Channel Manager, North America

Ash. Ind. Nederland BV; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ashland Specialty Ingredients, GP is seeking a Channel Manager to lead the North American channel strategy, onboard high-performing partners, and build strong executive relationships with distributors. The role reports to the Head of Strategic Accounts and Market Development and emphasizes growth, forecasting, and cross-functional collaboration.

The ideal candidate will drive channel programs, manage agreements, and deliver training to partners while traveling up to 50% within North America.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Chemistry, Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related field.
• 3+ years in channel management, sales, business development, or distributor management in life sciences.
• Strong commercial acumen and experience developing growth strategies.
• Proven ability to influence and negotiate at executive and senior management levels.
• Strong analytical, forecasting, and business planning skills.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship management capabilities.
• Ability to travel approximately 30-50% within North America.
• Demonstrate responsible and ethical behavior at all times.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the North American channel strategy to support Ashland Life Sciences growth objectives.
• Onboard and develop high-performing channel partners.
• Establish annual business plans, revenue targets, and growth initiatives with channel partners.
• Build and maintain strong executive and operational relationships with key distributors and channel partners.
• Conduct regular business reviews to assess performance against sales targets and objectives.
• Develop joint account plans, marketing programs, and business development activities with partners.
• Manage distributor agreements, performance expectations, and compliance requirements.
• Monitor sales pipelines, forecasting accuracy, inventory levels, and demand planning activities.
• Implement programs that improve channel effectiveness and customer engagement.
• Develop and deliver training programs that equip channel partners with knowledge.

Skills

Channel management

Sales strategy

Executive relationships

Forecasting

Training programs

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business

MBA (preferred)

Life sciences background

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Ashland Specialty Ingredients, GP

Are you the kind of person that is always thinking, sketching, seeking, and adjusting? Who needs to understand how things work and then figure out how they can work better? Are you a passionate, tenacious, solver who loves to work with others who share your drive? Are you positive, constructive, and ingenious?

Are you always solving?

Then we’d like to meet you and bet you’d like to meet us.

Ashland has an exciting opportunity for a Channel Manager to join our Ashland Life Sciences business. This is a very visible, significant role within the Company. This position will report to the Head of Strategic Accounts and Market Development.

The responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Develop and execute the North American channel strategy to support Ashland Life Sciences growth objectives.
• Onboard and develop high-performing channel partners.
• Establish annual business plans, revenue targets, and growth initiatives with channel partners.
• Build and maintain strong executive and operational relationships with key distributors and channel partners.
• Conduct regular business reviews to assess performance against sales targets, strategic objectives, and customer satisfaction metrics.
• Develop joint account plans, marketing programs, and business development activities with partners.
• Manage distributor agreements, performance expectations, and compliance requirements.
• Monitor sales pipelines, forecasting accuracy, inventory levels, and demand planning activities.
• Implement programs that improve channel effectiveness, customer engagement, and conversion rates.
• Develop and deliver training programs that equip channel partners with technical, product, and commercial knowledge.
• Ensure channel partners are effectively positioned to communicate Ashland's value proposition and innovation portfolio.
• Actively contribute to the organizational goals by taking initiative, executing on goals and focusing on performance and safety
• Improve the organization capacity and capabilities through building collaborative relationships, optimizing diverse talent and utilizing positive communications and influence with others.

In order to be qualified for this role, you must possess the following:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Chemistry, Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in channel management, sales, business development, or distributor management within the specialty chemicals, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, excipients, nutraceuticals, or life sciences industries.
• Strong commercial acumen and experience developing growth strategies.
• Proven ability to influence and negotiate at executive and senior management levels.
• Strong analytical, forecasting, and business planning skills.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship management capabilities.
• Ability to travel approximately 30-50% within North America.
• Demonstrate responsible and ethical behavior at all times
• The ability to help the company drive greater value through understanding the business, making complex decisions and creating the new and different

The following skill sets are preferred by the business unit :

• Experience in pharmaceutical excipients, nutraceutical ingredients, biopharmaceutical solutions, cell culture media, microbiology, or related life science markets.
• MBA or advanced degree in Business or a Life Sciences discipline.
• Experience working in a matrixed global organization.
• Proficiency with CRM and sales analytics tools such as Salesforce.

In more than 100 countries, the people of Ashland LLC. (NYSE: ASH) provide the specialty chemicals, technologies and insights to help customers create new and improved products for today and sustainable solutions for tomorrow. Our chemistry is at work every day in a wide variety of markets and applications, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, personal care and pharmaceutical. Visit www.ashland.com to see the innovations we offer.

At Ashland our vision is to be a leading, global specialty chemicals company whose inspired and engaged employees add value to all we touch. In fact our people, employees, customers and vendors define who we are. They are the driving force behind everything we do.

Not only do we value our customers but we value our employees, and we work to offer them a dynamic and challenging environment. We hold ourselves to high standards at Ashland, and we value integrity and honesty.

Ashland has a history of attracting the best people and keeping them. The reasons are simple: industry competitive salary and benefits, pay-for-performance incentive plans and a diverse work environment where employees feel challenged and valued. People come to Ashland and stay. As a growing Fortune 500 specialty chemicals company, we offer opportunities for development and advancement throughout our global organization. Our values define who we are and what we care about as a company. If you are looking for a relationship with a company instead of simply a job, this may be a great fit.

Ashland is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled/Gender Identity/Sexual Orientation.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

NOTE: We do not accept resumes from external staffing agencies or independent recruiters for any of our openings unless we have a signed recruiting agreement in place to fill a specific position.