Dairy Commercial Director Job Description

This Dairy Commercial Director job description sets out the main duties, qualifications, skills and measures of success for the role, which is also known as Chief Commercial Officer, Sales and Marketing Director, Head of Commercial or VP Commercial. Download it free as a Word or PDF template and adapt it for your own vacancy.

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Job title	Dairy Commercial Director
Also known as	Chief Commercial Officer, Sales and Marketing Director, Head of Commercial, VP Commercial
Department	Dairy leadership and board
Reports to	Chief Executive Officer
Direct reports	Head of Sales, Head of Marketing, Key Account Managers, Export Sales Manager and Pricing Manager

What does a Dairy Commercial Director do?

Leads sales, marketing, key accounts, export and pricing for the dairy business. Grows profitable revenue and gets the best possible return from every litre of milk across retail, food-service, ingredients and export channels. Works closely with operations, finance and milk supply so that commercial plans match what the business can produce.

Dairy Commercial Director duties and responsibilities

Commercial strategy

Develop the commercial strategy and annual sales plan in line with the business strategy
Decide which channels, customers and markets to target for the best long-term return
Balance branded, private-label and commodity sales against milk supply and plant capacity
Track market trends, competitor activity and consumer demand and use them to shape plans

Sales and key accounts

Lead relationships with major retail, food-service, manufacturing and distributor customers
Negotiate supply agreements, prices, promotions and service levels
Set sales targets and track performance by customer, product and channel
Resolve major customer issues quickly with the operations and quality teams

Pricing and margin

Set pricing policy and approve prices, discounts and contract terms
Pass changes in milk and commodity costs through to customer prices in good time
Agree fixed-price and index-linked contracts within risk limits set with finance
Monitor margin by product, customer and channel and act where returns fall short

Marketing and product development

Lead brand strategy, marketing plans and budgets
Work with research and development teams to launch new and value-added dairy products
Make sure marketing claims, labelling and advertising comply with food and consumer law
Promote the business's sustainability and animal welfare record accurately and honestly

Export and international trade

Develop export markets and select distributors, agents and partners
Manage export pricing, payment terms and currency risk with finance
Ensure export sales meet trade rules, certification and market access requirements
Sell butter, powders and cheese at the best available price across markets

Leadership and compliance

Lead, develop and motivate the sales and marketing team
Make sure all commercial activity complies with competition law and anti-bribery policy
Contribute to sales and operations planning and executive decisions

Dairy Commercial Director qualifications and experience

Essential

Senior commercial leadership experience in dairy, food or consumer goods
Track record of managing major retail or food-service accounts
Experience of setting prices and managing margins in volatile commodity markets
Strong record of negotiating with large customers
Experience of leading sales and marketing teams
Good knowledge of competition law and food labelling requirements

Desirable

Degree in business, marketing, food science or a related subject
Experience of dairy commodity trading or ingredient sales
Experience of developing export markets
Experience of building brands

Skills and attributes

Commercial and strategic thinking
Negotiation and influencing
Pricing and margin analysis
Customer relationship management
Market insight
Team leadership
Clear presentation and communication

How success is measured

Revenue, volume and gross margin against plan
Return per litre of milk against market benchmarks
Growth and retention of key accounts
Export sales volume and margin by market
Customer service levels and complaints
Return on marketing spend and sales from new products

Working conditions and safety

Based at head office with frequent travel to customers, trade shows and export markets, including overseas. Some meetings take place outside normal working hours to suit customers in other time zones.

Lead by example on health, safety, food safety and animal welfare
Uphold the code of conduct and all legal and compliance requirements
Raise concerns and report incidents promptly

Dairy Commercial Director interview questions

Use these questions to assess candidates for a Dairy Commercial Director role. Each one includes what a good answer shows.

How do you decide which channels and customers give the best return on milk?
What a good answer shows: Compares margin and risk by channel and product, considers plant capacity and milk supply, and builds a balanced portfolio.
How do you pass changes in milk and commodity costs through to customer prices?
What a good answer shows: Uses index-linked or review clauses, prepares evidence, times negotiations well and protects margin while keeping relationships strong.
How would you grow export sales of dairy products in a new market?
What a good answer shows: Researches demand and market access rules, selects reliable partners, manages payment and currency risk, and builds steadily.
How do you balance branded, private-label and commodity sales in a dairy business?
What a good answer shows: Understands the margin, volume and risk of each, matches them to plant and milk supply, and avoids over-dependence on one.
Your largest retail customer demands a price cut while milk costs are rising. What do you do?
What a good answer shows: Prepares cost evidence, explores value beyond price, knows the walk-away point and protects margin while keeping the relationship.
A plant problem means you cannot supply a key customer in full for two weeks. How do you respond?
What a good answer shows: Tells the customer quickly and honestly, agrees a recovery plan with operations, allocates stock fairly and rebuilds trust afterwards.
How do you make sure your team complies with competition law when dealing with customers and competitors?
What a good answer shows: Knows the risks of price fixing and information sharing, trains the team, sets clear rules and takes legal advice.
How do you make sure sustainability and animal welfare claims in your marketing are accurate?
What a good answer shows: Bases claims on verified evidence, checks them with technical and legal teams, and avoids misleading or exaggerated statements.
How do you motivate a sales team when market conditions make targets hard to reach?
What a good answer shows: Sets realistic goals, recognises effort and wins, coaches through difficult negotiations and keeps the team focused on margin.
How do you get sales, operations and finance working together on commercial plans?
What a good answer shows: Uses joint planning, shares data openly, agrees trade-offs together and builds trust through regular contact.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a Dairy Commercial Director do?

What qualifications does a Dairy Commercial Director need?

Employers usually look for: senior commercial leadership experience in dairy, food or consumer goods; track record of managing major retail or food-service accounts; experience of setting prices and managing margins in volatile commodity markets.

Who does a Dairy Commercial Director report to?

A Dairy Commercial Director usually reports to the Chief Executive Officer. Direct reports typically include head of Sales, Head of Marketing, Key Account Managers, Export Sales Manager and Pricing Manager.

Can I use this Dairy Commercial Director job description for my own vacancy?

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.