Industry Market Manager - Material Science

Job Posting Requirements
Job Summary
The Industry Market Manager (IMM) is primarily responsible for driving the financial performance, strategic growth, and market development of assigned Material Science product categories across North America. The IMM develops and executes category strategies aligned with market needs, supplier capabilities, and Brenntag's growth objectives. This role ensures that the right supplier partnerships, technologies, and product portfolios are in place to support customer innovation and commercial success within key Material Science segments, including coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers, composites, polymers, plastics, construction materials, electronics, and advanced materials.
The IMM is responsible for category management, supplier relationship management, portfolio optimization, sourcing strategies, and gross profit growth. The IMM owns strategic supplier relationships on a national level while providing direction and guidance to Product Management teams supporting regional opportunities.
The IMM conducts business according to Brenntag's Core Values, building trust with suppliers and customers, ensuring safe and compliant business practices, communicating clearly, fostering collaboration, and driving operational and commercial excellence.
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Primary Responsibilities and Tasks
Category Strategy & Market Development
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.
Supplier Management
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.
Financial Performance Management
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.
Commercial Leadership & Sales Support
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.
Supply Chain & Inventory Management
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.
Cross-Functional Leadership
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.
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Other Responsibilities
Communicate new products, technologies, and market developments to the sales organization through training and commercial updates.
Maintain strong relationships with internal teams and cross-functional stakeholders.
Identify and manage potential supplier, product, or market conflicts while aligning with busine