What are the responsibilities and job description for the Business Development Leader – Engineered Materials & Industrial Applications position at GACC Midwest - German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, Inc.?
Location: Remote, United States / East Coast Preferred
Travel: North America (Customer & Industry Travel Required)
Industry Focus
Engineered Materials | Industrial Materials | Composites | Laminates | Reinforced Plastics | Technical Industrial Products | Industrial Applications
About The Role
The Business Development Leader will focus on expanding commercial opportunities across engineered materials and technical industrial product markets throughout North America.
The role is highly market-facing and requires someone who is comfortable operating directly with industrial customers, OEMs, manufacturers, fabricators, distributors, and specification-driven industrial environments.
This is not a purely corporate sales management position focused only on maintaining mature structures. The company is specifically looking for someone who enjoys market development, industrial customer engagement, identifying growth opportunities, and helping shape commercial expansion activities.
About The Company
Our client company is an internationally established industrial manufacturer focused on engineered materials, industrial insulation systems, reinforced materials, laminates, composites, and technical industrial products used in demanding manufacturing and industrial applications.
The company is continuing to expand its North American commercial presence and is seeking a commercially driven business development leader to help identify new industrial applications, expand customer relationships, and build long-term commercial momentum across industrial manufacturing markets.
This role is best suited for someone who enjoys opening doors, developing business opportunities, identifying industrial applications, and building commercial traction within technically sophisticated industrial environments.
The position combines hands-on industrial business development with commercial leadership responsibilities inside an entrepreneurial and growth-oriented North American organization backed by an established international company.
Key Responsibilities
The ideal candidate is commercially driven, technically curious, and comfortable operating inside industrial manufacturing environments.
Strong Candidates May Have Experience In
Travel: North America (Customer & Industry Travel Required)
Industry Focus
Engineered Materials | Industrial Materials | Composites | Laminates | Reinforced Plastics | Technical Industrial Products | Industrial Applications
About The Role
The Business Development Leader will focus on expanding commercial opportunities across engineered materials and technical industrial product markets throughout North America.
The role is highly market-facing and requires someone who is comfortable operating directly with industrial customers, OEMs, manufacturers, fabricators, distributors, and specification-driven industrial environments.
This is not a purely corporate sales management position focused only on maintaining mature structures. The company is specifically looking for someone who enjoys market development, industrial customer engagement, identifying growth opportunities, and helping shape commercial expansion activities.
About The Company
Our client company is an internationally established industrial manufacturer focused on engineered materials, industrial insulation systems, reinforced materials, laminates, composites, and technical industrial products used in demanding manufacturing and industrial applications.
The company is continuing to expand its North American commercial presence and is seeking a commercially driven business development leader to help identify new industrial applications, expand customer relationships, and build long-term commercial momentum across industrial manufacturing markets.
This role is best suited for someone who enjoys opening doors, developing business opportunities, identifying industrial applications, and building commercial traction within technically sophisticated industrial environments.
The position combines hands-on industrial business development with commercial leadership responsibilities inside an entrepreneurial and growth-oriented North American organization backed by an established international company.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and expand new business opportunities across North America within engineered materials and technical industrial product markets.
- Identify and open new industrial applications, customer segments, and specification-driven opportunities.
- Build relationships with OEMs, manufacturers, industrial customers, converters, distributors, and fabricators.
- Drive industrial market development activities across manufacturing-focused environments.
- Position engineered materials and technical industrial solutions within customer-specific applications.
- Develop commercial traction across multiple industrial sectors and manufacturing end markets.
- Collaborate closely with international engineering, production, product, and commercial teams.
- Support growth of the North American commercial structure while remaining personally engaged in customer development and business development activities.
- Contribute to pipeline development, market strategy, customer targeting, and commercial expansion initiatives.
- Represent the company at customer meetings, trade shows, technical discussions, and industry events.
- Engineered materials
- Industrial materials
- Composites
- Reinforced plastics
- Laminates
- Polymers
- Industrial insulation materials
- Specialty industrial materials
- Technical industrial products
- Industrial product manufacturing
- Industrial materials distribution
- Application-driven industrial sales
- Specification-driven industrial products
The ideal candidate is commercially driven, technically curious, and comfortable operating inside industrial manufacturing environments.
Strong Candidates May Have Experience In
- Industrial B2B sales
- Technical sales
- Market development
- Industrial business development
- Application-driven sales
- Specification selling
- OEM sales
- Industrial manufacturing environments
- Technical industrial products
- Industrial materials commercialization
- Industrial customer development
- North American market expansion
- Has experience selling technical industrial products or materials into manufacturing environments.
- Has opened new markets, customer relationships, industrial applications, or commercial opportunities.
- Enjoys building business and identifying growth opportunities across industrial markets.
- Is comfortable operating across multiple manufacturing sectors and industrial customer environments.
- Can combine hands-on business development with commercial leadership responsibilities.
- Brings a practical, entrepreneurial, growth-oriented commercial mindset.
- Is energized by evolving industrial growth environments rather than highly layered corporate structures.
- Understands how technical products and materials are positioned within industrial customer applications.
- Industrial manufacturing
- Engineered materials
- Industrial materials
- Plastics manufacturing
- Specialty industrial products
- Technical manufacturing
- Industrial distribution
- Industrial OEM environments
- Application-focused industrial products
- 100% employer-paid medical coverage
- Company-supported dental and vision coverage
- Employer-paid life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance
- Retirement savings participation with company match
- 12–14 company-observed holidays annually
- A progressive paid time-off structure that increases with tenure
- Structured international onboarding across global production sites