Manager, Marketing Development

General Summary:
The Market Development Manager is the professional who understands how technology, materials and manufacturing intersect across OEM/ODM partners and will be responsible for identifying growth opportunities in assigned markets, building high, wide and deep customer connections, promoting Avient value, securing new specifications, managing projects start to finish and ultimately contributing to the closing of new profitable business by focusing on defined markets or sub-segments. This individual is a thought leader who performs independently and has demonstrated the ability to influence peers and higher levels in organizations (Avient and Customer). This individual will collaborate with market and product managers, sales, and technology teams globally to achieve business objectives. Travel is expected to be 50-75%
 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities 
The purpose of the Function is to deliver:
-   Engage with hyperscale customers to identify system-level requirements and translate them into plastic and material solutions for mechanical, thermal, and structural applications.
-   Build strategic relationships across tier-1 OEM/ODM supply chains, enabling collaboration from early concept to mass production.
-    Develop and execute market development strategies within the datacenter and high-performance computing (HPC) sectors.           
-    Collaborate with internal R&D and product teams to define new material platforms that align with emerging datacenter trends such as liquid cooling, higher power density, and advanced interconnects.
-    Opportunity Development and Profitable Growth - Identify focus market/segment opportunities, develop account relationships, define product CTQ’s, specify new or existing materials and then collaborate with sales to close new business and service opportunities in assigned markets. Drive business growth through voice of customer (VOC) and the promotion of existing technologies or the development of new products that result in material specifications. Support market development programs for new markets and/or the penetration of existing markets. Own key linkage between customer, business, and technology and sales. Lead cross functional teams in collaboration with the Marketing or Product Manager with sales, and technical functions to accelerate and drive profitable growth. Collaborate cross-regionally and cross-business unit to achieve win-win growth as needed.
-    Customer Relationship Management: Manage strategic relationships, cultivate new alliances, monitor competitive activity and transition relationships to sales as needed. Conduct executive marketing / sales calls to establish and maintain customer contact, identify customer needs, promote solutions, evaluate market trends, and develop business within target industries. Establish a linkage between the customer’s business strategy and Avient’s capabilities by successful utilization of customer centric selling skills and tools, such as use of scorecards, business reviews, EVE tools, high/wide/deep, 5 warning signs, prospecting & new account calls, to best develop a robust sales funnel. 
-    Sales and Customer Support and Training: Support the development of business unit and corporate marketing training programs. Communicate marketing activities to regional sales team, customer service, global partners and manufacturing to ensure smooth transition of strategy to action.
-    Market and Competitive Intelligence: Conduct market research and analysis to track future marketplace trends, customer needs, and competitive activity.  Ability to translate customer needs collected through VOC into product solutions activity. Develop deep understanding of and share knowledge of key markets, players within these markets, target applications, requirements, trends, and needs as well as Avient’s potential.
-    Innovation: Develop and implement market strategies and growth plans; provide feedback on resource needs and emerging opportunities; recommend changes in Avient product / service offerings by evaluating product results and competitive developments.
-    Strategic Planning: A key contributor to the development of the strategic plan, annual operating plan and marketing communications plan. Implement the strategic marketing direction with plans to address industry trends, competitive positions and specialization strategy.

Qualifications
-   Bachelor’s or master’s degree ideally in an engineering discipline, polymer, chemistry or related science
-   5-10 years of specific market experience with proven time/project management and priority management skills
-    Highly motivated, self-starter with drive for success
-    Strong customer centric attitude, business acumen and demonstrated ability to create new relationships
-    Strong analytical thinking, organizational and collaboration skills
-   Ability to influence and communicate across all roles and levels both internally and externally
-    Hands-on ability and willingness when needed