Industry Market Manager Material Science

Job Summary

The Industry Market Manager (IMM) drives the financial performance, strategic growth, and market development of assigned Material Science product categories across North America. This role involves developing and executing category strategies, managing supplier relationships, and ensuring the right supplier partnerships, technologies, and product portfolios are in place to support customer innovation and commercial success.

Primary Responsibilities And Tasks

• Develop, gain approval for, and execute Material Science category strategies, including sourcing, preferred supplier selection, growth objectives, commercialization plans, and value-added sales approaches.

• Develop deep technical and commercial expertise within assigned Material Science categories and applications.

• Monitor industry trends, technology developments, customer requirements, regulatory changes, and competitive activity.

• Identify emerging market opportunities and recommend strategic initiatives to expand Brenntag's market position.

• Evaluate and launch new product lines and technologies that align with market demand and growth strategies.

• Maintain full responsibility for supplier relationship management, from strategic partnership development to tactical sourcing execution.

• Establish and maintain executive-level relationships with key suppliers.

• Evaluate supplier capabilities, innovation pipelines, manufacturing footprint, sustainability initiatives, and competitive positioning.

• Negotiate supply agreements, commercial terms, rebates, pricing programs, growth commitments, and strategic projects with leadership approval.

• Ensure compliance with supplier agreements and category strategies throughout the organization.

• Drive sales growth, gross profit dollars, margin expansion, and market share within assigned Material Science categories.

• Identify and execute margin optimization opportunities through pricing, sourcing, product positioning, and portfolio management.

• Define and maintain floor pricing, target margins, and pricing strategies for nationally and regionally managed products.

• Ensure pricing data, cost structures, and margin targets are accurately maintained within Salesforce, pricing tools, and ERP systems.

• Monitor business performance metrics and implement corrective actions as needed to achieve financial objectives.

• Actively support the sales organization by providing product expertise, market intelligence, and commercialization support.

• Partner with Business Development Managers (BDMs), Technical Development Managers (TDMs), Product Managers (PMs), and Sales Teams to drive customer growth.

• Manage and support opportunity pipelines for strategic suppliers and key customers.

• Participate in customer visits, supplier meetings, technical reviews, and joint sales calls.

• Support key account initiatives, customer bids, and strategic growth projects.

• Develop and deliver product training, market updates, and competitive intelligence to sales and commercial teams.

• Publish regular updates regarding supply conditions, market trends, raw material movements, and business opportunities.

• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Procurement, and Product Management teams to execute efficient inventory strategies.

• Monitor supply availability, supplier performance, inventory levels, and demand forecasts.

• Support risk mitigation strategies related to supply disruptions, raw material shortages, and logistics challenges.

• Drive inventory optimization while maintaining customer service expectations.

• Work closely with sales, technical development, product management, procurement, supply chain, operations, regulatory, and marketing teams.

• Foster open, honest, and collaborative communication across departments and stakeholders.

• Develop and maintain performance metrics that support business objectives and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Support sustainability, innovation, and strategic growth initiatives within the Material Science business.

Additional Required Skills/Abilities

• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and CRM systems.

• Strategic business acumen with the ability to analyze complex market conditions and identify growth opportunities.

• Strong understanding of specialty chemicals, raw materials, and Material Science markets.

• Exceptional communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.

• Ability to influence internal and external stakeholders at multiple organizational levels.

• Strong analytical and financial skills with demonstrated pricing and profitability management capabilities.

• Ability to evaluate technology trends and translate technical value propositions into commercial opportunities.

• Demonstrated experience in supplier management, category management, business development, or commercial leadership roles.

Physical Job Requirements For Essential Functions

• Sit up to 80% of the day.
• Type up to 70% of the day.
• Use computer programs up to 80% of the day.
• Use the telephone and virtual communication tools up to 80% of the day.
• Stand up to 50% of the day.
• Walk up to 50% of the day.
• Travel up to 30-40% as required for customer visits, supplier meetings, industry events, and internal business activities.