Regional Trade & Marketing Lead
RemoteUnited States
Job Summary
Lead export sales for Virginia agricultural and forestry companies across Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific by building buyer relationships, executing trade promotions, and converting leads into transactions. Identify, qualify, and maintain relationships with importers, distributors, retailers, and foodservice operators across 14 target markets, arranging one-on-one meetings during inbound and outbound trade missions. Conduct due diligence on prospective buyers, monitor market conditions, and deliver monthly intelligence reports with actionable recommendations. Plan and execute at least one outbound trade mission and one inbound buyer mission annually while developing in-store promotions and digital marketing campaigns. Submit weekly activity reports and track progress against annual targets of 25 sales presentations and four new sales accounts. Serve as the program's primary point of contact, liaising with USDA Foreign Agricultural Service posts and maintaining transparent communication with VDACS staff in Richmond.
Required Qualifications
- 8+ years of experience in agricultural commodities, food, beverage, seafood and aquaculture products, and/or forest products trade in Asia — in import/distribution, export promotion, trade representation, or marketing
- Demonstrated track record of generating export sales or closing trade deals, with specific, referenceable examples
- An active network of food and agribusiness buyers, importers, and distributors in at least three of the Target Markets, including at least one of Japan, South Korea, or Taiwan (the region's highest-value import markets)
- Hands-on experience organizing trade show participation, trade missions, and/or B2B matchmaking programs
- Working knowledge of food import regulations, labeling requirements, and distribution channels in key regional markets
- Full professional fluency in English (written reports are a weekly deliverable)
- Professional proficiency in at least one regional language (e.g., Thai, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesia/Malay, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin)
- Based in SEA or APAC
- Ability to travel frequently within the region and periodically to the United States
- Residence in the region for the duration of the engagement
- Absences from the Target Markets exceeding 30 consecutive days require advance notice and a designated alternate point of contact
Desired Qualifications
- Prior work with U.S. departments of agriculture, USDA Cooperators (e.g., SUSTA, U.S. Grains Council, American Hardwood Export Council, Food Export associations), USDA FAS, or comparable export promotion bodies (e.g., Austrade, KOTRA, JETRO counterpart engagement)
- Experience representing U.S. food and agricultural products specifically, including familiarity with U.S. supplier expectations and trade financing/payment practices
- Familiarity with forest products and hardwood trade in addition to food and beverage
- Experience with digital trade marketing and social media campaign management in Asian markets
- Existing relationships with regional food trade show organizers (THAIFEX, FOODEX Japan, Seoul Food & Hotel, Fine Food Australia, Food & Hotel Asia)
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