[Hiring] Automotive & Energy Storage Business Development Manager @Ashland Inc.

Role Description

Ashland has an exciting opportunity for an Automotive & Energy Storage Business Development Manager to join our Specialty Additives team in Schaffhausen, Switzerland or remotely from France. This highly visible role combines global customer-program leadership with regional business development across lithium-ion batteries, energy storage systems and emission control & catalyst markets. The position reports to the Sr Business Development Manager, Performance Specialties, Europe.

• Lead global customer programs for defined multinational automotive lithium-ion battery (LiB) and emission control and catalyst (EC&C) customers, from request for quotation (RFQ) through series production and lifecycle management.
• Drive regional business development for LiB, including energy storage systems, and EC&C markets by identifying opportunities, unmet customer needs and attractive market segments.
• Lead priority innovation projects through the INNOVA stage-gate process, including market analysis, segmentation, business cases, launch planning and commercialization.
• Build trusted relationships with customer stakeholders across R&D, procurement and quality; lead RFQs and contract negotiations in partnership with Sales and Legal.
• Partner closely with Operations and Quality, particularly at the Alizay, France production site, to support IATF 16949 accreditation, VDA 6.3 compliance, customer audits, change management and certification readiness.
• Coordinate international, cross-functional teams across Sales, R&D/Innovation, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Marketing, Finance, Sustainability, Regulatory and Legal.
• Be accountable for clear ownership, timely decisions, consistent execution and customer commitments relating to quality, cost, delivery, service, compliance and growth.
• Lead internal performance-improvement initiatives using structured project-management and DMAIC methods, tracking actions through completion.
• Travel regularly for regional customer visits, customer audits and rapid on-site support when urgent issues arise.
• Actively contribute to organizational goals by taking initiative, executing goals and focusing on performance and safety.
• Improve organizational capacity and capabilities by building collaborative relationships, optimizing diverse talent and using positive communication and influence with others.

What This Role Is Not:

• Not a people-management position: this is an individual-contributor role with no direct reports, requiring leadership through influence in an international matrix organization.
• Not a desk-only role: success requires close collaboration with manufacturing sites, regular customer visits, participation in audits and rapid on-site support.
• Not a purely commercial sales role: the position combines customer leadership with technical understanding, innovation, quality, compliance and operational coordination.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in automotive project management, business development and continuous-improvement methods.
• Experience with automotive customers, RFQs, contract negotiation, project delivery and product lifecycle management.
• Working knowledge of automotive quality standards, including IATF 16949 and VDA 6.3.
• Ability to lead market segmentation-led business cases, go-to-market strategies and product-launch plans.
• Strong technical or scientific understanding, with the ability to translate complex information into concise recommendations and decisions.
• Professional proficiency in English and confidence working across regional and global teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, CRM systems and digital tools.
• A valid driving licence and willingness to travel regularly within the region.
• Demonstrated responsible and ethical behavior at all times.
• The ability to help the company drive greater value through understanding the business, making complex decisions and creating the new and different.

Requirements

• Six Sigma Yellow Belt or Green Belt capability.
• Experience leading customer plant audits, questionnaires, certification-readiness activities and change-management processes.
• Experience in lithium-ion batteries, energy storage systems, emission control or catalyst markets.
• Experience coordinating multinational customer programs across Europe, North America and China.
• Practical knowledge of structured stage-gate innovation and DMAIC methodologies.

Benefits

• A global and regional scope with meaningful exposure to strategic automotive and energy-storage customers.
• Close collaboration with the Alizay, France site and other relevant manufacturing locations in Belgium and the Netherlands.
• The opportunity to shape growth, innovation and customer execution across a highly cross-functional international network.
• Location flexibility: Schaffhausen, Switzerland or remote working from France, with regular regional travel.