice customers, supported by the wider ESG brand family including ESG Co‐Operative, a not-for-profit specialising in crop planning, agronomy, harvest coordination, and marketing. Driven by sustainability, collaboration, and operational excellence, ESG Drysdale plays a vital role in delivering high-quality vegetables from seed to shelf helping nourish communities across the UK, every day of the year.

The Role

As Senior Commercial Manager and second-in-command to the Commercial Director, you will play a key role in driving the next phase of commercial growth. You will lead major retail relationships while delivering strong commercial performance and contributing significantly to annual revenue. Working across the full supply chain, you will collaborate closely with operations, supply chain, technical, and finance teams to optimise performance, enhance forecasting and pricing accuracy, and support category expansion into other emerging areas. This is a high-visibility commercial leadership position requiring strong relationship-building skills, sharp commercial judgement, and a confident, challenger mindset to influence direction and elevate commercial standards across the business.

Key responsibilities

• Take full commercial ownership of major retail customers, ensuring best-in-class service and long-term growth.
• Drive profitable growth and contribute to the development and execution of the company's commercial strategy.
• Lead pricing, forecasting, and range planning, ensuring robust commercial decisions that reflect availability, customer needs, and category dynamics.
• Collaborate closely with supply chain, operations, and technical teams to safeguard service levels, proactively manage risk, and resolve issues with both speed and authority.
• Develop strong, trusted relationships with internal teams, maintaining a deep understanding of the supply chain.
• Support diversification into new categories - by identifying opportunities, shaping propositions, and supporting launch execution.
• Enhance commercial processes, systems, and reporting, driving greater accuracy, transparency, and operational discipline across the team.
• Act as the Commercial Director's deputy, providing leadership, setting standards for the commercial function, and supporting team capability and development.

Candidate Profile

• Strong background in fresh produce, chilled or frozen within UK retail supply.
• Exceptional customer leadership, with experience influencing senior retail stakeholders and delivering joint business plans that drive both volume and value.
• Credible and trusted relationship builder, able to quickly earn the confidence of internal teams and retail partners.
• Challenger mindset - not afraid to bring new thinking, question assumptions, and push for better ways of working.
• Strong commercial skills: pricing, forecasting, promotional planning, and P&L understanding.
• Self-driven and accountable, proactive in identifying opportunities, solving problems, and pushing initiatives forward.
• Tech-savvy, comfortable working with data and forecasting tools.

This is a great opportunity for a SNAM/Business Manager/Commercial Manager to take that next step up in responsibility and make a meaningful impact within a growing business.