Business Manager

Evonik; Midrand; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Evonik Africa (Pty) seeks a business development professional with cosmetics and personal care expertise to expand the SSA market. You will build strong relationships with customers, analyze market dynamics, and align routes to market with regional strategies.

The role requires a Master’s degree and a proven network in cosmetics, with fluency in English and ideally another official SA language. Hybrid work is offered across the region, with extensive collaboration across departments.

Qualifications

• Fluent in English; other South Africa official language a plus.
• Proven track record in cosmetics/personal care.
• Strong network in cosmetics industry and SSA region.

Responsibilities

• Enhance relationship with existing customers and identify new opportunities.
• Conduct market research and analyze business potential for personal care in SSA.
• Identify optimal route to market per SSA country and liaise with distributors.

Skills

Fluent English

Relationship building

Market research

Sales experience

Cross-cultural communication

Education

Master's degree in chemistry or polymer science with business management training

Tools

Excel

CRM

Pricing tools

PowerPoint

Job description

What We Offer

Explore a world of opportunities with us. Look ahead with us and help shape innovative solutions to make our world more sustainable and life healthier, more vibrant and more comfortable. At Evonik, you have the chance to explore, thrive, and grow alongside 33,000 colleagues. Among attractive career paths and high-quality development programs, we not only offer performance-based remuneration and occupational health benefits but also hybrid and flexible working environments with #SmartWork. Bring your fresh perspective, develop your strengths, break out your mold, and find a career that fits your dreams with us.

Responsibilities

• Enhance relationship with existing, identify and contact promising new customers.
• Do market research and analysis of business potential for personal care within the identified SSA markets. From monitorng market trends in the above described countries/regions: commercial, technical, marketing. Issue reports on a regular basis
• Familiarize oneself and identify the best route to market model per SSA country
• Contact person for local external distributors; consult them in technical questions and new business development.
• Submit principals' quotations or price lists, payments and delivery terms etc. to customers and ensure details are communicated to principals
• Follow-up of daily activities for service requirements (e.g. technical support, product presentations) in line with strategies and guidelines of employer and business lines defined
• Report about all competitive activities and relevant information. Issue reports on a regular basis
• Work closely with departments of principals, e.g. key account management, techn. service, product management, NBD, customer service, supply chain and business services.
• Overarching responsibility for managing product planning pipeline and forecasts. Overall responsibility for ensuring that adeqaute product is available for customer requirements
• Identify new business and/or new projects. Analyze market opportunities. Maintain project pipeline.
• Responsibility for all internal admnistrative elements associated with the business manager role
• Represent the business area at exhibitions
• Act as messenger in case of customer complaints and credit control. Support sample follow up.
• Participate in BL meetings, industry teams, technical trainings, seminars or telcos.

Requirements

• Profile: Graduates of applied chemistry or polymer science with preferably additional business management training with so (Min Master Degree is required). Strong capabilities in building personal relationship on top of technical affinity.
• The successful candidate must come directly from the cosmetics industry, demonstrating in-depth knowledge of formulation-driven products, raw materials, regulatory environments, and market dynamics specific to cosmetics and personal care.
• Significant proven professional experience within the cosmetics, personal care, or beauty industry is essential.
• A well-established and active professional network within the cosmetics and personal care industry is mandatory, including strong relationships with customers, partners, suppliers, and key industry stakeholders.
• Proven track record of growing business within the personal care industry, both in South Africa and across SSA is required.
• Experience gained primarily outside the cosmetics or personal care industry will not be considered sufficient for this role
• Experience in multinational/corporate organization
• Proven proactive track record of delivering results across SSA
• People who can move confidently in a versatile, open, and international organization, who enjoy different cultures and who are fluent in English (if possible 1 extra language e.g. Portuguese, French)
• People who can move confidently in a versatile, open, and international organization, who enjoy different cultures and who are fluent in English and one other official lanaguage in South Africa. Knowledge of Portuguese or, French would be advantageous.
• Effective team player who enjoys working together in team
• Clear and effective verbal communications skills.
• Excellent computer literacy and strong proficiency in Excel, CRM, Pricing tools, Powerpoint, and other business management tools

Company is Evonik Africa (Pty)