Product Development & Commercialization Lead – Avocado

Role Overview

This Kenya-based role will shape and, subject to approval, launch a frozen avocado business using an established export horticulture platform that connects growers, aggregation, processing, quality systems and international sales. The Lead will test whether the opportunity is commercially and operationally viable, then bring teams across the supply chain together to move products from sourcing and factory trials to a market-ready operation.

Key Responsibilities

• Evaluate customer demand, product formats, competitors, pricing and routes to market, alongside avocado availability, factory capacity, processing yields, labour, utilities, logistics and regulatory needs.
• Build an investment-grade feasibility case covering capital and working capital needs, projected margins and returns, operating costs, risks, sensitivities and potential use of existing infrastructure.
• Recommend a business model, governance structure, team, budget, performance measures and phased plan for implementation.
• Design a dependable, year-round sourcing approach with contracted growers and commercial farms, addressing varieties, seasonality, agronomy support, quality, traceability, pricing, input recovery and supply risks.
• Validate factory and cold-chain requirements for receiving and preparing fruit, processing, freezing, packing, storage and dispatch; coordinate trials and customer samples to assess quality, shelf life, yields, scalability and cost.
• Set product specifications, testing and release standards, batch documentation and reporting, while incorporating the range into existing food-safety, traceability and quality systems and meeting applicable customer and export requirements.
• Lead cross-functional work across sourcing, agronomy, operations, quality, supply chain, finance, HR and sales; establish workstreams, milestones, decision points and launch-readiness plans, including staffing and training.
• Develop export-market opportunities and a qualified customer pipeline, guide stage-gated development of frozen avocado pieces, purée, pulp, guacamole and tailored formats, and negotiate viable supply or offtake terms.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Engineering, Agribusiness, Supply Chain, Business Management or a related discipline; postgraduate study is an advantage.
• Eight to ten years of relevant experience in business development, product commercialisation or business-unit leadership in export horticulture, frozen foods or value-added food processing.
• Track record of building investment cases and progressing food products from concept and factory trials through to commercial launch.
• Practical knowledge of grower or farm sourcing, raw-material aggregation, processing, cold-chain operations, traceability, food safety and export certification.
• Experience developing international customers and B2B or private-label products, including negotiating export commercial terms.
• Strong financial and operational skills, including product costing, pricing, budgeting, capacity planning, financial modelling and P&L management.
• Leadership experience in multi-site, seasonal or labour-intensive agribusiness or manufacturing operations, with the ability to establish and scale a new business. The position also requires strong analysis, presentation and stakeholder-management skills, and fluent written and spoken English.

What We Offer / Why Join

• The opportunity to assess and potentially lead the creation of a new value-added export business, drawing on existing grower, factory, quality and international-sales capabilities.
• The role is based in Kenya and is open to foreign nationals.