Industrial Technology Manager, Household Care, SEA

Novonesis; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Novonesis is seeking an Industrial Technology Manager, Household Care, SEA to own complex formulation and enzyme implementation challenges across Southeast Asia. You will lead cross-functional technical projects and serve as regional SME, turning innovation into real-world solutions used by millions of consumers.

The role combines technical leadership, project ownership, and commercial partnership, guiding customers from opportunity identification to successful implementation, helping them

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Biotechnology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or another relevant scientific discipline.
• 10+ years of application, formulation, innovation, or technical service roles in household care or related sectors.
• Ability to engage credibly with technical and commercial decision-makers.
• Experience managing B2B customer relationships or within FMCG.
• Willingness to travel regularly throughout Southeast Asia.
• Fluent written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary technical contact for assigned customers and strategic opportunities across Southeast Asia.
• Lead technical discussions with customer R&D, innovation, and commercial teams.
• Solve formulation and enzyme implementation challenges through technical expertise and laboratory trials.
• Serve as the regional subject matter expert in household care formulations and enzyme applications.
• Lead complex cross-functional projects that accelerate innovation, customer adoption, and business growth.
• Develop technical value propositions and solution concepts with commercial and marketing colleagues.
• Monitor industry trends, competitor activities, and emerging customer needs.
• Coach colleagues, share best practices, and strengthen technical capabilities across the region.

Skills

English fluency

Cross-functional leadership

Technical leadership

Business acumen

Education

Bachelor/Master in Biotech/Chem/Eng

Job description

Interested in a career that matters?

Are you ready to take ownership of the most complex formulation and enzyme implementation challenges across Southeast Asia? As our new Industrial Technology Manager, Household Care, SEA , you will serve as the regional subject matter expert and lead cross-functional technical projects that create value for our customers and drive sustainable innovation.

You will join a multinational team of technical and commercial professionals dedicated to helping household care customers differentiate their products, improve performance, and reduce environmental impact. Working closely with colleagues across Southeast Asia and our global Household Care organization, you will play a critical role in turning innovation into real-world solutions used by millions of consumers every day.

The Role & Your Impact

This is a highly strategic and customer-facing role combining technical leadership, project ownership, and commercial partnership. You will be responsible for guiding customers from opportunity identification to successful implementation, helping them unlock the full value of enzyme-based solutions.

Your key responsibilities include:

• Acting as the primary technical contact for assigned customers and strategic opportunities across Southeast Asia.
• Leading technical discussions with customer R&D, innovation, and commercial teams.
• Solving formulation and enzyme implementation challenges through technical expertise and well-designed laboratory trials.
• Serving as the regional subject matter expert in household care formulations and enzyme applications.
• Leading complex cross-functional projects that accelerate innovation, customer adoption, and business growth.
• Developing technical value propositions and solution concepts together with commercial and marketing colleagues.
• Monitoring industry trends, competitor activities, and emerging customer needs within the household care market.
• Coaching colleagues, sharing best practices, and strengthening technical capabilities across the region.

What You’ll Need to Be Successful

To succeed in this role, you likely bring:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Biotechnology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or another relevant scientific discipline.
• Significant technical experience within the household care industry, personal care industry, or related sectors, typically gained through 10+ years of application, formulation, innovation, or technical service roles.
• Strong ability to engage credibly with both technical and commercial decision-makers.
• Experience managing B2B customer relationships or experience within a leading FMCG organization.
• Proven capability to influence, coach, mentor, or develop others through project leadership or technical guidance.
• Strong commercial acumen, ownership mindset, and structured problem-solving approach.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into customer value.
• Willingness to travel regularly throughout Southeast Asia.
• Fluent written and spoken English.

Additional Skills & Interests We Value

While not required, the following will be considered an advantage:

• Direct experience with laundry detergents, enzyme technologies, or household care formulations.
• Knowledge of Southeast Asian household care markets and customer landscape.
• Experience managing regional or multinational projects.
• Additional Southeast Asian language capabilities.
• Passion for sustainability, innovation, and leveraging biology to solve customer challenges.

What We Offer

At Novonesis, you will become part of a purpose-driven company where science, innovation, and sustainability come together to create meaningful impact. We offer:

• The opportunity to shape the future of household care through biological solutions.
• Exposure to leading multinational and local customers across Southeast Asia.
• A collaborative and diverse international work environment.
• Opportunities for professional growth, leadership development, and global networking.
• The chance to work with industry-leading experts in enzymes and BioSolutions.
• A culture that encourages curiosity, innovation, and continuous learning.

Ways of Working

• Regional role supporting customers across Southeast Asia.
• Frequent collaboration with technical, commercial, and marketing stakeholders across multiple countries.
• Regular travel to customer sites and industry events.
• Flexible working arrangements aligned with local business practices and team needs.

Our purpose guides the way

In Novonesis, we know that solutions rooted in biology can help solve humanity’s biggest challenges. Since we began more than a century ago, this has been our guide. It’s how we’ve gotten so far. And it’s how we’ll impact the future. Now, more than ever, the world needs change. And with biosolutions, the possibilities for transformation are endless.

Opportunities for everyone

We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process and equal opportunity for all applicants. Therefore we ask you to apply without a cover letter or photo and instead include a few sentences in your CV explaining your motivation for applying.

We make all employment decisions based on business needs and welcome candidates with a wide range of backgrounds, including ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status.

Explore other openings

If this position isn’t the right fit, you may still find other opportunities with us. You’re welcome to explore open roles or create a job agent to stay connected with future opportunities at novonesis.com/Career