Reporting to the Director, the New Business Development Lead will develop a processed frozen avocado business that builds on an established, export-oriented horticulture platform spanning grower engagement, raw-material aggregation, factory processing, quality assurance and international sales. The role will validate the commercial, technical, operational and financial case; integrate the opportunity into existing field-to-factory capabilities; and lead implementation if approved. The incumbent may subsequently transition into the General Manager role with full people, operational and P&L accountability.
The role will be based in Kenya and is open to foreign nationals.
Key Responsibilities
Opportunity Assessment and Business Planning
Assess the opportunity against existing horticultural sourcing, processing, cold-chain, export-market and customer capabilities, identifying where shared infrastructure and services can accelerate entry.
Prepare an investment-grade feasibility study covering capital, working capital, margins, risks, returns, sensitivities and operational synergies.
Recommend the business model, governance, organisation, budget, performance measures and phased implementation roadmap.
Technical, Process and Supply Validation
Develop a year-round avocado supply model through contracted growers and commercial farms, covering agronomy support, seasonality, varieties, quality, traceability, pricing, input recovery and supply risk.
Validate fruit receiving, ripening, preparation, processing, freezing, packing, storage and dispatch requirements within the existing factory and cold-chain environment.
Coordinate factory trials, customer samples and third-party assessments to confirm yields, product quality, shelf life, scalability and cost.
Define commissioning, staffing, systems integration and operational-readiness requirements for launch.
Quality Assurance and Documentation
Embed the new product range within the existing field-to-factory quality, traceability and food-safety management framework.
Ensure compliance with customer and export requirements covering HACCP, pesticide residues, hygiene, allergens, ethical sourcing, cold chain, certification and licensing.
Establish product specifications, testing and release criteria, shelf-life studies, batch records and reliable end-to-end performance reporting.
Project Leadership and Organisational Readiness
Lead a cross-functional team spanning agronomy and sourcing, factory operations, quality, supply chain, finance, HR and sales.
Set clear workstreams, milestones, accountabilities, decision gates and reporting arrangements across field and factory operations.
Design a lean launch organisation, seasonal workforce plan and capability-building programme, demonstrating readiness to assume the General Manager role.
Market Development, Product Innovation and Commercialisation
Assess priority export markets, customer segments, competitors, specifications, pricing, demand trends and channels for value-added frozen avocado products.
Leverage established international customer, distributor, trade-fair and B2B networks to build a qualified pipeline and secure viable offtake or supply arrangements.
Lead stage-gated development of frozen avocado pieces, purée, pulp, guacamole and private-label or customer-specific formats.
Develop costings, country and customer pricing, margins and commercial terms, positioning traceability, reliability, sustainability and grower impact as competitive strengths.
Stakeholder Management
Build productive relationships with growers, customers, suppliers, logistics partners, certification bodies, regulators, financiers and industry stakeholders.
Provide timely, decision-oriented reports on supply, factory readiness, trials, market traction, financial projections, risks and next steps.
Academic & Professional Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Engineering, Agribusiness, Supply Chain, Business Management or a related field; a postgraduate qualification is desirable.
8 - 10 years' experience in business development, commercialisation or business-unit leadership within export horticulture, frozen foods or value-added food processing.
Fluent written and spoken English; strong analytical, presentation and stakeholder-management capability.
Proven success in building investment cases and taking food products from concept and factory trial to commercial launch.
Practical understanding of grower or farm sourcing, raw-material aggregation, factory processing, traceability, cold chain, food safety and export certification.
Demonstrated experience developing international customers, private-label or B2B products, and negotiating export commercial terms.
Strong financial and operational acumen, including costing, pricing, budgeting, capacity planning, modelling and P&L management.
Leadership experience across multi-site, seasonal or labour-intensive agribusiness and manufacturing operations, with capacity to build and scale a new business.