Area Manager

Role overview

This position is for a field-based Area Manager based from the Castleisland Area Office in County Kerry. The role covers South Kerry and focuses on an established agricultural customer base, with responsibility for strengthening client relationships, offering technical guidance, and increasing sales of feed and fertiliser products.

You will inherit a territory that already includes more than 680 milk supplier accounts, while also working to win back lapsed business and create fresh commercial opportunities across the area.

Key duties

• Oversee and expand a well-established portfolio of agricultural customers throughout South Kerry.
• Maintain regular farm visits to build trusted relationships with dairy farmers.
• Spot opportunities to recover previous business and convert new customer accounts.
• Review sales results and apply practical actions to improve performance.
• Keep customer information, contact history, and activity notes accurate and up to date.
• Handle customer accounts and assist with credit control activities.
• Guide, support, and develop the store team members who report to this role.
• Make sure all staff follow health and safety requirements, including monthly safety meetings with Store Managers and two bi-annual audits at each location.
• Attend monthly debtor review meetings with the Store Manager, Operations Manager, Commercial Director, and Financial Controller.
• Respond to milk supplier queries relating to schemes, loans, and similar matters.
• Work closely with the Milk Quality Manager, Transport Manager, Mill Manager, Commercial Director, and Operations Manager, escalating issues as they arise.
• Use internal connections to identify and develop new commercial opportunities.
• Attend relevant farm walks, farm meetings, shareholder meetings, and advisory meetings.

What you need

• A degree in Agricultural Science or an equivalent qualification.
• Strong, practical understanding of dairy farming.
• Previous experience managing customer relationships.
• Good negotiation and communication ability.
• Confident use of Microsoft Office.
• Working knowledge of relevant systems.
• A full clean driving licence.

What’s on offer

• 25 days of annual leave, not including bank holidays.
• Health care allowance.
• Matched pension contribution of up to 10% from the employer.
• Access to a benefits platform with discounts and cashback at major retailers.
• Employee Assistance Policy.

About the employer

The company is a vertically integrated farm-to-fork business with a major consumer foods presence and a strong dairy ingredients and nutrition division. Its work spans local farm partnerships, product innovation, and sustainable dairy production.

With more than 50 years of experience in milk processing, dairy technology, nutritional advancement, and product development, the business operates across Ireland, Northern Ireland, the UK, the USA, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and China. It employs over 1,700 people and reported turnover of about €1.3 billion in 2024.

The organisation also operates multiple manufacturing sites in the southwest of Ireland and 28 Farm & Home stores across the region. It promotes an inclusive working culture and states that recruitment decisions are based on role-related skills and merit.

Additional information

The employer states that it does not accept CVs or candidate profiles from recruitment agencies unless business terms have already been agreed. It also will not pay recruiter fees in those circumstances. This restriction also applies to CVs or profiles sent directly to hiring managers.