Global Sales Director & Business Unit Lead – Emulsifiers & Hydrocolloids

CNS Worldwide Executive Search; Hamburg; Hybrid; EUR 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

CNS Worldwide Executive Search seeks a Global Sales Director – Food Ingredients to lead global commercial development from its Hamburg base. The role requires shaping portfolio strategy and aligning with regional affiliates while advancing growth across meat, dairy, and other food categories.

The position emphasizes strong product and portfolio management, sophisticated market insights, and collaboration with Sales, R&D, Marketing, and Operations to translate global strategy into local execution.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in the food ingredients industry with emulsifiers, hydrocolloids, starches, texturizers, stabilizers, or functional ingredients.
• Deep knowledge of meat and dairy applications.
• Proven track record in global or regional sales, product management, or business development.
• Strong product and portfolio management background with a commercial mindset.
• Experience developing go-to-market strategies and commercializing technical ingredient solutions.
• Excellent strategic, analytical, communication, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to work effectively across regions, cultures, and international affiliates.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the global sales and go-to-market strategy.
• Define portfolio priorities by region, customer segment, application, and product category.
• Drive growth across customers, markets, and applications.
• Translate global strategy into regional commercial plans with local affiliates.
• Manage and optimize the global product portfolio, including growth, innovation, differentiation, and rationalization.
• Support market development in meat, dairy, prepared foods, and other food categories.
• Monitor market trends, customer needs, competitors, pricing, and application opportunities.
• Support key account development and major customer projects.
• Coordinate product launches and commercialization with cross-functional teams.
• Provide market insights to guide innovation and new product development.

Skills

Global sales leadership

Portfolio management

Strategic planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Market expansion

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

We are seeking a Global Sales Director – Food Ingredients to lead global commercial development and portfolio strategy across North America, Asia, Latin America, and Europe.

The role combines global sales leadership with strong product and portfolio management responsibility. It will define commercial priorities, identify growth markets and applications, and ensure the portfolio is aligned with customer needs, competitive dynamics, and regional opportunities.

Working closely with regional affiliates, Sales, R&D, Application, Marketing, and Operations, the Global Sales Director will translate global strategy into local commercial execution and accelerate sustainable business growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the global sales and go-to-market strategy.
• Define portfolio priorities by region, customer segment, application, and product category.
• Drive growth across customers, markets, and applications.
• Translate global strategy into regional commercial plans with local affiliates.
• Manage and optimize the global product portfolio, including growth, innovation, differentiation, and rationalization.
• Support market development in meat, dairy, prepared foods, and other food categories.
• Monitor market trends, customer needs, competitors, pricing, and application opportunities.
• Support key account development and major customer projects.
• Coordinate product launches and commercialization with cross-functional teams.
• Provide market insights to guide innovation and new product development.

Profile

• Strong experience in the food ingredients industry, ideally with emulsifiers, hydrocolloids, starches, texturizers, stabilizers, or functional ingredients.
• Good knowledge of food applications, particularly meat and dairy.
• Proven experience in global or regional sales, product management, portfolio management, or business development.
• Strong product and portfolio management background with a clear commercial mindset.
• Experience developing go-to-market strategies and commercializing technical ingredient solutions.
• Strong strategic, analytical, communication, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to work effectively across regions, cultures, and international affiliate organizations.

Location & Working Model

• Based at the Hamburg headquarters.
• Home office possible on a regular basis, combined with a strong office presence.