[Hiring] Market Development Manager @Tredegar Corporation

Role Description

Are you a strategic thinker who thrives at the intersection of customers, markets, and technology? Tredegar Surface Protection is seeking an experienced Market Development Manager to lead our efforts to identify, evaluate, prioritize, and commercialize new growth opportunities in adjacent markets, emerging applications, and technology-driven spaces.

In this highly visible role, you will serve as a bridge among customers, markets, technology, manufacturing, commercial teams, and business leadership. You will develop market assessments, competitive analyses, financial evaluations, and business cases, and shape the value propositions and commercialization pathways that leverage our capabilities in specialty films, coatings, and advanced materials. From concept through commercialization, you will lead cross-functional initiatives and deliver recommendations that drive profitable, sustainable growth in differentiated, value-added markets.

What You'll Do

• Lead and manage market development processes and growth initiatives for the Surface Protection business.
• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize adjacent markets, emerging applications, and technology-driven opportunities that align with our capabilities and strategic objectives.
• Develop market assessments, competitive analyses, financial evaluations, strategic business plans, and business cases that guide investment and growth decisions.
• Monitor industry trends, customer needs, regulatory developments, and emerging technologies to uncover future growth opportunities.
• Assess the market attractiveness, competitive positioning, technical feasibility, and value-creation potential of prospective opportunities.
• Recommend opportunities that create sustainable competitive advantage in differentiated, value-added markets.
• Build strong relationships with customers, industry experts, suppliers, technology partners, universities, and industry associations to stay ahead of evolving market needs.
• Serve as the voice of the market, translating customer requirements and market intelligence into actionable growth initiatives.
• Partner with Commercial, Engineering, Research & Development, Manufacturing, Operations, Finance, and other teams to evaluate and develop new products, applications, and markets.
• Lead cross-functional growth initiatives from concept through commercialization, including value propositions, commercialization strategies, and go-to-market plans.
• Evaluate opportunities to apply existing technologies, products, and manufacturing capabilities in new markets and applications.
• Present recommendations, business cases, and strategic insights to senior leadership, influencing decisions through analytical rigor and sound judgment.
• Represent Surface Protection at customer meetings, industry events, conferences, and networking forums.
• Foster collaboration across functions, businesses, geographies, and organizational levels.
• Travel as needed to support customer engagement, industry involvement, and business development activities.
• Support other activities as needed to drive overall business growth and strategic effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Experience in an industrial or manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate opportunities through both technical and commercial lenses and to lead cross-functional initiatives from concept through commercialization.
• Strong business acumen and analytical capability, with excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate effectively across functions and organizational levels.
• Willingness to travel up to 50%, primarily domestically.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Business, or a related discipline.
• Ten or more years of progressive experience in market development, business development, product management, strategy, commercial leadership, engineering, product development, or a related area.
• Experience with films, specialty materials, polymers, coatings, adhesives, or advanced materials.
• An advanced degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Business, or a related field.
• An equivalent combination of education, experience, and training may be considered.

Benefits

• Retirement Savings Plan which includes both pre-tax 401(k) and after-tax Roth options. 100% company match up to 5% of employees’ contributions. Employees are always 100% vested in all contributions.
• Medical, Prescription, Dental and Vision.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contribution.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for medical and dependent care.
• Paid Vacation and Holidays.
• Short-Term Disability (STD) and Long-Term Disability (LTD).
• Life insurance for employees and dependents.
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance for employee and dependents.
• Tuition Reimbursement Program.
• Employee Assistance Program for you and your household members.
• Matching Gifts Program.