Strategic Business Development Manager

Freudenberg Group; North Carolina; On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Freudenberg Group seeks a strategic leader to develop growth strategies, monitor market dynamics, and identify new opportunities. You will lead business case development, collaborate with R&D and product management, and drive cross-functional initiatives across the organization.

The role requires strong strategic thinking, matrix leadership, and the ability to travel up to 30% in support of global growth initiatives.

Qualifications

• MBA or advanced degree in business preferred.
• Sales & Marketing experience in nonwovens or related industry.
• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen.
• Diplomatic skills in a matrix organization.
• Execution-focused with stamina.
• Proficient in English.
• MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and SharePoint.
• Excellent presentation and workshop skills.
• Ability to travel up to 30%.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute growth strategies for business units and enterprise.
• Conduct market intelligence, competitive analyses, and trend reviews.
• Identify and prioritize new growth opportunities across products and geographies.
• Build business cases with market sizing, financial modeling, and risk assessment.
• Collaborate with R&D and Product Management on commercialization.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives across Sales, R&D, Operations, Marketing, Finance, and Product.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Business acumen

Diplomatic skills

Execution focus

English proficiency

MS Office

Presentation skills

Workshop facilitation

Travel readiness

Education

MBA or advanced business degree

Finance or Business Administration background

Tools

MS Office

SharePoint

Job description

Working at Freudenberg: We will wow your world!

Responsibilities:

Strategy Development

• Support the development and execution of business unit and enterprise growth strategies.
• Identify strategic growth vectors aligned with corporate objectives and market trends.
• Facilitate strategic planning processes and growth portfolio reviews.
• Translate strategic priorities into actionable initiatives and roadmaps.

Market Intelligence & Competitive Analysis

• Monitor market dynamics, customer trends, competitive developments, and emerging technologies.
• Conduct market attractiveness assessments and industry analyses.
• Identify market disruptions, growth opportunities, and potential risks.
• Maintain a fact-based understanding of competitors, business models, and strategic moves.

Growth Opportunity Identification & Prioritization

• Generate and evaluate new business opportunities across products, applications, markets, and geographies.
• Lead opportunity screening and prioritization using structured strategic frameworks.
• Recommend resource allocation based on commercial attractiveness and strategic fit.
• Develop growth pipelines and investment portfolios.

Business Case Development

• Build robust business cases, including market sizing, financial modeling, risk assessments, and implementation scenarios.
• Evaluate potential investments and growth initiatives using ROI and value-creation methodologies.
• Present recommendations to senior leadership and investment committees.
• Track business case assumptions and post-implementation results.

Innovation & New Product Commercialization

• Partner with R&D and Product Management to assess and commercialize innovation projects.
• Evaluate customer needs and market viability for new products and technologies.
• Support go-to-market strategies, value proposition development, and launch planning.
• Monitor commercialization performance and customer adoption.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Lead strategic initiatives across Sales, R&D, Operations, Marketing, Finance, and Product Management.
• Drive alignment among stakeholders in a matrix environment.
• Facilitate decision-making and executive reviews.
• Ensure successful execution of approved growth initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Master or Advanced Degree preferably in Finance or Business Administration, MBA is a plus
• Solid background in Sales & Marketing in Nonwovens or related industry
• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen;
• Diplomatic skills in working within a matrix
• Stamina and execution focus
• Proficient skills in English
• Excellent skills in MS Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel) and Sharepoint
• Excellent presentation and workshop skills & techniques
• Ability to travel up to 30%

The Freudenberg Group is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion. Employment opportunities are available to all applicants and associates without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, genetic information, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, protected military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Freudenberg Performance Materials LP (USA)