Sales Director, Greater China

Position Summary

The Sales Director, Greater China will drive the commercial strategy and execution across the region. This is a high-impact, visible role that blends strategic market development with hands-on sales execution. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of personal care chemistry, an established network within the China cosmetics ecosystem, and the agility to navigate cross-border supply chains and regulatory frameworks.

POSITION SCOPE

As a bridge between local market opportunities and global capabilities, you will collaborate closely with regional and global teams across Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Regulatory, and R&D.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Commercial Strategy & Sales Growth

• Deliver Targets: Drive profitable revenue and margin growth to hit and exceed annual regional sales objectives.

• Pipeline Management: Build and manage a robust, verifiable sales pipeline; optimize the sales cycle from initial technical sampling to commercial scale-up.

• Forecasting & Budgeting: Lead commercial forecasting and business planning for Greater China to ensure high forecast accuracy and optimized inventory allocation.

• Pricing Strategy: Execute value-based pricing strategies in alignment with Global Product Management to maximize profitability while staying competitive in the local market.

2. Market Development & Account Management

• Customer Intimacy: Cultivate and leverage high-level relationships across key segments: Multinational Companies (MNCs), fast-growing domestic brands ("C-Beauty"), top-tier OEM/ODM manufacturers, and key distribution partners.

• Channel Optimization: Evaluate, manage, and optimize distributor networks to expand geographic market coverage across China.

• Brand Visibility: Partner with Technical and Marketing teams to lead high-impact customer seminars, technical workshops, and trade exhibitions (e.g., PCHi, In-Cosmetics).

3. Cross-Functional Coordination & Operations

• Supply Chain Alignment: Partner with global logistics teams to ensure smooth, predictable importation of materials from the US and EMEA into local warehouses.

• Regulatory Compliance: Collaborate with regulatory teams to navigate local compliance frameworks, including China NMPA filings and ingredient safety assessments.

• Team Leadership: Build, mentor, and structurally scale the local commercial team as the China business expands.

Note: The duties listed above are not all inclusive and may be subject to periodic updating or revision.

Education & Experience

Education:

• Degree: Bachelor’s degree or higher in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Cosmetic Science, or a related technical discipline. An MBA or business degree is a plus.

Experience:

• Industry Expertise: 8+ years of successful sales and business development experience specifically within the personal care ingredients or specialty chemicals sectors.

• Product Knowledge: Solid technical familiarity with functional personal care raw materials (e.g., natural oils, emollients, esters, emulsifiers, surfactants, or related fine chemical).

Knowledge, Skills & Talents

Proven Track Record

• Network: Established, active relationships with key R&D and purchasing decision-makers at Chinese domestic cosmetic brands and major OEM/ODM players.

• Capability: Demonstrated success in launching new specialty ingredients and navigating complex commercial negotiations.

• Languages: Native-level fluency in Mandarin and professional proficiency in English (both written and spoken) for seamless global collaboration.

• Mobility: Willingness to travel domestically and occasionally internationally.

Preferred Competencies

• Entrepreneurial Agility: Thrives in a lean, fast-paced "build and scale" environment; highly self-motivated with a strong sense of ownership.

• Strategic Thinker, Practical Doer: Ability to conceptualize long-term regional strategies while executing daily sales metrics.

• Cross-Cultural Competence: Adept at influencing and collaborating across matrixed, multicultural global teams.

What We Offer

• Impact: A pivotal role with the autonomy to shape and build our China subsidiary from a solid base of global innovation.

• Global Exposure: Close partnership with international leadership and direct insight into global market trends and R&D pipelines.

• Culture: A dynamic, transparent, and growth-oriented work environment that rewards merit and entrepreneurial initiative.

• Compensation: A highly competitive base salary paired with performance-driven incentives.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Vantage is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category.

About Vantage

Vantage provides natural solutions to our customers’ technical performance and marketing needs through a unique combination of chemistry, application expertise and service. Underpinned by our broad portfolio of formulations, ingredients and actives that are built on a backbone of sustainable oils, fats and their derivatives, Vantage targets selected markets and applications including personal care, food, surface treatment, agriculture, pharma, and consumer and industrial performance. Vantage is headquartered in Deerfield, IL., operates in 11 countries worldwide and employs more than 1,000 talented professionals focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences with every interaction.

We are a dynamic people-centered organization where you’ll be part of a collaborative global team. Embracing our cultural diversity, we learn from each other to constantly improve, adapt and iterate. We value the voices and talents of our colleagues, empowering them to drive their unique ideas to completion. We’re convinced that exceptionally motivated employees produce outstanding results and we celebrate them by fostering a culture of recognition, development, learning, excellence and shared achievement. Most importantly, we know you’re going to like it here. For more information visit: vantagegrp.com or LinkedIn/vantage.