Business Development Manager

Our purpose at Avient Corporation is to be an innovator of materials solutions that help our customers succeed, while enabling a sustainable world. Innovation goes far beyond materials science; it's powered by the passion, creativity, and diverse expertise of 9,000 professionals worldwide. Whether you're a finance wizard, a tech enthusiast, an operational powerhouse, an HR changemaker, or a trailblazer in materials development, you'll find your place at Avient. Join our global team and help shape the future with sustainable solutions that transform possibilities into realities. Your unique perspective could be the key to our next breakthrough!

Job Summary
Drive the business for Avient Protective Materials' Mechanical Industrial and Marine & Industrial Fiber segment by growing Dyneema in existing markets and applications while also identifying and developing new growth vectors. The Business Development Manager is responsible to drive the adoption of Dyneema in applications such as cut protective gloves to enable safer hands, replacing steel wire in the offshore heavy lifting and vessel mooring industries with unparalleled reliability, and a variety of other exciting & critical industrial applications. This role will be responsible for generating profitable new business within these targeted applications and beyond through market development activities at the Licensees, OEMs, end-users, contributing to the overall diversification & long-term profitable growth of the business unit.

Job Context
Avient Protective Materials is the manufacturer of Dyneema, The World's Strongest Fiber. Dyneema is a super-strong fiber that offers maximum strength combined with minimum weight, produced from a proprietary polyethylene material. It is up to 15 times stronger than quality steel and up to 40% stronger than aramid fibers, both on weight for weight basis. Dyneema floats on water and is extremely durable and resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals. Dyneema is used in extremely challenging applications and environments, including super-tanker mooring ropes, cut-resistant gloves and apparel in the glass and metal-working industries, rigging and sails for off-shore racing yachts, medical sutures for orthopedic surgery and bullet-resistant clothing and vehicle protection in the law enforcement and military sectors. Dyneema is produced in Heerlen (The Netherlands) and in Greenville- North Carolina (U.S.A.). Avient Protective Materials is also a partner in a high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) manufacturing joint venture in Japan.

Avient Protective Materials is a brand-driven organization, in which we strive to enable our colleagues to do what it takes to consistently deliver the brand promise to all its stakeholders. This means we encourage open and honest 2-way communications and feedback, and we seek to empower all employees to deliver on their commitments. Avient Protective Materials relies on effective teamwork to match performance to our ambitions, and everything we do is based on the foundations of trust, support and mutual respect. Our open working style creates a stimulating and fun place to be.

Essential Functions

• Pioneer Market Expansion: Uncover new applications and opportunities for Dyneema in the Marine & Industrial Fibers segment including but not limited to cut protective gloves, mooring, tow & tug, cables, and heavy lifting.
• Forge Strategic Partnerships: Create and cultivate strong relationships at all levels with key prospects, customers, value chain partners, and decision-makers.
• Elevate a Global Brand: Represent Avient and amplify the Dyneema brand presence at prominent industry events and conferences. Establish and maintain Dyneema trademark license agreements with leading brands within the cut protective glove market.
• Specification Influence: Proactively identify and secure specifications for Dyneema at end-user and/or OEM levels.
• Understanding the Market Landscape: Deeply understand the competitive landscape, key applications, evolving requirements, emerging trends, and value proposition to position Dyneema as the leading solution. Analyze competitor activities to identify challenges and opportunities, developing proactive strategies to overcome obstacles.
• Collaboration Across Avient: Ensure seamless communication and collaboration across Avient (innovation, marketing & sales, application development, sales, operations, etc.). Partner closely with the regional and global team and technical experts to accelerate profitable growth and align customer's strategies & needs with APM's capabilities; aligning & contributing to the company's overall strategy.
• Spending the necessary time and budget (within given boundaries) for sufficient market development and business growth.
• Building a network with specialists and stakeholders in the field (visit conferences, shows, customers, etc.)
• Managing or participating in sub-segment strategy planning and steering.
• Present presentations at conferences, tradeshows, and end-users.
• Show behavior in line with the SHE and Security risks and agree controls, including being compliant to Avient Protective Materials requirements, rules and procedures
• Address any person behaving in a SHE and Security irresponsible way
• Report any SHE and Security incidents (including observed risks) to management
• For managers/ seniors:Is expected to be a leading example of Values behavior. Must be able to develop and lead a high performing team in a high support and challenging manner; demonstrating trust, support and respect. Sets the scene for Avient Protective Materials APM Values and actively encourages and appreciates Values behaviors and thinking and discourages behaviors that do not align with APM Values. Gives feedback, inside and outside of their team, both positively and for areas of improvement. Creates the right circumstances for the team members so they experience the freedom to do what it takes.
• For all employees: Must strive to behave in line with Avient Protective Materials Values, supporting and encouraging colleagues in their alignment with our Values. Aspires to demonstrate exemplary behavior with respect to the Avient Protective Materials Values inside and outside the organization.
• Requirements from the market are not always clear and market dynamics can rapidly change.
• Stimulate a radical change of global market composition and end-user attitude.
• Cross cultural/global teamwork.
• Safeguarding mid- to long-term business development opportunities; persistence and overcoming obstacles.
• Analyzing market opportunities in different industries quickly with totally different supply chains and different global players to identify leads.
• Manage developments (resources, finance, logistics, commitment, speed and people) despite the lack of authority over (external) resources.
• Creating new business and end-user pull-through requires experience, determination, and a strong vision. Results are not always visible in the near-term sales numbers.
• Up to 50% travel within the North America region and occasionally outside the region.