Business Development Lead - Performance Materials, Americas

Job Overview

Location: Detroit, Michigan Area

Travel Requirements: 40-60% across North, Central and South America

Position Summary

The Business Development Lead, Performance Materials – Americas; is responsible for driving profitable growth across the Performance Materials portfolio, including Heat Shrink Tubing, Sealing Solutions, and EMI Protection products. 

The role leads regional go-to-market strategy and execution across North America, while also developing and expanding the business in South America through local market engagement, channel development, and customer support initiatives. The successful candidate will work closely with Vehicle Manufacturers (OEMs), Wire Harness Manufacturers (HMs), CAMs, distributors, and internal cross-functional teams to identify growth opportunities, convert new business, and strengthen the company's market position. 

This position serves as the commercial and business development leader for the region, translating global portfolio strategies into actionable regional growth plans. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Business Development & Growth

• Develop and execute regional business development strategies to accelerate growth of the Performance Materials portfolio.


• Identify and pursue new business opportunities with OEMs, Wire Harness Manufacturers (HMs), CAMs, and other strategic customers.


• Build and maintain a robust opportunity pipeline and drive conversion through the sales funnel.


• Develop market penetration strategies for both existing and emerging applications.


• Support revenue growth, market share expansion, and profitability objectives across the region.

Go-to-Market Leadership

• Lead regional go-to-market activities for Heat Shrink Tubing, Sealing Solutions, and EMI Protection products.


• Align commercial initiatives with global product management and portfolio strategies.


• Drive launch plans, customer campaigns, value proposition development, and market positioning activities.


• Provide regional market intelligence and customer insights to influence portfolio planning and product roadmaps.

Customer Engagement

• Establish strong relationships with key decision makers at regional and global OEMs.


• Engage with engineering, procurement, operations, and executive stakeholders to identify customer needs and growth opportunities.


• Support strategic account planning and executive customer interactions.


• Represent the company at industry events, trade shows, and customer workshops.

South America Market Development

• Develop and implement a growth strategy for South America.


• Evaluate market opportunities, customer requirements, competitive dynamics, and channel effectiveness.


• Support local sales teams and partners to increase market coverage and business penetration.


• Identify investments and actions required to accelerate growth across key South American markets.

Job Requirements

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate closely with Sales, Field Application Engineering, Product Management, Marketing ang Engineering teams.


• Support strategic pricing, business case development, and commercial negotiations.


• Act as the voice of the customer within the organization.


• Drive alignment between regional customer requirements and global business objectives.

Market & Competitive Intelligence

• Monitor industry trends, market developments, competitive activities, and technology evolution.


• Provide actionable insights to leadership and portfolio teams.


• Support long-term strategic planning and growth initiatives.

What your background should look like

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Marketing, or a related field.


• MBA preferred.

Experience

• 8+ years of experience in business development, product management, sales, or market development.


• Experience serving automotive, industrial, transportation, or electronics markets preferred.


• Proven track record of driving growth through OEM engagement and strategic customer development.


• Experience working with technical products and solution-based selling models.


• Experience operating across North and South American markets preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong business development and commercial leadership skills.


• Excellent customer-facing and relationship management capabilities.


• Strategic thinker with strong execution focus.


• Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.


• Strong presentation, negotiation, and communication skills.


• Experience developing and executing go-to-market strategies.


• Ability to analyze market trends and translate insights into growth initiatives.


• Willingness to travel extensively throughout North and South America.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Revenue growth and market share expansion.


• New business wins and pipeline development.


• Go-to-market execution effectiveness.


• Strategic OEM, HM, and CAM engagement.


• South America business growth and market penetration.


• Customer satisfaction and relationship development.

Competencies