Senior Business Manager, Lubricants

A Japanese petroleum company is currently recruiting a Senior Business Manager Lubricants to work in their Duesseldorf office.
In this role, you will be responsible for driving the expansion of the lubricants and greases business in Europe, managing customer accounts, and serving as the escalation level for customer satisfaction and issue resolution.
The company engages in various industries such as Automotive, HVAC, Industrial equipment and Construction Machinery.
The ideal candidate should have strong expertise in customer acquisition, account management, and project management within B2B industrial business.

TYPE: Permanent, full-time
SALARY: €150k - €200k depending on experience
LOCATION: Duesseldorf, Germany
Senior Business Manager Lubricants Main Responsibilities:
● Serve as the escalation level for the existing customer base in the lubricants and greases segment, ensuring customer satisfaction and issue resolution
● Act as the primary interface with their group companies (Japan, USA, China, etc.) for global accounts, technical requirements, product recommendations, and support
● Drive the expansion of the lubricants and greases business in Europe, including securing product approvals for their global group organization
● Develop and implement comprehensive business plans to support growth objectives, market penetration, and profitability goals
● Develop commercial proposals, negotiate contracts, and design tailored solutions to meet customer supply needs
● Contribute to sustainability efforts by working on carbon emission improvements, localisation strategies, and the integration of sustainable raw materials
● Identify and develop new (niche) applications where lubricants and greases are needed, driving innovation and uncovering untapped market opportunities
● Manage customer accounts, including forecasting orders, placing orders, overseeing supply chain processes, and ensuring timely payments
● Define performance targets and work diligently to accomplish them, driving business growth and success
● Future Leadership Opportunity: The potential to take on a team leadership role for the Marketing & Sales Team within the next few years, depending on performance and business needs
Senior Business Manager Lubricants Ideal Candidate:
● At least 10 years of proven, successful experience in relevant roles, with a strong track record in account management, project management, and customer acquisition in B2B industrial business, ideally in the automotive sector
● Demonstrated expertise in actively identifying, acquiring, and managing new customers to drive business growth
● Strong understanding of lubrication and tribology fundamentals
● Well-connected with excellent knowledge of the lubricant and grease market, including the competitive landscape in Europe
● Excellent communication and presentation skills
● Ability to build and maintain strong customer relationships, ensuring long-term partnerships
● Business level fluency in English (Knowledge of French is a plus)
● Willingness to travel as required
● Highly motivated, self-reliant, and creative.
● Reliable team player, capable of working effectively in a small team across sales, production planning, import, logistics, and finance

** All applicants for the Senior Business Manager Lubricants must have the right to work in the country as the Company is not able to offer visa support.
*We regret that we cannot accept applications from Working holiday visa, Graduate or Student visa holders.
If your application is successful, you will be contacted within two business days. We regret that due to the high volume of applications we receive we cannot provide feedback on individual CVs.