Hass Avocado Sourcing Officer (Agriculture Sector)

Role Overview

This role sits at the heart of an avocado export operation, focused on sourcing high-quality Hass avocados at competitive prices and managing the relationships that make that possible. Day to day, you will identify and evaluate growers, negotiate terms, check fruit quality and maturity, and coordinate with logistics and export partners to keep shipments moving on time. Your work directly affects the profitability and reliability of the supply chain, from farm gate to export destination.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and maintain a dependable network of Hass avocado suppliers, including individual farmers, farmer groups, aggregators, and larger commercial growers.
• Lead supplier negotiations on price, payment terms, volume commitments, and delivery schedules to secure favourable yet sustainable agreements.
• Coordinate quality inspections and maturity checks, ensuring that fruit meets buyer specifications for size, ripeness, appearance, and export compliance.
• Track seasonal supply patterns, market prices, and regional availability to make informed sourcing decisions and anticipate shortfalls.
• Manage formal supplier agreements and monitor performance against agreed pricing, quality targets, volumes, and delivery timelines.
• Collaborate with exporting partners and internal logistics teams to plan shipments, align supply with demand, and resolve any issues before dispatch.
• Oversee export documentation, certifications, permits, and other compliance requirements, ensuring every consignment is fully ready for export.
• Prepare periodic sourcing and market reports that summarise supply outlook, price movements, quality problems, and recommendations for operational improvements.

Requirements & Qualifications

• 3–5 years of hands-on experience in sourcing, procurement, quality control, or supply chain management, ideally within the Hass avocado or wider fresh-produce industry.
• Proven ability to negotiate pricing and commercial terms with suppliers while building long-term, trusting partnerships.
• Solid understanding of avocado quality specifications, grading, maturity assessment, and the phytosanitary requirements for export markets.
• Experience managing contracts, supplier agreements, or purchase orders in an agricultural context.
• Strong market awareness, with the ability to identify new sourcing areas and react to changing supply and price conditions.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, comfortable dealing with farmers, aggregators, exporters, and internal stakeholders.
• Self-motivated and organised, capable of working independently, planning travel to farms and sourcing sites, and juggling multiple suppliers simultaneously.
• A relevant tertiary qualification in agriculture, agribusiness, supply chain management, or a related field is preferred; equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

What We Offer / Why Join

This is an opportunity to be involved in an export operation at a pivotal stage, with the chance to help onboard an exporting company that will manage outbound shipments. You will gain exposure across the full sourcing-to-export cycle and have a direct impact on building a reliable, high-quality avocado supply base.