Head of Purchasing EMEA – Fruit & Raw Materials
Meet Our Recruiter
Jamie Pickup
About the Role
Fruit sourcing sits at the heart of this role. Paragon Talent has been retained by a global freeze-dried fruit business to appoint a Head of Purchasing EMEA who can secure reliable supply, build strong relationships in key growing regions and help shape its future sourcing strategy.
Strawberries are a particular priority. You will work closely with growers, processors and suppliers across Europe and North Africa, with significant focus on Egypt. It is a senior, hands-on appointment that calls for sound commercial judgement, an understanding of crop markets and the ability to build trusted relationships on the ground.
You will have time to work alongside the current role holder before they retire, gaining a detailed understanding of the supplier base and the needs of manufacturing sites across the business.
The role
You will develop sourcing plans for strawberries and other fruits, including raspberries, blueberries, mango and citrus. Your work will cover supplier relationships, contract negotiations, crop and market intelligence, and the quality and continuity of supply.
You will also:
- Negotiate purchasing agreements covering price, volume, quality and delivery.
- Strengthen and diversify the supplier base across key growing regions.
- Visit growers, processors and suppliers, particularly in Egypt.
- Monitor harvest conditions, pricing, freight and other risks that could affect supply.
- Work with procurement, operations, quality, finance and commercial colleagues across a global business.
- Maintain high standards of traceability, ethical sourcing and supplier compliance.
About you
You will bring substantial experience in fruit or agricultural commodity procurement, ideally within food manufacturing or ingredients. You should be comfortable negotiating significant supply agreements and managing international supplier relationships.
Direct experience sourcing strawberries would be valuable. So would an established network in Egypt, though we would also welcome someone with the knowledge and credibility to build those relationships. You will need to understand the practical realities of sourcing in different markets, including supplier due diligence, traceability and responsible business practices.
Fluent English is essential. French or Arabic would be useful, but neither is required.
Why consider it?
This is an opportunity to take ownership of a critical part of a global supply chain. You will inherit valuable knowledge and established relationships, while having scope to develop the supplier base and strengthen how fruit is sourced as the business grows.
The business can consider candidates based in the UK, elsewhere in Europe or Egypt. Regular travel and time with suppliers and manufacturing teams will be an important part of the role.