Business Development Manager Industrial Hygiene & Detergent Ingredients (m/f/d)

ICL Group; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Attractive remuneration

Development opportunities

Open communication

International team

Job summary

ICL Group is seeking an entrepreneurial Senior Business Development Manager to drive commercialization of innovative hygiene technologies across Europe. You will build strategic partnerships and engage senior decision-makers within leading detergent and hygiene players, translating technology into market-ready value propositions.

You will lead cross-functional teams and accelerate adoption, working with R&D, Regulatory, and Commercial functions to deliver revenue growth and long-term market

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in business development, technical sales, or commercial innovation within specialty chemicals or related additives.
• Established network and direct access to senior decision-makers in the detergent and hygiene industry.
• Proven track record of introducing and commercializing innovative ingredients and technologies.
• Experience leading cross-functional collaboration with R&D, Regulatory, Procurement, and Marketing.
• Experience negotiating LOIs, MOUs, joint development agreements, and exclusive partnerships.
• Ability to translate complex technology into compelling commercial value propositions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the commercial growth strategy for an innovative hygiene technology platform across Europe.
• Build relationships with senior decision-makers and innovation leaders in leading detergent and hygiene companies.
• Identify and develop new business opportunities within strategic target accounts.
• Translate complex technology into compelling value propositions for customers.
• Lead co-development projects from initial engagement to formulation, validation and launch.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams across R&D, Regulatory, Legal, Marketing, Supply Chain and Operations.
• Drive customer adoption and accelerate revenue growth across the industrial hygiene market.

Skills

Business development

Strategic partnerships

Key account planning

Senior stakeholder engagement

Negotiation

Job description

We are seeking an entrepreneurial Senior Business Development Manager to lead the commercialization of innovative specialty ingredients within the global industrial hygiene and detergent market.

This is a unique opportunity for a results-driven professional with a proven track record of bringing new technologies to market and established relationships across leading industrial hygiene, detergent and specialty ingredient players such as Ecolab, Diversey/Solenis, Kersia, and similar organizations.

You will build strategic partnerships, engage key decision-makers, drive formulation adoption, and accelerate the market introduction of innovative technologies with leading detergent and hygiene companies across Europe. Working closely with R&D, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, and Senior Leadership, you will transform innovation into long-term commercial success.

Location: Germany or The Netherlands (Hybrid), based in one of ICL's European offices

Your Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the commercial growth strategy for an innovative hygiene technology platform across Europe
• Build and leverage relationships with senior decision-makers, innovation leaders, R&D teams, and commercial stakeholders within leading detergent and hygiene companies
• Identify, qualify, and develop new business opportunities within strategic target accounts
• Translate complex technology into compelling commercial value propositions for customers
• Lead co-development projects from first customer engagement through evaluation, formulation, validation, negotiation, and commercial launch
• Develop customer-specific commercialization roadmaps and project plans
• Negotiate partnership agreements, supply agreements, co-development contracts, LOIs, and strategic collaboration models
• Coordinate cross-functional teams including R&D, Regulatory, Legal, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Operations
• Drive customer adoption and accelerate revenue growth across the industrial hygiene market.
• Represent ICL at customer meetings, industry events, trade shows, and strategic business discussions

Required experience

• 10+ years of experience in business development, technical sales, strategic account management, or commercial innovation within specialty chemicals, detergent ingredients, biocides, or related functional additives
• Established network and direct relationships with leading professional detergent and hygiene companies, with the ability to gain access to senior decision-makers
• Proven track record of successfully introducing and commercializing innovative ingredients and technologies within the professional detergent, hygiene, or industrial cleaning industry
• Proven experience managing the integration of new ingredients and technologies through evaluation, formulation, validation, commercial negotiation, and market launch
• Experience negotiating LOIs, MOUs, joint development agreements, supply agreements, and exclusivity or preferred-partner arrangements
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with R&D, Regulatory, Procurement, Marketing, and Commercial stakeholders within large industrial organizations
• Experience or familiarity with industrial food & beverage hygiene, CIP/OPC cleaning processes, detergent chemistry, and food plant sanitation practices is considered a strong advantage

Required capabilities

• Strong business development and strategic account planning skills
• Established network and direct access to decision-makers within leading European and U.S. detergent and hygiene companies
• Proven ability to open doors and build credibility with senior commercial, innovation, R&D, and technical stakeholders
• Ability to effectively bridge technical teams and business decision-makers
• Ability to translate complex technologies into compelling commercial value propositions
• Strong negotiation skills and experience structuring scalable partnership models while protecting long-term business value
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a hands-on approach to developing opportunities and driving market adoption
• Proven track record of converting strategic accounts into development partnerships, commercial agreements, and recurring revenue
• Willingness to travel extensively across Europe and selected global customer accounts

More information

• Attractive remuneration: Benefit from an attractive remuneration, supplemented by numerous extras.
• Development opportunities: Take advantage of our wide range of qualification and training opportunities for your continuous development.
• Open communication: Work in a culture of transparency and open communication.
• International team: Look forward to working with a committed, dynamic and international team.

Applicants with disabilities will be given preference if they have the same professional and personal qualifications.