VP/Director - Advanced Materials for Electronics

Our client is a substantial, multi-billion global speciality chemicals organisation with a 100-year heritage and operations across five continents. Through its integrated business model, it provides manufacturers and end users with an extensive range of high-performance solutions.

Continued investment and growth are now driving the organisation’s entry into the high-purity, high-performance materials market serving the global advanced electronics industry. These materials will support the continued development of semiconductors, data centres, artificial intelligence, robotics and other rapidly expanding high-technology markets.

This is a senior commercial leadership opportunity to establish and scale a new business unit from the ground up. Reporting to the Divisional President, you will identify the most attractive markets, create a compelling proposition, build senior customer relationships and convert opportunity into sustainable revenue.

While the successful candidate will bring strong knowledge of the advanced electronics materials ecosystem, this is first and foremost a commercial business-building role.  It requires an accomplished leader with a demonstrable record of developing markets, winning strategic customers and building a successful sales-led business.

The role

You will take overall responsibility for establishing and scaling the new advanced electronics materials business unit, including its commercial strategy, revenue plan and route-to-market model.

Working with considerable autonomy and visibility, you will:

• Define and lead the strategic and commercial roadmap, identifying and prioritising the most attractive high-growth market segments.
• Build an international sales and business development platform, creating a qualified pipeline of customers, partners and commercial opportunities.
• Establish influential senior-level relationships with semiconductor manufacturers, electronics materials businesses and other organisations across the advanced electronics ecosystem.
• Translate customer requirements and market opportunities into commercially viable propositions, working closely with internal technical, product and operational teams.
• Own the commercial business case, including market prioritisation, pricing, margins, investment requirements, revenue forecasts and long-term growth objectives.
• Lead complex negotiations and secure strategic customer, partnership and supply agreements.
• Ensure the commercial and technical roadmaps are aligned with customer needs and clearly defined routes to market.
• Recruit and lead the sales and commercial capabilities required as the business develops.
• Identify opportunities for organic growth, strategic partnerships, joint ventures and acquisitions, supporting the evaluation and execution of appropriate transactions.
• Analyse market dynamics, competitor activity and emerging technologies to keep the business focused on the strongest commercial opportunities.
• Travel internationally as required to develop relationships, establish a market presence and deliver the growth plan.

About you

You will be an established commercial, business development or business unit leader with extensive experience of advanced electronics materials, semiconductors, speciality chemicals or an adjacent high-technology market.

Crucially, you will have a demonstrable record of creating and converting commercial opportunity. This may include entering new markets, winning strategic customers, building international sales pipelines, negotiating complex agreements and establishing or scaling a business unit with meaningful revenue and P&L responsibility.

You may currently be operating as a Commercial Director, Business Development Director, Business Unit Director, General Manager, VP Sales, VP Business Development or New Ventures Director. Candidates whose experience has been predominantly within engineering, research, product development or technical project management, without substantial commercial ownership, are unlikely to meet the requirements of this position.

You will also bring:

• Deep knowledge of the advanced electronics supply chain, ideally gained within an advanced chemicals, electronic materials or semiconductor manufacturer.
• A strong understanding of the materials supporting semiconductors, data centres, AI, robotics and other high-technology markets.
• Evidence of personally leading sales growth, customer acquisition, commercial negotiations and revenue delivery.
• A proven ability to establish and scale a new business, market proposition or commercial initiative, ideally from the ground up.
• The credibility to engage effectively with senior commercial, technical and engineering stakeholders.
• Experience of developing strategic partnerships, with exposure to joint ventures or M&A considered a distinct advantage.
• Fluency in English and, ideally, a degree in chemistry, materials science, engineering, business or a related discipline.

Intellectually strong, entrepreneurial and action-oriented, you will be comfortable operating in a complex and initially ambiguous environment. You will bring clarity and direction, translating a broad strategic opportunity into a focused commercial plan and creating the customer relationships and organisational capability required to build a substantial international business.

This is a rare opportunity to shape an entirely new business unit within a highly successful global organisation and make a lasting commercial impact.

Interested?

Please apply with a full and detailed CV, quoting reference 15/376, by clicking Apply Now.

Due to the anticipated volume of applications, we may be unable to respond to every applicant personally. If you have not received a response within three weeks, unfortunately we will not be progressing your application on this occasion.