Regional Trade & Marketing Lead

This is a remote position.

Regional Trade & Marketing Lead

Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) Marketing Consulting Services in Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific

Location: Must reside in ASEAN or APAC region

Anticipated Period of Performance: January 1, 2027-December 31, 2027 (with option of four one-year renewals)

IDG is currently seeking a Regional Trade & Marketing Lead to serve on the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) Marketing Consulting Services in Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific project. Please note that this position is contingent upon the award of the proposal.

IDG is preparing a proposal to serve as the in-region marketing consultant for the Commonwealth of Virginia's agricultural and forestry export promotion program across 14 Target Markets: Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam) and Asia Pacific (South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Japan).

The Regional Trade & Marketing Lead is the program's face in the region and its primary point of contact. The role's core mandate is commercial: generate new export sales for Virginia companies — many of them small and medium-sized businesses requiring hands-on support — by building buyer relationships, executing trade promotion activities, and converting leads into transactions. Success is measured in sales.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Buyer development and matchmaking
  

  • Identify, qualify, and maintain relationships with importers, distributors, retailers, foodservice operators, and food ingredient buyers across the Target Markets
    

  • Build and maintain a buyer/partner database with contact details, engagement history, and viability assessments, updated monthly
    

  • Arrange one-on-one buyer meetings for Virginia companies during inbound and outbound trade missions, including buyer recruitment, scheduling, agendas, and logistics
    

  • Conduct due diligence on prospective buyers and advise Virginia companies on distribution, warehousing, and payment mechanisms
    

• Trade promotion and events
  

  • Recommend and support participation in regional food and agribusiness trade shows: pre-show research (pricing, import regulations, competitor analysis), targeted buyer invitations, pre-arranged appointments, on-site exhibitor support, and post-show lead qualification and follow-up
    

  • Plan and execute at least one outbound trade mission to the region and one inbound buyer mission to Virginia annually
    

  • Develop and implement promotional activities: in-store promotions, retail and foodservice campaigns, digital and social media marketing, and promotional materials
    

  • Escort buyer delegations to Virginia and travel to the U.S. for meetings as requested
    

• Market intelligence and advisory
  

  • Monitor and report on market conditions, tariff and non-tariff barriers, import regulations, labeling and ingredient requirements, and competitor activity affecting Virginia products
    

  • Deliver a monthly market intelligence report with actionable recommendations
    

  • Liaise regularly with USDA Foreign Agricultural Service posts and USDA Cooperator organizations in the region
    

• Reporting and performance
  

  • Submit weekly activity reports (client interactions, buyer outreach, outcomes) and per-event activity reports with performance metrics
    

  • Track progress against annual program targets: 25 documented sales/marketing presentations, one outbound mission, one inbound mission, and four documented new sales accounts
    

  • Document export success stories on an ongoing basis
    

  • Copy VDACS on all correspondence with Virginia companies and maintain transparent, responsive 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
  

Preferred 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)