Sales and Application Development Manager

The Job:

1. Development of new product and application offerings

• Conduct in-depth research and direct customer engagements to gather insights into various applications of amino acids, but with primary focus on bio-pharmaceutical applications.
• Identify customers’ unmet needs, pain points, and potential technical or business challenges in their value chain.
• Translate insights into actionable proposals for product/service improvements, new solutions, or collaboration opportunities.
• Collaborate with internal R&D, technical service, and marketing teams to support product positioning and new offering development.
• Create structured reports and presentations on application intelligence and trend analysis to support strategic planning and sales enablement.

2. Sales Management & Business Growth

• Manage and grow relationships with existing key accounts in the EMEA region, acting as their primary commercial contact.
• Drive annual sales plans, pricing strategies, and commercial negotiations in line with regional business targets.
• Support regional demand forecasting, sales pipeline reporting, and CRM data integrity.
• Coordinate with global teams to ensure alignment on account strategy, product supply, and marketing initiatives.
• Participate in the development of the EMEA regional sales strategy, based on the corporate strategy, together with the Business Managers and the General Manager and implement the sales action plan.

3. New Business Development

• Identify and cultivate new business opportunities by leveraging application knowledge and market intelligence.
• Meet potential clients or new distributors by growing, maintaining, and leveraging your network.
• Identify new trends and build relationships with potential clients, and the decision makers within the client organization.
• Work with the team to develop proposals and close contracts that meets the client’s needs, concerns, and objectives.
• Explore new markets (new product applications), industry trends, new sales channels and new territories.

The Profile

• Master degree or PhD in Life Sciences, Biologics, Biochemistry, Biotechnology,Bioengineering, and a sound knowledge of industry processes; relevant technical background is a plus.
• A degree in business related discipline (e.g. MBA) is an asset.
• Minimum 3-5 years of work experience in bio-process, bio-therapeutics, drug formulation or relevant field.
• Proven track record in building strong customer/business relationships. Strong networker.
• Enthusiastic communicator and excellent presentation skills.
• Flexible, decisive and result-oriented professional with cultural sensitivity.
• You are fluent in written and spoken English. Knowledge of other languages (French,
• German, Spanish..) constitute a plus.
• Willingness to travel across EMEA, primarily Europe. Job location is Louvain-La-Neuve (min. 3 days/week).

Our Offer

• Be part of a stable and recognised company that has the “Power to Make”.
• An attractive salary package including fringe benefits (eg hospital insurance, pension plan, bonus plan and a great company restaurant).
• Be part of an organisation that offers personalised technical training, personal development opportunities and prospects to internal mobility.
• A pleasant, no-nonsense, people-oriented working atmosphere with employee initiatives and events.
• Ajinomoto aims for a safe, inclusive work environment with diverse teams.