Cocoa Manager

**🌍 🌳 What is Abeya?**

Abeya is a technology company building shorter cocoa supply chains, for the benefit of farmers, manufacturers, and the planet.

For decades, at the agricultural commodity industry has struggled to improve the sustainability and livelihoods of its farmers. At Abeya, we believe that the future of agri supply chains is direct, transparent and regenerative.

We are a team of repeat founders and founding team members who have worked at unicorns and top 3 consulting agencies, but also built our own agroforestry plantations and worked for years with smallholder farmers. Backed by leading food and agri VCs, we’re now assembling a tight-knit team of highly motivated, mission-driven builders at our Paris HQ, and in our operating markets.

**😎 What does this job entail?**

As Cocoa Manager, you'll operate at the heart of Abeya's supply chain — working directly with the CEO to own the entire cocoa flow from export to client delivery. This is a unique opportunity to bring your trading expertise to an early-stage company. You aren't just managing a ledger; you are building a new, tech-enabled playbook for transparent and regenerative supply chains that will create real change for farmers, manufacturers, and the planet.

You will be involved in all aspects of cocoa sourcing, trade execution, and fulfillment, with direct exposure to exporters, clients, and field teams across Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Weekly, you will:

- Own the end-to-end supply chain from export to client — coordinating with origin teams, exporters, freight forwarders, and buyers to ensure on-time, in-full delivery
- Manage cocoa trade execution including contract structuring, market strategy, quality specifications, and shipment documentation.
- Build and maintain relationships with exporters and logistics partners, driving diversification and reliability across Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, and Peru.
- Maintain close relationships with clients, and be a key part of the business development process, visiting clients on-site - and acting as a key part of their sourcing activities.
- Spearhead launching new origins, and developing a new export and client base.
- Coordinate fulfillment operations — oversee bills of lading, shipping instructions, certifications, and compliance documentation for every shipment.
- Work closely with key customer accounts to ensure quality expectations, delivery timelines, and sustainability requirements are met
- Set up and manage hedging and market operations per client need.
- Drive supplier and exporter performance, identifying risks early and implementing corrective actions to maintain supply chain integrity
- Collaborate with product and field teams to ensure traceability, certification (RA, FT, BIO), and EUDR compliance for all cocoa flows
- Work with the product & engineering team to build better products for our clients and supply chain automations with AI that will free your time and reduce costs for our clients
- Take ownership of high-priority, ad-hoc projects — from new origin setup to process automation and trade finance structuring

**🕵🏼‍♂️ Who are we looking for?**

We're looking for an experienced cocoa trader who's ready to roll up their sleeves and build a best-in-class supply chain with technology at its core. You bring deep knowledge of cocoa markets, sustainability, and trade execution, and you're excited to apply that expertise in a mission-driven startup environment where you'll own the entire flow from export to client.

This role is right for you if you:

- Bring real experience as a cocoa trader/ supply chain manager, ideally at a mid-sized to larger trading house or processor.
- Have experience working (ideally for an extended time) at origin, with real life experience in cocoa supply chains, and with farmers and operators.
- Deep understanding of origin logistics, international freight, and hedging/market operations.
- Have hands-on experience with cocoa sustainability programs, certifications (Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, Organic), and traceability requirements.
- You’ve successfully managed both exporter relationships and high-value client accounts.
- Are ready to get your hands dirty at an early-stage company, managing everything from bills of lading to exporter negotiations to shipping instructions.
- Communicate with precision and confidence. You can coordinate across exporters, freight forwarders, clients, and field teams with clarity and urgency.
- Are analytical, detail-oriented, and relentlessly organized — nothing falls through the cracks on your watch.
- Thrive in fast-moving, entrepreneurial environments where priorities shift and you help define the playbook.
- Take ownership and can make decisions independently, running complex logistics and trade operations with minimal oversight.
- Have genuine interest and passion for creating impact, and our mission.
- Fluent in English, French and Spanish. German, Turkish or Portuguese are a nice to have.

**🖥️ Additional information**

- This is a full-time position with both salary and share package.
- We are an early tight-knit team, and we expect to spend minimum 4 days a week in the office when in Paris.
- Travel can be anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks per month, depending on the period.
- Ideal start date: ASAP (with an understanding for notice periods)