A leading multinational group in the chemical sector, based in the province of Barcelona (Spain), is seeking a Business Unit Manager Petfood Europe.
He/she will have the challenge of implementing and leading a newly created business unit, defining its long-term strategy, designing its structure, and driving its growth.
Key responsibilities:
* Implementation and Leadership: Establish, organize, and lead the BU, ensuring operational readiness, cultural alignment, and strategic impact across all functions.
* Strategy Definition: Define and execute short, medium, and long-term commercial and technical strategies, aligned with corporate goals and industry dynamics.
* Target Setting: Develop and monitor ambitious financial and operational targets, covering budgets, sales, costs, and margins.
* Key Account Management: Serve as a Global Key Account Manager for major industry players when relevant, leveraging proven track record in international customer management.
* Team Development: Build a high-performing team —recruit, coach, develop, and retain talent across Product Management, Sales, and Key Account functions.
* Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ensure seamless collaboration with R&D, Innovation, Marketing, Regulatory Affairs, Finance, Supply Chain, and Operations to deliver customer-centric solutions.
* Market Intelligence: Monitor market trends, competitor activities, consumer insights, and regulatory evolutions to continuously adapt BU strategy.
* Representation: Act as the external face of the BU, representing the company in the global Petfood sector with customers, associations, and industry events.
Requirements:
The role requires vision, resilience, and the ability to build a business from the ground up. Visionary and inspiring leader with a people-first approach. Strong strategic thinking combined with pragmatic, hands-on execution. Excellent communication, negotiation, and influencing skills at senior levels. High resilience and adaptability to lead through growth and change. Entrepreneurial, innovative, and deeply customer centric.
* University degree in Business Administration, Veterinary Science, Animal Nutrition, Food Science, or a related discipline. MBA or postgraduate studies in business management or international trade are highly valued.
* Extensive experience in the Petfood industry is mandatory, including business development, product management, and key account leadership. Proven success in P&L management, strategic execution, and market expansion.
* Previous experience in global or regional account management with multinational clients is an advantage. Also, track record of leading multidisciplinary, and multicultural teams.
* In-depth knowledge of Petfood industry markets, trends, technologies, and customer needs.
* Solid financial acumen with the ability to interpret and act on business data and insights.
* Fluency in English (C1/C2). Additional languages, especially Spanish or French, are an asset.
* Proficiency with ERP, CRM, and digital business tools, as well as market analysis platforms.