Placement

This position has already been successfully completed (please do not apply).

526

General Manager Sales & Marketing for lithium-ion battery materials (m/f/d)


Company    

Our client is the European Headquarter and a 100 % subsidiary of one of the biggest manufacturers of a wide range of products in the fields of performance products, health care and chemicals.
Until now the company has been focusing on special materials (e.g. fibers, plastic compounds, medical instruments) for the European market.

Number of employees:
27,667 worldwide / 41  in the European headquarter in Düsseldorf, incl. 6 Japanese employees (5 expats & 1 local)

Annual turn Over
¥1.874,7 billion =17,92 Milliard Euro
    
Job Profile        

Reason for the vacancy    
  • The company is expanding its global lithium-ion battery material business and searching for a skilled person who will be handling marketing and sales of lithium-ion battery materials for the European region, based in Düsseldorf. Up to now the materials are mainly produced in Japan and China and supplied by the corporation. Nevertheless our client has recently started-up an electrolyte production in Europe: a new plant has been completed in November 2011 in the UK in order to move to the European future market and manufacture close to the customer (e.g. Nissan).
    
Objectives of the job  
  • Promote and expand the European lithium-ion battery material business.
    
Main tasks    
  • Marketing & Sales of materials (electrolyte from the UK plant, cathode, anode and separator from the Asian plants) for the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries.  
  • Technical assistance to customers (mainly OEMs in the automotive industry)
  • Close corresponding with the Headquarter in Japan as well as the production sites in Japan, China and UK
    
Position within the company hierarchy    
The owner of the position
  • reports disciplinary to the President of the European headquarter in Düsseldorf
  • reports functionally to the MCC Battery Materials Dept. in Japan
    
Team work with    
  • Closely working together with: General Manager Business Development in the European headquarter in Düsseldorf
    
Frequency of Travelling    
  • High (30-40 % monthly in average; mainly in Germany. Initially, the candidate will be trained for several weeks in Japan)

Requirements profile

Education  
  • University degree, preferably technical or engineering degree
    
Professional experiences        
  • Technical Sales experience (preferably experience in sales of battery or battery material, alternatively experience with sales of chemicals / automotive / solar energy / nuclear power plants components)
  • At least 5 years of experience in the respective industry
    
Special skills    
  • Knowledge of battery materials highly welcome
  • Lithium-ion Battery & material market knowledge highly welcome but not a must
  • Electrochemical / Electrode related knowledge
  • Good connections to the battery industry (cell, pack maker) are highly welcome
  • Basic business knowledge (e.g. legal, finance)
  • Computer and presentation skills (excel/ word/ PowerPoint)
    
Experience in leadership  
  • Not required
    
Languages    
  • German: Mother tongue or business fluent
  • English: Business fluent
  • Japanese: Not a must but highly welcome
    
Personal skills
  • Strong communication skills
  • High intercultural competence (interest for Japanese culture is an asset)
  • Flexibility
  • Strong motivation to actively promote growth of the business
  • Logical and strategic thinking
  • Loyal identification with the employing company
  • No limitation on business trips
    
Further requirements    
  • Driver’s license