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Regional Sales Manager - Food Ingredients (UK) - Job Opportunity at Bunge

London, United Kingdom
Full-time
Mid-level
Posted: August 25, 2025
Hybrid
£55,000 - £70,000 base salary plus commission and benefits package, potentially reaching £80,000+ total compensation for high performers. This estimate reflects the mid-level experience requirement, UK regional scope, and specialized food ingredients industry knowledge.

Benefits

Home-based work arrangement with territorial coverage flexibility, providing optimal work-life balance while maintaining client proximity
Association with a globally recognized brand with over two centuries of industry expertise, enhancing professional credibility
Access to cutting-edge food technology and innovation platforms in fats, proteins, and lecithins
Collaborative international work environment with direct reporting to Netherlands headquarters
Competitive compensation and benefits package aligned with industry standards
Ongoing professional development opportunities in a rapidly evolving food ingredients sector
Equal opportunity employment with comprehensive diversity and inclusion policies

Key Responsibilities

Drive achievement and exceed annual Business Plan targets for assigned accounts, directly impacting regional revenue growth and market expansion
Develop and execute sophisticated account strategies aligned with regional sales objectives, positioning Bunge as the preferred ingredients partner
Build and maintain strategic, long-term relationships with key decision-makers across bakery, confectionery, and food ingredients segments
Serve as technical liaison between customers and internal Technical Service teams, facilitating product approvals and supporting innovative R&D initiatives
Function as market intelligence expert, identifying emerging trends, competitive threats, and new business opportunities within the UK food market
Collaborate cross-functionally with internal commercial teams to optimize service delivery and enhance overall sales effectiveness

Requirements

Education

Bachelor's/Master's degree required

Experience

3-5+ years in B2B account management, ideally with bakery/confectionery/food ingredients focus

Required Skills

Relationship-Focused & Commercially Driven Proven ability to build strong relationships and achieve sales targets Self-Starter with Excellent Communication Entrepreneurial, independent, and a strong communicator customer-focused, results-oriented, collaborative strong business acumen with a strategic mindset UK Market Knowledge familiarity with the UK food industry is highly preferred

Certifications

Valid Driver's License
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Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

The food ingredients sector is experiencing rapid transformation driven by consumer demands for both indulgent and healthy sustainable options, creating opportunities for companies with expertise in specialized ingredients like fats, proteins, and lecithins. Product lifecycles are accelerating, requiring suppliers to be more agile and innovative in their approach to market development. Plant-based food solutions are experiencing unprecedented growth, with the UK market leading European adoption rates. This trend is driving demand for specialized proteins and lecithins that can replicate traditional textures and flavors in alternative food products. The bakery and confectionery segments are undergoing premiumization, with manufacturers seeking high-quality ingredients that can deliver superior taste, texture, and nutritional profiles while meeting clean label requirements. Supply chain sustainability has become a critical differentiator in B2B food ingredients sales, with buyers increasingly evaluating suppliers based on their environmental impact and traceability capabilities from farm to finished product.

Role Significance

Individual contributor role with dotted-line relationships to technical service teams and cross-functional collaboration with commercial support functions. Likely interface with 8-12 internal stakeholders regularly.
Mid-level management position with significant autonomy and strategic responsibility for regional market development. The role combines individual contributor sales execution with strategic account planning and market analysis responsibilities.

Key Projects

New product category launches in plant-based ingredients segments Strategic account penetration initiatives targeting major UK food manufacturers Market expansion projects into emerging food trends like alternative proteins and clean label solutions Cross-border collaboration projects leveraging Bunge's European network for UK market advantage

Success Factors

Deep understanding of food science and ingredient functionality, particularly in bakery and confectionery applications, enabling consultative selling approaches that add genuine value to customer product development processes Ability to navigate complex B2B decision-making processes involving multiple stakeholders from procurement, R&D, quality assurance, and operations departments within large food manufacturing organizations Strategic thinking capability to identify long-term market trends and position Bunge's ingredient portfolio ahead of competitive offerings while building sustainable customer partnerships Cultural adaptability to work effectively within Bunge's international matrix organization while maintaining deep local market knowledge and customer relationships

Market Demand

High demand driven by the specialized nature of food ingredients sales expertise and the growing complexity of the UK food market, particularly in sustainable and plant-based solutions.

Important Skills

Critical Skills

Consultative selling expertise is essential as food ingredients sales requires deep technical knowledge and the ability to solve complex formulation challenges for customers, rather than transactional product sales Relationship management capabilities are paramount given the long sales cycles and complex decision-making processes typical in B2B food manufacturing, where trust and reliability often override price considerations Market intelligence gathering and analysis skills are crucial for identifying emerging trends and competitive threats in the rapidly evolving food industry, enabling proactive rather than reactive sales strategies Cross-cultural communication abilities are vital for success in Bunge's international matrix organization, requiring effective collaboration with teams across different time zones and business cultures

Beneficial Skills

Food science or related technical background would enhance credibility with R&D customers and enable more sophisticated technical discussions during the sales process Digital sales tools proficiency is increasingly valuable as B2B sales processes incorporate more virtual interactions and data-driven customer insights Project management skills would support complex multi-stakeholder sales processes and new product introduction timelines common in food ingredients business Sustainability knowledge is becoming increasingly important as customers seek suppliers who can help them meet their own environmental and social responsibility commitments

Unique Aspects

Opportunity to work with cutting-edge sustainable food solutions at a time when environmental responsibility is becoming a key competitive differentiator in the food industry
Access to Bunge's global technical expertise and innovation pipeline, providing unique insights into emerging ingredient technologies and applications
Strategic timing with the company's renewed focus on value-added products and new investments, suggesting strong support for growth initiatives and resource availability
Coverage of diverse geographic territory including major UK metropolitan areas and Scotland, offering exposure to varied customer segments and market dynamics

Career Growth

Typically 3-5 years to senior regional roles or 5-7 years to director-level positions, depending on performance and market expansion success

Potential Next Roles

Regional Sales Director overseeing multiple territories across Europe Global Account Manager for strategic multinational food manufacturing clients Business Development Manager focusing on emerging food technology segments Commercial Director for specialized ingredient categories

Company Overview

Bunge

Bunge Limited is a multinational agribusiness and food company with over 200 years of history, ranking among the world's largest processors of oilseeds and grains. The company operates across the entire agricultural value chain from farm to consumer, with significant expertise in specialty food ingredients including fats, oils, proteins, and lecithins.

Market leader in agricultural commodities and specialty food ingredients with strong global presence and established relationships with major food manufacturers. Bunge's scale and technical expertise provide competitive advantages in ingredient innovation and supply chain reliability.
Strong European operations with established customer base in the UK market, though this role suggests expansion and growth focus rather than maintenance of existing relationships, indicating strategic investment in UK market development.
International corporate environment emphasizing entrepreneurial spirit within a structured framework. The home-based work arrangement and direct reporting to Netherlands leadership suggests trust-based management culture with results-oriented performance evaluation.
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