Business Development Manager - Functionalized Silica

Ecovyst is a materials science, catalyst, and services company dedicated to creating innovative technologies that play a critical role in supporting ecological health and help our customers solve complex challenges.

Energized by an over 200-year history, we have positioned ourselves to be responsive and fast adapting to rapidly changing economic environments and support our customers with solutions that grow and extend their business growth and sustainability goals.

Our cutting-edge solutions span across two industry-leading businesses, Ecoservices and Advanced Materials and Catalyst.

• Ecoservices is dedicated to services that have a positive impact on our planet. Our Ecoservices business provides specialty grade high purity virgin sulfuric acid for a number of diverse and growing end uses.

• Advanced Materials and Catalyst specializes in silica supports and catalysts. This business allows us to develop innovative technologies that enable our customers and value chain partners to create sustainable products.

At Ecovyst, we are ready for change, and we believe that each of our team members can be a catalyst for positive change. Our cornerstone values of integrity and fairness, diligence and service, learning and imagination are reflected across our people and our company culture. Our dynamic and inclusive working environment is one where all opinions are valued and the culture of family is fostered. This culture and our strong spirit of teamwork directly benefit our customers, our suppliers, our employees, our planet, and the communities where we live and work.

Business Development Manager - Functionalized Silica

Our Advanced Materials and Catalyst division now has an opening for a Business Development Manager: Functionalized Silica for the Americas.

Role Summary:

The role is responsible for developing new business opportunities within the Ecovyst Advanced Silicas (EAS) strategic business unit of Ecovyst's Advanced Material & Catalyst Division (AM&C). The Business Development Manager will proactively identify, develop and ultimately commercialize new business opportunities in partnership with existing and new customers globally. The role includes commercializing existing technology platforms and identifying new opportunities to enable EAS to exploit its world leading capabilities in sustainable functionalized materials that meet customers increasingly challenging demands. The role will involve being our global lead for Carbon Capture, Carbon Utilization & Purification. The role will be regionally responsible for all NBD activities for the Americas region across the EAS portfolio including, Metals Adsorption, Produced Water Clean Up and Bio-Catalysis. Working closely with internal and customer R&D groups will be critical to drive through new innovative solutions to commercialisation. The role will also require working closely with existing Account Managers, Product Management & Marketing, Operations and 3rd party partners to develop economically attractive and sustainable business opportunities for EAS .

This position reports directly to the New Business Development Senior Manager of the EAS business.

Responsibilities:

• Continually and proactively analyse the global Advanced Material market to establish current and future customer requirements, enabling the EAS business to identify new opportunities for growth by commercialising its existing technology portfolio and also utilise its technical capabilities to develop new, innovative technology platforms;

• Work seamlessly with the EAS R&D team based on Conshohocken, to develop sustainable, customer driven solutions that meet the customers existing & future needs within the market sector;

• Successfully engage at different stages with multiple stakeholders within our customers organisation (e.g. R&D, Production, Purchasing, Product Management) to overcome inertia, ensuring that new customer driven innovations are adopted in a timely manner;

• Engage with relevant national research centers, institutes & universities in the US & EU, to ensure that EAS are aware of government funded projects in the "Advanced Material" area;

• Representing EAS at industry specific Conferences, Exhibitions and Technology Insight events to ensure visibility within the market sector and also to develop future leads;

• Develop Internal Business Cases that clearly define potential commercial opportunity, investment timeframe, potential risks & mitigations and establish clear strategic fit within the EAS business;

• Presentation of said business cases to both EAS & AMAC Executive Level to ensure timely Buy-In;

• Identify and evaluate potential collaboration partners that would enable new opportunities to be delivered more rapidly and cost effectively to our customers;

• Negotiate term sheets, NDA, JDA and contracts with existing and future customers;

• Identification of the best routes to markets globally, establishing relationships as and when required with commercial agents, distributors and technical partners;

• As new technologies become established and mature, develop programs and timeframes to train Account Managers to service global customer base;

• Continually "scan" the market for potential in-organic opportunities for the EAS business and bring opportunities for potential acquisition, JV or partnering to the EAS Senior Leadership team.

Note:

As this is a global role (due to the nature of the market) travel, including international, greater than 50% is anticipated to meet the responsibilities of the role.

Other responsibilities as deemed appropriate by Management may be added at any time.

Requirements:

• BSc degree in Chemistry, Materials Science or Chemical/Process Engineering background is essential.
• 10+ years total career experience (min. 5yrs in Business Development) including:
• o Demonstrated results leading NBD teams from concept, through R&D development to delivering $10M+ per annum commercial revenue

o Commercial, R&D, Marketing disciplines in chemical/materials manufacturing environment

o International business experience

• Sound ability in project management across functions and regions, both internally and externally, with strong focus on deliverables

• Experience and understanding contract development and complex risk management strategies related to new business development activities. Demonstrable skill interpreting and managing sources of contractual risk, while converting in principle deals into finished contracts

• Highly influential, able to sell ideas and concepts to gain the buy-in of others

• Strong analytical skills, comfortable analyzing data and building business cases with demonstrated project management skills to execute to timelines and KPI's

• Able to demonstrate resilience and tenacity in previous roles, ideally within a Business Development.

• Experienced working cross-functionally and vertically within an organization to drive through new, innovative opportunities

• · Demonstrated successes and flexibility to identify and implement varying partnership and joint development agreements with customers and co-stakeholders

• Demonstrated scientific understanding of advanced materials and adsorbents and their applications across a range of chemical segments such as Carbon Capture & Utilization, Petrochemicals, Polymers, water treatment, Bio-feedstocks; Bio-fuels and Bio-Chemicals;

• Minimum degree educated in a chemistry, bio or commercially related discipline.

Personal Attributes:

• · High quality professional, with confidence and composure are critical to enable:

o Selling of novel, innovative ideas and concepts to both existing & future customers;

o Presentation of opportunities & risks to Exec. Level Leaders within AMAC;

• Self-motivated, resilient & flexible, with an ability to proactively engage with customers at all levels within their organization;

• Able to drive internal cross-functional project teams to meet challenging goals and timeframes;

• Technology focused, able to effectively communicate with R&D teams both internally and externally;

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally 50%+ of the time

The role will be US based and can operate from the Ecovyst office in Conshohocken, PA. Field remote would be considered on a case by case basis