Fruit Supply Chain & Co-packing Manager
Ardo supplies its continuously growing markets around the world with high quality frozen vegetables, herbs, and fruit with 3300 employees and 16 production, packing & distribution sites in 7 different countries. The family business sells in more than 100 countries and has a turnover of more than 1.4 billion euros. The close proximity of our factories to our crops is one of our key strengths and ensures that only minutes are lost between harvest and locking in the product’s natural goodness in our freezers.
Ardo's mission is to preserve the gift of nature for future generations by providing fresh frozen, plant-based food while minimising our impact on the planet. Ardo achieves this goal thanks to an integrated network of growing areas, production units, freezing units, packaging equipment, appropriate logistics and thorough quality control. The group's know-how and flexible structure ensure that it can respond quickly to new trends and that innovative product can be brought onto the market quickly.
Your Scope
The Fruit Supply Chain & Co-packing Manager is responsible for leading and optimizing the network of remote fruit suppliers and co-packers across Europe and other global regions. The Fruit Supply Chain & Co-packing Manager is the lead of this category for the Supply Planning process with external suppliers/copackers and is responsible to optimize the E2E supply chain between external supplier/co-packers and Ardo in the Fruit category.
Leads the regional supply planning activities for the specific category, including stock level setting and optimizing the E2E supply chain with our partners mid and long term. Ensuring the balance of demand and supply optimizing the service, inventory and (supply chain) costs. ensuring operational excellence, cost efficiency in line with our Group food safety and quality standards. This role combines strategic partnership management with performance monitoring, driving continuous improvement (planning wheel, repetitive and flexible supply) across a portfolio of contract manufacturers. The Co-Packing Manager acts as the main liaison between internal teams and external partners, ensuring the reliable, complaint, and sustainable supply of finished frozen fruits and vegetable products.
The Fruit Supply Chain & Co-packing Manager reports into the Category Director Fruits. This role will directly manage the Fruit Demand & Supply Planning team.
STRATEGIC RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Determines make or buy, support supplier copacker selection and advise commercialization.
2. Build long-term, collaborative relationships with co-packing partners to ensure strategic alignment and shared growth objectives.
3. Continuous improvement of supply planning metrics.
4. Identify and qualify new co-packing partners in line with company strategy, product portfolio evolution, and capacity needs.
5. Ensure an optimum relationship with our suppliers and setup structural communication platforms.
6. Negotiate or support negotiations and manage contracts, service agreements, and contract/supply chain terms in collaboration with Procurement.
7. Partner with co-packers to drive joint projects around innovation, packaging optimization, and sustainability.
OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Performance Management
8. Define and track key KPIs: service level, OEE, yield, cost, and adherence to production schedules.
9. Lead monthly and quarterly performance reviews with co-packers, identifying risks, corrective actions, and improvement plans.
10. Monitor production and project execution and resolve issues proactively to ensure availability of (packed) stocks and service reliability.
11. Implement a data-driven performance management framework to improve transparency and accountability.
12. Ensure optimal execution of transfers and overall availability of packaging and (bulk) fruits at co-packers.
13. Ensure all co-packing operations comply with our QA standards for EU food safety, HACCP, and BRC/IFS certifications and monitor the relevant audits done by our Supplier Assurance Team.
Supply Chain
14. Ensure and oversee the execution of the Fruit S&OP and S&OE.
15. Alignment and build strong connections with internal network (Operations, Sales, Ardo Sites etc).
16. Propose and steer product allocation among co-packer to minimize stock, maximize service and have the conversion cost.
17. In alignment with Central Planning scope may contain outsourcing of Vegetables packing to support demand.
Your profile
18. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics or Agribusiness
19. Minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience in supply chain and/or co-packing management within FMCG or the fresh frozen industry
20. Familiarity with import/export processes, customs documentation, and incoterms
21. Experience working with international growers, suppliers, and distributors
22. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; able to identify bottlenecks and improve operational efficiency
23. Excellent stakeholder management and negotiation skills – able to collaborate across internal teams, growers, logistics partners, and co-packers
24. Effective communicator, both written and verbal – fluent in English
25. Willing to travel regularly (up to 50%)
We offer
We offer you the opportunity to be part of an authentic and sustainable international company, with real growth opportunities and the freedom to actively participate in shaping the business and the opportunity to develop professionally. You will receive a full remuneration package in line with the level of this position. We care for our people and create family-friendly surroundings by offering you the flexibility to work 2 days/week from home.