Business Manager, Chemicals - Nitriles and Amines

POSITION OVERVIEW

Ascend's Chemicals business is seeking a strategic and results-driven Business Manager to lead our Nitrile and Amines product portfolio. These critical components serve a diverse range of industries, including Aerospace, Oil & Gas, Coatings & Adhesives, and Asphalt. The successful candidate will own global P&L responsibility, managing the full product lifecycle from ideation and development to commercialization and post-launch support. This role requires close collaboration with cross-functional teams to drive market expansion, operational efficiency, and financial growth.

TARGETED OUTCOMES

• Develop and execute a 5-year strategic roadmap for portfolio growth.
• Achieve deep market and application expertise to inform business decisions.
• Drive new product and application development in collaboration with R&D and customers.
• Provide strategic business leadership for key investments at manufacturing sites.
• Define pricing, contracting, and sales strategies to support business development.
• Cultivate strong, long-term partnerships with key customers.
• Align with operations, supply chain, and external vendors to drive growth and financial performance.
• Successfully execute key strategic projects as assigned by the Business Director, Chemicals

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and execute a comprehensive business strategy to drive growth, expand the product portfolio, and optimize financial performance.
• Define market opportunities and go-to-market strategy by:
• Assessing market potential by application.
• Conducting market mapping (opportunity, size, landscape).
• Identifying key customer needs and unmet demands.
• Building a strong business value proposition.
• Segmenting customers and positioning products effectively.
• Driving value creation and maximizing value capture.
• Establish and strengthen relationships with key customers, including senior-level engagements.
• Lead new product commercialization efforts in collaboration with the technology team, including launch execution, branding, marketing communication, trade shows, and sales enablement.
• Oversee sales, pricing strategy, contracts, and cost management to ensure sustainable profitability.

TEAM

• Reports to: Business Director-Chemicals

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• BS in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or related technical field.
• MBA or equivalent, with a focus on product marketing, supply chain, or strategic management preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in related chemistries, markets or other specialty chemicals.
• Strong track record of new product launches and driving revenue growth across customers and segments.
• Deep understanding of value chains, applications, and decision-making processes in the Sustainable Specialties market.
• 5+ years of experience commercializing new products and leading high-performance teams.
• Expertise in strategic marketing, including segmentation, value-based pricing, and positioning.
• Experience developing and executing go-to-market strategies for new products.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Proven business acumen, with the ability to synthesize diverse insights into a clear strategic vision.
• Strong strategic thinking-able to segment, prioritize, and execute initiatives with impact.
• Bias for action-entrepreneurial mindset with a focus on speed, execution, and results.
• Executive presence and ability to engage C-suite customers and stakeholders.
• Pragmatic approach to business strategy and execution.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence (Lean/Six Sigma culture).
• Strong collaborative mindset to work effectively across teams.

At Ascend Performance Materials, we value transparency and fairness in our hiring process. We do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters, search firms, or staffing agencies. Any resumes received from such entities will be considered the property of Ascend Performance Materials, and we will not be obligated to pay any fees for such submissions. Our Talent Acquisition Team actively engages with preferred recruitment partners who have established agreements with us. We encourage all interested candidates to apply directly through our official channels to be considered for any open positions.

Skills Summary:

About Us:

Ascend Performance Materials is the premium provider of high quality chemicals, fibers and plastics. With world scale integrated manufacturing facilities we are able to develop new products from our core technologies, and provide flexibility to respond to the expanding needs of customers. Ascend has global sales and distribution facilities across the globe and six manufacturing facilities globally. As a privately-held company, our people do big things and make big decisions, often much earlier in their careers than at larger companies. Ascend Performance Materials offers team members the opportunity to contribute in big, meaningful ways-all within a stable and growing business.

Why work at Ascend?

Our vision is to be the recognized leader in the nylon 6,6 value chain, creating new possibilities with PA66 for everyone, everywhere, every day. We achieve that through living our Ascend values.

We care. We operate safely with high integrity for our employees, our customers and our communities. Our people are our greatest assets, and our Total Rewards Program extends beyond traditional benefits to include access to on-site medical clinics at our U.S. facilities, a global wellness rewards program and Performance Matters, an employee-driven recognition plan. Our Commitment to Zero demonstrates our belief that is it possible to operate with zero personal injuries, zero process safety incidents and zero environmental releases. And the Ascend Cares Foundation, led by Ascend employees, supports Ascend families in times of need, provides inspiring opportunities for community engagement and facilitates community leadership.

Customer-focused. We exist for our customers; they drive our actions. Their success is our success. Our plastics and chemicals are building blocks that help make everyday essentials safer and more sustainable, and we constantly strive to develop new and innovative products to meet the future needs of our customers. And that customer focus doesn't only apply to the marketplace - it also applies to how we treat our colleagues and our fellow community members.

Better every day. We invest in our people and our processes to improve every day. A2E, our continuous improvement program, guides the way we do business. And this way of problem solving applies not only to our manufacturing practices but also to our commitment to developing our people. You'll see it during your career at Ascend in our leadership development, skills training and mentoring programs

Agile. We think broadly and lead proactively in a constantly evolving organization and industry. Agility doesn't mean simply working quickly - it means critical thinking, creative problem solving and novel approaches to everyday challenges.

One Ascend. All together, with a common set of goals and an eye toward the future. We don't accept silos. We look for ways to share across departments, sites and geography. This means you won't be boxed into a single role at Ascend - you could get the chance to work with teams across the globe to improve the way we serve our people, our customers and our communities.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, citizenship, genetic information or other protected status under federal, state or local laws.