Head of Sales (Modified Starch & Food Ingredients)

Location: Củ Chi, Ho Chi Minh City
Salary: Around USD 6,000 (Negotiation during interview) + Performance Bonus
Industry: Modified Starch, Nutritional Premixes, Hydrocolloids
Manufacturing Footprint: 3 Vietnam factories (food/starches, native starch, glucose). Modified starch production not yet established.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for a seasoned Head of Sales to lead and scale the Vietnam business for Modified Starch and High Value-Added Ingredients (Premix, Hydrocolloids).
This position is critical in establishing a completely new business line in Vietnam, with full commercial ownership, strategic development, and strong collaboration with regional leadership.

The role starts as an individual contributor for the first 6 months, then expands to a 3-person sales team within 1–2 years.
Reporting line: Head of High Value-Added Product Commercial (Thailand-based).

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic & Commercial Leadership

• Define and execute Vietnam’s growth strategy across industrial, food, beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors.
• Lead market penetration, customer acquisition, and key account expansion nationwide.
• Build go-to-market strategies for Modified Starch, Nutritional Premix, and Hydrocolloid portfolios.
• Identify OEM partnership opportunities to compete effectively in price-sensitive segments.

2. Sales & Business Development

• Establish and scale the Modified Starch business (currently no sales team).
• Achieve revenue, margin, and market share targets across product lines.
• Develop strong relationships with F&B processors, industrial manufacturers, converters, and export clients.
• Collaborate with application and R&D teams to deliver technical and customized solutions.

3. P&L Management & Operations

• Own full P&L responsibility for the Vietnam value-added ingredients business.
• Deliver annual operating plans (AOP) covering revenue, cost, margin, and working capital.
• Lead pricing strategy aligned with regional/global guidance while balancing market competitiveness.
• Work with supply chain and Vietnam factories (native starch, food, glucose) to improve forecast accuracy and service level.

4. People Leadership & Team Development

• Build, coach, and scale the Vietnam sales team (3 people within 1–2 years).
• Implement performance management, capability development, and succession planning.
• Promote a customer-focused, collaborative, and high-performance culture.

5. Market Intelligence & Innovation

• Stay updated on market trends, customer needs, competitor activities, and regulatory developments.
• Identify innovation and local application opportunities in modified starch, premixes, and hydrocolloids.
• Provide market-driven insights for regional strategic planning.

6. Cross-functional Collaboration

• Work closely with manufacturing, QA, regulatory, supply chain, marketing, finance, and regional commercial teams.
• Ensure smooth execution of orders, product launches, and customer projects.
• Drive customer satisfaction through operational excellence.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Technology, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, or related fields.
• MBA is a plus.

Experience

• At least 15 years of commercial experience, including 5–10 years in senior sales leadership within starch, food ingredients, industrial chemicals, or FMCG.
• Strong hands-on experience with Modified Starch (acetylated, oxidized, cross-linked, pregelatinized, etc.) is required.
• Proven track record in establishing or scaling new businesses in Vietnam.

Industry & Market Knowledge

• Strong network across food & beverage, pharma, paper, textile, or industrial manufacturing.
• Understanding of price-sensitive markets and OEM partnership models.

Key Competencies

• Strategic & Analytical Thinking
• Commercial Acumen
• Leadership & People Development
• Customer-Centric Mindset
• Negotiation & Influencing Skills
• Regulatory & Quality Understanding
• Digital Fluency (CRM, data analytics)
• Ability to collaborate with cross-cultural, regional teams

KEY KPIs

• Revenue & volume growth
• Gross margin improvement
• Market share expansion
• Customer acquisition, retention & satisfaction
• Successful new product launches
• Team performance & engagement

• Degree: Bachelor
• Job type : Permanent
• Age: 30 - 55
• Salary: Competitive