Business Development Manager – Footwear APAC

Huntsman · Shanghai

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Job Description:

Job Summary:

The Business Development Manager (BDM) is responsible for identifying, developing, and commercializing growth opportunities for polyurethane (PU) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) solutions in the footwear industry throughout Asia Pacific.

This role combines commercial leadership with deep technical expertise in PU/TPU chemistry and footwear manufacturing processes. The successful candidate will engage footwear brands, OEMs, Tier-1 manufacturers, molders, material suppliers, and industry partners to create business opportunities across footwear applications including:

• Upper materials
• Insole systems
• Midsole systems
• Outsole systems
• Safety footwear
• Performance sports footwear
• Comfort and lifestyle footwear
• Advanced concepts such as SCF, expanded TPU, 3D printing, and bio-based solutions

The candidate must possess strong knowledge of footwear market dynamics, polymer chemistry, formulation technology, processing techniques, and customer qualification requirements.

Principal Accountabilities:

1. Business Development & Market Expansion

• Develop and execute APAC growth strategies for PU and TPU footwear businesses.
• Identify and convert new business opportunities with global and regional footwear brands, OEMs, molders, and material partners.
• Build commercial pipelines to support long-term revenue and profitability targets.
• Drive specification and material adoption at footwear brands and development centers.
• Expand presence in emerging footwear markets including Southeast Asia and Greater China.
• Establish strategic relationships with decision makers across the footwear value chain.

2. Technical & Application Leadership

• Serve as the commercial and technical expert for footwear PU and TPU applications.
• Translate customer performance requirements into material solutions.
• Provide technical guidance regarding:
  • Polyether TPU
  • Polyester TPU
  • Expanded TPU
  • PU system solutions
  • Bio-based polyurethane technologies
• Support customers in material selection, prototype development, troubleshooting, and commercialization.
• Lead technical discussions on customer pain points and summarize them into the feasible CTQs for the realization of the innovative application along with the strong value proposition.

3. Footwear Application Development

Develop growth opportunities across key footwear components:

Upper Applications

• TPU films
• Gecko technologies
• Reinforcement components
• Protective overlays
• 3D printed upper solutions

Insole Applications

• PU comfort systems
• Bio-based PU solutions
• Cushioning systems
• Custom comfort technologies

Midsole Applications

• PU performance foam
• SCF and advanced foaming technologies
• Expanded TPU solutions
• Lightweight cushioning platforms

Outsole Applications

• Injection molded TPU
• Cast PU outsole systems
• Safety footwear outsole technologies
• High-performance sport outsole compounds

Monitor footwear trends and proactively identify opportunities for next-generation products and technologies. Internal strategic plans highlight opportunities in outsole, upper, SCF Smartlite, Gecko, and advanced footwear platforms.

4. Brand & Customer Engagement

• Collaborate with global and regional footwear brands to influence material specifications.
• Conduct technical seminars and innovation workshops.
• Support prototype reviews and customer qualification programs.
• Build relationships with leading brands, OEMs, molders, and footwear innovation centers.
• Participate in industry events and footwear conferences to expand market visibility.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with:
  • Technical Service
  • R&D
  • Product Management
  • Supply Chain
  • Marketing
  • Global Footwear Teams
• Lead cross-functional commercialization projects from concept to production.
• Provide market feedback to drive future product development.

Qualifications:

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Footwear Engineering, Chemistry, or related field.
• MBA or advanced technical degree is preferred.

Experience

Minimum 5 years of experience in:

• PU/TPU or elastomer materials
• Footwear applications
• Technical sales
• Business development
• Product management
• Experience working with global footwear brands, OEMs, or material suppliers.

Success Profile:

The ideal candidate is a commercially driven footwear professional who can confidently discuss both the chemistry and business value of PU/TPU solutions. The individual must be capable of engaging footwear developers, polymer engineers, sourcing managers, and brand decision-makers while building profitable growth opportunities across the Asia Pacific footwear market.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinking
• Commercial acumen
• Technical credibility
• Influencing and negotiation skills
• Customer-centric mindset
• Project leadership
• Cross-cultural communication
• Innovation mindset

Additional Locations:

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