BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER - food ingredients

Oleon; Ranst; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Oleon is seeking a Business Development Manager to drive the commercial development of our food ingredients portfolio across Europe. You will build a deep understanding of the portfolio, its specifications and potential applications, then translate that knowledge into a clear commercial roadmap.

You will actively approach potential customers, building relationships with commercial, technical, procurement and R&D stakeholders and guiding opportunities through the full development process to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in business, engineering or related field.
• Proven experience in B2B sales or business development in food ingredients.
• Comfort discussing product specs, production processes and approval flows.

Responsibilities

• Drive commercial development of the food ingredients portfolio across Europe.
• Build a strong understanding of the portfolio's specifications and applications.
• Identify customer segments, applications and opportunities and translate them into a roadmap.
• Actively approach customers and build relationships with commercial, technical, procurement and R&D stakeholders.
• Guide opportunities through the full development process to initial volumes, with cross‑functional collaboration.
• Structure the sales pipeline, coordinate next steps and move projects forward.
• Explore new segments or regions when obvious markets are limited.

Skills

B2B sales

Hunter mentality

English fluency

Stakeholder engagement

Travel across Europe

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in business, engineering or related field

Job description

As business development manager, you will drive the commercial development of our food ingredients portfolio across Europe.

You will start by building a strong understanding of our food ingredients portfolio, including its specifications, strengths and potential applications. Based on this knowledge and relevant market information, you will identify promising customer segments, applications and geographical opportunities and translate them into a clear commercial roadmap.

You will then actively approach potential customers and build relationships with commercial, technical, procurement and R&D stakeholders. By understanding their needs, you will turn initial conversations into concrete business opportunities.

You will guide these opportunities through the full development process, from first contact and product qualification to testing, approval and initial commercial volumes. Throughout this journey, you will work closely with our commercial, technical, production and quality teams.

You will bring structure to your pipeline, coordinate the next steps and keep projects moving forward. When the most obvious markets offer limited potential, you will explore new segments, applications or regions.

Who are we looking for?

You’ll succeed if:

• You bring a solid foundation with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in business, engineering or a related field, combined with proven experience in B2B sales or business development within the food ingredients industry.
• You understand food manufacturing environments and are comfortable discussing product specifications, production processes, customer requirements and approval flows.
• You communicate with ease across different levels of an organization and can engage both commercial and technical stakeholders.
• You have a strong hunter mentality and persistence to approach new prospects, open doors and develop opportunities from the ground up.
• You combine an entrepreneurial and hands-on mindset with a structured way of working, allowing you to prioritize markets, manage your pipeline and navigate longer sales cycles.
• You are internationally minded, fluent in English and willing to travel regularly across Europe.

Next to your skills, it is your drive and motivation that will make all the difference!

What we offer you

Working at Oleon is working in a growing and entrepreneurial company that offers an interesting salary in combination with substantial additional benefits. Opportunities to grow & to develop yourself are imbedded in our organization and are available based on your proven personal performance & ambition