Business Development Manager

About AkzoNobel

Since 1792, we’ve been supplying the innovative paints and coatings that help to color people’s lives and protect what matters most. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than 150 countries and use our expertise to sustain and enhance the fabric of everyday life. Because we believe every surface is an opportunity. It’s what you’d expect from a pioneering and long-established paints company that’s dedicated to providing sustainable solutions and preserving the best of what we have today – while creating an even better tomorrow. Let’s paint the future together.

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© 2024 Akzo Nobel N.V. All rights reserved.

Job Purpose

The Business Development Manager (BDM) will be responsible for originating, developing, and securing new strategic OEM partnerships within the Steel Building and Construction industry. This role is a pure business creation function, focused on market entry, specification influence, and long-cycle project development with large OEMs.

This position is critical to unlocking new growth platforms, expanding market presence, and creating long-term competitive advantage. The success of this role directly impacts the company’s future OEM footprint and strategic positioning in the Steel Building and Construction industry.

The BDM will open doors, shape opportunities, and establish long-term commercial frameworks, then transition mature accounts to the commercial or key account organization once fully implemented.

This role requires a strategic, patient, and relationship-driven commercial leader with the ability to operate at multiple organizational levels, from technical influencers to executive decision-makers.

Territory: National USA

Remote position: preferably located near Columbus, OH or in the midwestern region.

Key Responsibilities

Market & Opportunity Development

• Identify, prioritize, and pursue large OEM targets in the Steel Buildings and Construction ecosystem (pre-engineered buildings, panels, roofing, structural systems, etc.).
• Develop deep understanding of OEM value chains, decision structures, and long-term growth strategies.
• Proactively create opportunities where no formal RFQ or demand yet exists.

Strategic Relationship Building

• Establish and nurture C-suite, commercial, technical, and operational relationships within target OEMs.
• Act as a trusted advisor, positioning long-term value rather than transactional sales.
• Influence specifications, design decisions, and platform strategies early in the project lifecycle.

Long-Cycle Project Management

• Lead complex opportunities with multi-year timelines, from early concept and qualification through approval, industrialization, and first commercialization.
• Coordinate internal cross-functional teams (technical, R&D, supply chain, pricing, legal, operations).
• Manage ambiguity, evolving requirements, and shifting timelines with discipline and structure.

Commercial & Strategic Leadership

• Develop and negotiate commercial frameworks, pricing strategies, and long-term partnership models.
• Build business cases aligned with strategic growth, profitability, and capacity planning.
• Ensure alignment between customer needs and internal strategic priorities.

Transition & Handover

• Once business is established and stable, formally transition accounts to Key Account Management or Commercial Operations.
• Ensure structured handover including strategy, relationships, pricing logic, and growth roadmap.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI's)

• Number of new OEM relationships established

• Value and quality of qualified project pipeline

• Successful specification wins and platform adoptions

• Time-to-commercialization for new OEMs

• Quality and effectiveness of account handovers

Job Requirements

Professional Experience

10+ years of experience in Business Development, Strategic Sales, or Market Development, preferably in:

• Steel buildings
• Construction materials
• Industrial OEM environments
• Coatings, metals, engineered products, or adjacent industries

Proven track record of opening new OEM customers, not managing existing ones.

Demonstrated success managing long, complex sales cycles (12–36+ months).

Commercial & Strategic Skills

• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect market strategy, pricing, margin, and volume growth.
• Excellent negotiation skills with experience structuring long-term agreements.
• Ability to think platform-based and program-based, not transactional.

Relationship & Leadership Profile

• Exceptional relationship-building capability at all organizational levels.
• High emotional intelligence, credibility, and executive presence.
• Influential without authority; able to align internal and external stakeholders.

Personal Attributes

• Strategic, patient, and resilient; comfortable with ambiguity and delayed outcomes.
• Long-term mindset with the discipline to stay engaged over multi-year projects.
• Self-starter with strong ownership mentality and minimal need for supervision.

Rewards & Benefits

Base salary range for this role is: $120,000 - $130,000. This is the range that we in good faith anticipate relying on when setting wages for this position. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This salary range may also be modified in the future.

• Eligible for an annual 35% bonus.
• Remote position
• Monthly car allowance.
• Benefits beginning Day 1
• 401K retirement savings with 6% company match
• Annual bonus
• Medical insurance with HSA
• Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D benefits
• Generous vacation, personal and holiday pay
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Career growth opportunities

Competencies

Accepting Direction

Accepting Responsibility

Acquiring Information

At AkzoNobel we are highly committed to ensuring an inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees can be their best self. We strive to embrace diversity in a context of tolerance. Our talent acquisition process plays an integral part in this journey, as setting the foundations for a diverse environment. For this reason we train and educate on the implications of our Unconscious Bias in order for our TA and hiring managers to be mindful of them and take corrective actions when applicable. In our organization, all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age or disability.

Requisition ID: #LI-SS1