Ashland develops specialty chemicals and materials for applications across life sciences, personal care, specialty additives, automotive, construction, and food and beverage. Its work in applied chemistry focuses on improving product performance, efficacy, and usability, with solutions used in areas including pharmaceuticals, food and beverage products, building materials, and personal care formulations. Sustainability and research are central themes in how Ashland approaches the development of materials for varied industrial and consumer applications.
North American Channel Manager, Life Sciences — Ashland
Lead Ashland’s North American distributor strategy for its Life Sciences business. Drive partner growth through planning, forecasting, training, and market engagement.
Description
- Shape and deliver the North American channel strategy for Ashland Life Sciences.
- Recruit and develop effective channel partners.
- Set annual plans, revenue goals, and growth initiatives with partners.
- Build trusted relationships with distributor executives and operating teams.
- Review sales results, strategic priorities, and customer satisfaction with partners.
- Create joint account plans, marketing efforts, and business development programs.
- Oversee distributor agreements, performance standards, and compliance.
- Track sales pipelines, forecast reliability, inventory, and demand planning.
- Launch initiatives to strengthen channel performance, customer engagement, and conversion.
- Provide technical, product, and commercial training to channel partners.
- Equip partners to present Ashland’s value proposition and innovation portfolio.
- Advance organizational objectives through initiative, execution, performance, and safe practices.
- Strengthen organizational capability through collaboration, talent development, and constructive communication.
- Report to the Head of Strategic Accounts and Market Development.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, chemistry, life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related field.
- At least three years of experience in channel management, sales, business development, or distributor management in specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, excipients, nutraceuticals, or life sciences.
- Commercial judgment and experience creating growth strategies.
- Ability to influence and negotiate with executives and senior leaders.
- Strong analytical, forecasting, and business planning skills.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship management skills.
- Willingness to travel approximately 30–50% across North America.
- Consistently responsible and ethical conduct.
- Ability to understand the business, make complex decisions, and identify new ways to create value.
- Experience in pharmaceutical excipients, nutraceutical ingredients, biopharmaceutical solutions, cell culture media, microbiology, or related life science markets is preferred.
- An MBA or advanced degree in business or a life sciences discipline is preferred.
- Experience in a matrixed global organization is preferred.
- Familiarity with CRM and sales analytics tools such as Salesforce is preferred.
Benefits
- Competitive industry salary.
- Employee benefits.
- Performance-based incentive plans.
- Development and advancement opportunities across the global organization.
- A diverse work environment.
- A dynamic and challenging work environment.