Business Development
Description
Syensqo is all about chemistry. We’re not just referring to chemical reactions here, but also to the magic that occurs when the brightest minds get to work together. This is where our true strength lies. In you. In your future colleagues and in all your differences. And of course, in your ideas to improve lives while preserving our planet’s beauty for the generations to come.
Role and Responsibilities
We are seeking a highly motivated and strategic Business Development Manager – Crop Protection to accelerate growth within Syensqo’s Agro Market across North America. This role is pivotal in identifying, developing, and commercializing new business opportunities in collaboration with customers, Key Account Managers, and Syensqo’s Research & Innovation (R&I) teams. The successful candidate will lead customer-driven innovation projects, working closely with the Agro Market Lab to translate market needs and technical capabilities into commercially viable formulation solutions. The position also supports strategic account development, conducts market and competitive analyses, and contributes to the development and execution of a comprehensive North American growth strategy.
Key responsibilities include:
Customer Innovation & Project Commercialization: Engage crop protection manufacturers, formulators, and other stakeholders to identify new opportunities. Lead development projects from initial opportunity identification through technical validation, qualification, and commercial launch. Define project objectives, value propositions, timelines, milestones, and success criteria. Coordinate cross-functional resources (R&I, Sales, Marketing, Product Management, Regulatory, Supply Chain) to advance projects toward commercialization. Build and manage a structured pipeline, prioritizing opportunities based on strategic fit, commercial potential, technical feasibility, and probability of success. Identify and resolve technical, commercial, or organizational barriers, and build strong relationships with customer technical, formulation, procurement, and commercial teams to accelerate adoption of Syensqo technologies.
Key Account Development & Commercial Support: Partner with Key Account Managers to expand within strategic accounts by identifying unmet needs, innovation opportunities, new applications, and technology adoption pathways. Participate in strategic customer meetings, technical workshops, and innovation discussions to position Syensqo as a preferred development partner. Develop customer-specific value propositions based on performance, formulation benefits, sustainability, and economic value. Support customer qualification, product trials, and commercial implementation, ensuring effective communication between customer teams, Syensqo R&I, and commercial stakeholders.
Market Intelligence & North American Growth Strategy: Conduct market and competitive analyses, monitor trends in formulation technologies and regulatory changes, and evaluate opportunities across herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, biologicals, and emerging platforms. Assess market attractiveness and translate insights into actionable recommendations, innovation priorities, business development roadmaps, and business cases. Track progress and recommend adjustments based on customer feedback, market evolution, and commercial performance.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as a key interface between customers, commercial teams, and the Agro Market Lab, promoting disciplined project management, clear communication, and a customer-focused culture that accelerates innovation and profitable growth.
Experience and Skills
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Agricultural Sciences, Agronomy, or a related technical discipline.
- Approximately 5 years of relevant experience in business development, technical sales, application development, product management, or commercial roles within crop protection, agricultural chemicals, or specialty chemicals.
- Strong understanding of the crop protection industry, including formulation technologies, customer requirements, and relevant market dynamics.
- Demonstrated ability to identify business opportunities and advance complex customer projects from concept to commercialization.
- Experience collaborating with technical and commercial teams to develop customer-focused solutions.
- Strong analytical capabilities, including market assessment, competitive analysis, business case development, and strategic planning.
- Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects, establish priorities, and influence cross-functional teams without direct reporting authority.
- Willingness to travel throughout North America to engage with customers and internal stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with crop protection formulation ingredients, including surfactants, dispersants, emulsifiers, wetting agents, and other formulation additives.
- Established relationships within the North American crop protection industry.
- Experience working with R&I or application development laboratories to develop and commercialize new technologies.
- Experience developing regional market strategies, customer segmentation models, and business development plans.
Key Competencies
- Commercial Entrepreneurship: Proactively identifies opportunities, challenges conventional approaches, and drives new business development.
- Customer-Centric Innovation: Understands customer challenges and connects technical capabilities with differentiated commercial solutions.
- Technical & Market Acumen: Combines knowledge of crop protection formulations with an understanding of market trends, customer needs, and competitive dynamics.
- Strategic Thinking: Translates market intelligence into clear priorities, actionable growth initiatives, and long-term business opportunities.
- Project Leadership: Drives complex, cross-functional projects through defined milestones to successful commercialization.
- Collaboration & Influence: Builds strong relationships across technical, commercial, and leadership teams to achieve shared objectives.
- Results Orientation: Demonstrates ownership, accountability, and a strong commitment to measurable commercial outcomes.
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Success in this position will be evaluated through a combination of commercial results, innovation pipeline development, and strategic contributions.
What We Offer
- The U.S. base salary range reasonably expected for this position is $112,000 - 140,000 per year.
- Since actual compensation packages are based on various factors unique to each candidate, we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted base salary range.
- Total compensation for this role also includes a bonus and/or other incentives.
- 16 or more weeks of maternity/paternity and co-parenting leave, according to local regulations.
- Training platform for all employees
- Free well-being sessions (physical and psychological)
About us
- Syensqo is a science company developing groundbreaking solutions that enhance the way we live, work, travel and play. Inspired by the scientific councils which Ernest Solvay initiated in 1911, we bring great minds together to push the limits of science and innovation for the benefit of our customers, with a diverse, global team of more than 13,000 associates. Our solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices and health care applications. Our innovation power enables us to deliver on the ambition of a circular economy and explore breakthrough technologies that advance humanity.
- At Syensqo, we seek to promote unity and not uniformity. We value the diversity that individuals bring and we invite you to consider a future with us, regardless of background, age, gender, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, ability or identity. We encourage individuals who may require any assistance or accommodations to let us know to ensure a seamless application experience. We are here to support you throughout the application journey and want to ensure all candidates are treated equally. If you are unsure whether you meet all the criteria or qualifications listed in the job description, we still encourage you to apply.
- Syensqo is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristics.