This Dairy Export Sales Manager job description sets out the main duties, qualifications, skills and measures of success for the role, which is also known as International Sales Manager, Export Manager, Ingredients Sales Manager or Global Account Manager. Download it free as a Word or PDF template and adapt it for your own vacancy.
| Job title | Dairy Export Sales Manager |
| Also known as | International Sales Manager, Export Manager, Ingredients Sales Manager, Global Account Manager |
| Department | Sales and commercial |
| Reports to | Export Sales Director or Commercial Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
What does a Dairy Export Sales Manager do?
Sells dairy ingredients and consumer products to international customers, including milk powders, butter, cheese and UHT milk. Builds a network of distributors, traders and direct buyers, negotiates contracts in line with market prices, and makes sure each shipment has the correct terms, payment security and export documents.
Dairy Export Sales Manager duties and responsibilities
Sales and market development
- Grow sales in assigned export markets in line with the annual sales plan
- Identify and appoint distributors, agents, traders and direct buyers
- Visit customers and attend trade fairs to build relationships and find new business
- Research import requirements, tariffs and market access rules for each market
- Gather information on demand, competitor offers and customer needs
Pricing and contracts
- Track global prices for powders, butter, cheese and other dairy commodities
- Quote prices that reflect market levels, freight, currency and product cost
- Negotiate contracts covering volume, specification, price, shipment period and Incoterms
- Agree payment terms and suitable security, such as letters of credit or credit insurance
- Manage credit limits and currency exposure with finance
Orders, documents and shipment
- Turn contracts into accurate sales orders and production or stock allocations
- Coordinate shipments with logistics, freight forwarders and shipping lines
- Check export documents, including invoices, packing lists, bills of lading and certificates of origin
- Arrange health, veterinary and analysis certificates with quality assurance and the competent authority
- Match documents to letter of credit terms to avoid discrepancies and payment delays
Customer service and claims
- Keep customers informed of production, shipping dates and any delays
- Handle quality complaints and claims with quality assurance and logistics
- Collect customer feedback on product performance and packaging
- Support customer audits and supplier approval questionnaires
Planning and compliance
- Forecast export volumes by market and product for production and milk supply planning
- Balance export sales with domestic demand and available stock
- Follow sanctions, export control, anti-bribery and competition law requirements
- Report sales, margin, market prices and outstanding payments to management
Dairy Export Sales Manager qualifications and experience
Essential
- Degree in business, international trade, food science or a related subject, or equivalent experience
- Solid experience in export sales of dairy products, food ingredients or agricultural commodities
- Working knowledge of Incoterms, letters of credit and export documentation
- Understanding of dairy commodity markets and price drivers
- Experience negotiating contracts with distributors and traders
- Knowledge of health certificates and import requirements for food products
Desirable
- Working knowledge of a second language used in target markets
- Experience selling specialised ingredients such as whey proteins or infant formula bases
- Qualification in international trade or export practice
- Experience with credit insurance and currency hedging
Skills and attributes
- Negotiation across cultures
- Commercial judgement and price awareness
- Accuracy with documents and detail
- Relationship building
- Clear written communication
- Resilience and self-motivation
- Problem solving under time pressure
How success is measured
- Export volume and revenue against budget
- Margin achieved against market price benchmarks
- Overdue receivables and bad debt
- Document errors and letter of credit discrepancies
- Customer claims as a share of shipments
- New customers or markets opened
Working conditions and safety
Office-based, with frequent international travel to customers and trade fairs, sometimes at short notice. Calls across time zones mean some early or late working.
- Follow health and safety rules and safe systems of work, and wear the correct PPE
- Follow food safety, hygiene, HACCP and quality procedures at all times
- Report hazards, accidents, near misses and concerns promptly
Dairy Export Sales Manager interview questions
Use these questions to assess candidates for a Dairy Export Sales Manager role. Each one includes what a good answer shows.
- How do you set an export price for skim milk powder?
What a good answer shows: Uses global market indicators, product cost, freight, currency, payment risk, customer and specification, against margin targets. - How do you choose the Incoterms for a shipment?
What a good answer shows: Matches risk, cost and control to the customer and route; knows where risk transfers and who arranges freight and insurance. - What can go wrong with a letter of credit, and how do you prevent it?
What a good answer shows: Discrepancies, late shipment or wrong documents; checks terms before accepting and aligns documents with the bank and logistics. - How do you assess and appoint a new distributor in a market?
What a good answer shows: Checks reputation, finances, reach, storage, compliance and fit, then uses a clear contract with performance targets. - A container is held at destination because the health certificate is wrong. What do you do?
What a good answer shows: Contacts customer, forwarder and authorities, gets a corrected certificate fast, limits demurrage costs and fixes the process. - Prices fall sharply after a customer signs, and they ask to renegotiate. How do you respond?
What a good answer shows: Respects the contract, understands the customer's pressure, weighs relationship value and risk, and seeks a fair outcome within authority. - How do you make sure your sales comply with sanctions and export controls?
What a good answer shows: Screens customers and destinations, follows company checks, escalates concerns and refuses business that breaks the rules. - How do you manage payment risk with a new customer in a high-risk market?
What a good answer shows: Credit checks, secure terms such as letters of credit or prepayment, credit insurance and limits agreed with finance. - How do you build trust with customers from different cultures?
What a good answer shows: Shows respect, listens, adapts communication style, stays reliable and keeps promises over time. - How do you work with production and logistics to meet export commitments?
What a good answer shows: Shares forecasts early, agrees realistic dates, flags changes quickly and solves problems jointly rather than blaming.
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Frequently asked questions
Sells dairy ingredients and consumer products to international customers, including milk powders, butter, cheese and UHT milk. Builds a network of distributors, traders and direct buyers, negotiates contracts in line with market prices, and makes sure each shipment has the correct terms, payment security and export documents.
Employers usually look for: degree in business, international trade, food science or a related subject, or equivalent experience; solid experience in export sales of dairy products, food ingredients or agricultural commodities; working knowledge of Incoterms, letters of credit and export documentation.
A Dairy Export Sales Manager usually reports to the Export Sales Director or Commercial Manager.
Yes. Download the free Word template, add your location, contract and salary details, and adapt the duties to your site. You can then advertise the role on Dairy Jobs.
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