Market Development Manager

Title: Market Development Manager

Location: Pasadena, TX

Who We Are

Voted one of the Nation's Best and Brightest Companies to Work for, Kuraray America, Inc. (KAI) is a global leader in specialty chemical, fiber, and resin production. With top-of-the-line research and production facilities and a vast network of supplies from around the world, Kuraray leads the industry in specialty dental, fiber, resin, and elastomer products. Kuraray America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray Company, Ltd. Based in Tokyo, Japan. Kuraray has operations in 31 countries and employs more than 11,000 employees, including over 800 in the United States.

Why Kuraray

Kuraray is building a better tomorrow, today. Our team members are dedicated to expanding our business with committed professionals who share essential values such as integrity, excellence, teamwork, and accountability.

As a part of Kuraray America, Inc., our team shares the advantages of working for the leader in specialty chemicals, resins, and fibers. Our international presence and resources allow us to be a world-leading innovator in the industries we service. Yet, despite our size, our people are more than just a number. As a new team member, you can expect to earn responsibility quickly. Our commitment to our people is visible in our comprehensive benefits package. As a Kuraray team member, you will have the opportunity to enjoy competitive salaries and benefits, incentive opportunities, and an excellent work environment.

Position Summary

The Market Development Manager will support the Sales team and actively participate in the TS&D Department. The Market Development Manager establishes the market growth strategy and proposes growth projections focused both on financial gain and market development project success. The Market Development Manager will identify market adjacencies that can come to fruition in the short to medium term through intensive market survey, value chain interaction, datamining and using any other market source available.

The Market Development Manager focuses on establishing regional objectives based on global strategy and project priorities aligned with the Company strategy and set up the necessary systems to manage this process, including setting up challenging goals. The Market Development Manager will manage professionals and foresee the training needs to support their relevant goals.

Responsibilities

• Establish market growth strategy and projections focused both on financial gain and market pull creation
• Expand the growth of our barrier products in the marketplace
• Promote products/services to engage brand owners and other stakeholders
• Support project leaders by focusing on the market pull
• Data mine and lead marketing research to identify new markets needs
• Conduct periodic market sample surveys and testing to track packaging trends
• Be an active EVAL BU representative of specific association(s) such as SPC meetings and stay up to date of recycling regulations
• Coordinate regional EVAL BU events and conferences
• Develop brochures and marketing tools to promote new products or applications in cooperation with TS&D team
• Participate in KAI and global management structures, regular meetings and reporting structures
• Conduct marketing campaigns for growing products and applications
• Serve as the liaison of the EVAL BU to the Innovation Network Center (INC)
• Manage and develop market development engineers
• Participate in KAI and global management structures, regular meetings and reporting structures
• Set up and maintain a management gate review system for the introduction of new applications/products in the market development of our barrier business
• Set up and maintain a management gate review system for the introduction of new applications/products in the market development of our barrier business
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Polymer, Packaging, Business Administration or relevant degree
• 15 years' experience in Technical Service or Technical Sales in the packaging industry and a solid understanding of concepts, theories, and practices in packaging manufacturing facility
• Ability to extract market potential and short-term probable volume from brand owners.
• Ability to work intimately with TS&D and the Sales team to extrapolate the probable volume opportunity.
• Experience with Salesforce, MS Office Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
• Strong documentation and reporting skills.
• Strong problem analysis, root cause analysis, troubleshooting, judgment and decision-making skills.
• Strong people and demonstrated change management skills at an organizational level.
• Ability to use influencing skills rather than authority to achieve targets.
• A solid understanding of packaging fundamentals.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication, presentation, interpersonal, creative thinking, consulting, and analytical skills.
• Ability to prioritize work to manage multiple projects to meet deadlines.
• Excellent problem-solving/decision-making skills.
• Ability to multi-task
• Candidates must have a valid driver's license.
  
  

We offer a competitive compensation package that includes base pay and an annual incentive. This program is designed to reward individual performance and align overall rewards with corporate and team performance.

Our employees benefit from a robust healthcare package that includes wellness reimbursements, along with generous perks such as three weeks of paid time off, ten company holidays, paid parental leave, education reimbursement, and a matching 401k plan, among other offerings.

Competencies

• Customer Focus
• Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Business Insight
• Applying knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization's goals.
• Cultivates Innovation
• Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.

• Action Oriented
• Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Ensures Accountability
• Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Drives Results
• Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstance
• Collaborates
• Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Values Difference
• Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization
• Communicates Effectively
• Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Courage
• Stepping up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said.
• Instills Trust
• Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Situational Adaptability
• Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations.
  

We offer a competitive compensation package that includes base pay and an annual incentive. This program is designed to reward individual performance and align overall rewards with corporate and team performance.

Our employees benefit from a robust healthcare package that includes wellness reimbursements, along with generous perks such as three weeks of paid time off, ten company holidays, paid parental leave, education reimbursement, and a matching 401k plan, among other offerings.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S.

Please apply online at: http://www.kuraray.us.com/careers/

Kuraray America, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer AA M/F/disability/protected veteran status.

No third-party candidates accepted.