Business Development Manager -China

Milliken & Company, an innovation company that has been exploring, discovering, and creating ways to enhance people’s lives since 1865.  With expertise across a breadth of disciplines including specialty chemicals, floor covering, and performance materials, we work around the world to add value to people’s lives, improve health and safety, and make the world more sustainable.  We have a global presence with 42 manufacturing facilities located in the U.S., U.K., Belgium, France and China.  In addition, sales and service operations are located throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. 

Headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina, our eight thousand associates across 46 locations are a diverse global team of scientists, engineers, manufacturers, designers, thinkers, and problem solvers. People who come to work every day with curious minds and an unwavering commitment to delivering sustainable solutions for our customers and communities. Named to the World’s Most Ethical Companies list by Ethisphere Institute for 15 consecutive years, we rally behind a common purpose: to positively impact the world for generations.

Regional Business Development Manager – Role Overview

The Regional Business Development Manager will be responsible for driving the growth of newly launched plastic additive products within their designated region. This role requires close collaboration with the Global Product Line Manager, global technical teams, and regional commercial and technical teams to ensure alignment and execution.

Key responsibilities include:

Core Responsibilities

• Proactive market engagement with customers and industry stakeholders to accelerate product adoption.
• Strategic pipeline management to convert opportunities into measurable revenue growth.
• Cross-functional collaboration to translate market needs into actionable strategies.
• Enablement and training to ensure regional commercial teams fully understand the product value proposition, market positioning, and go-to-market approach.
• Act as a critical link between global strategy and regional execution, driving successful commercialization and sustained growth of Milliken’s plastic additives portfolio.

Market Development & Demand Creation

• Identify and cultivate new market opportunities for recently launched plastic additive products.
• Develop and execute regional go-to-market strategies in alignment with Global Product Line Managers.
• Organize and support seminars, conferences, and digital campaigns to build market awareness.

Sales Enablement & Opportunity Management

• Collaborate with regional sales teams to drive commercialization and achieve revenue targets.
• Manage and progress the regional opportunity pipeline.
• Track and report on opportunity stages, expected revenue, and probability of closure using SPARK.

Market Intelligence & Strategy

• Monitor competitor activities, customer trends, and regulatory developments to inform strategic decisions.
• Deliver actionable insights on market dynamics and customer needs to guide product positioning and innovation.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key industry stakeholders, including brand owners, machinery makers, converters, regulators, and associations.
• Coordinate with internal teams (Product Line Managers, R&D, TS&D, Marketing) to ensure alignment on product strategy and execution.

Reporting & Communication

• Provide regular updates to leadership on regional performance, market feedback, and strategic initiatives.
• Contribute to global business development reviews and long-term planning sessions.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.  Plastics and polymer applications experiences is preferred
• Exhibit a sense of urgency and independent initiative toward accomplishing objectives.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• A high energy leader, with experience working with global, cross functional teams and a great sense of ownership.  “It’s my business” mentality.
• 5+ years professional work experience, with expertise in marketing, business development, or sales preferred.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to lead and influence cross functional teams.
• Ability to forge working relationships quickly across geographic and cultural boundaries.
• Ability to travel >50% of the time both domestically and internationally
• Experience: Proven experience in business development, sales, or marketing
• Skills: Strong analytical, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Network: Established network and relationships with key stakeholders in the region

Milliken is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, including but not limited to lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.