Business Development Manager – Footwear APAC

Job Description:

Job Summary:

The Business Development Manager (BDM) is responsible for identifying, developing, and commercializing growth opportunities for polyurethane (PU) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) solutions in the footwear industry throughout Asia Pacific.

This role combines commercial leadership with deep technical expertise in PU/TPU chemistry and footwear manufacturing processes. The successful candidate will engage footwear brands, OEMs, Tier-1 manufacturers, molders, material suppliers, and industry partners to create business opportunities across footwear applications including:

Upper materials

Insole systems

Midsole systems

Outsole systems

Safety footwear

Performance sports footwear

Comfort and lifestyle footwear

Advanced concepts such as SCF, expanded TPU, 3D printing, and bio-based solutions

The candidate must possess strong knowledge of footwear market dynamics, polymer chemistry, formulation technology, processing techniques, and customer qualification requirements.

Principal Accountabilities:

1. Business Development & Market Expansion

Develop and execute APAC growth strategies for PU and TPU footwear businesses.

Identify and convert new business opportunities with global and regional footwear brands, OEMs, molders, and material partners.

Build commercial pipelines to support long-term revenue and profitability targets.

Drive specification and material adoption at footwear brands and development centers.

Expand presence in emerging footwear markets including Southeast Asia and Greater China.

Establish strategic relationships with decision makers across the footwear value chain.

2. Technical & Application Leadership

Serve as the commercial and technical expert for footwear PU and TPU applications.

Translate customer performance requirements into material solutions.

Provide technical guidance regarding:

Polyether TPU

Polyester TPU

Expanded TPU

PU system solutions

Bio-based polyurethane technologies

Support customers in material selection, prototype development, troubleshooting, and commercialization.

Lead technical discussions on customer pain points and summarize them into the feasible CTQs for the realization of the innovative application along with the strong value proposition.

3. Footwear Application Development

Develop growth opportunities across key footwear components:

Upper Applications

TPU films

Gecko technologies

Reinforcement components

Protective overlays

3D printed upper solutions

Insole Applications

PU comfort systems

Bio-based PU solutions

Cushioning systems

Custom comfort technologies

Midsole Applications

PU performance foam

SCF and advanced foaming technologies

Expanded TPU solutions

Lightweight cushioning platforms

Outsole Applications

Injection molded TPU

Cast PU outsole systems

Safety footwear outsole technologies

High-performance sport outsole compounds

Monitor footwear trends and proactively identify opportunities for next-generation products and technologies. Internal strategic plans highlight opportunities in outsole, upper, SCF Smartlite, Gecko, and advanced footwear platforms.

4. Brand & Customer Engagement

Collaborate with global and regional footwear brands to influence material specifications.

Conduct technical seminars and innovation workshops.

Support prototype reviews and customer qualification programs.

Build relationships with leading brands, OEMs, molders, and footwear innovation centers.

Participate in industry events and footwear conferences to expand market visibility.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work closely with:

Technical Service

R&D

Product Management

Supply Chain

Marketing

Global Footwear Teams

Lead cross-functional commercialization projects from concept to production.

Provide market feedback to drive future product development.

Qualifications:

Education

Bachelor's degree in Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Footwear Engineering, Chemistry, or related field.

MBA or advanced technical degree is preferred.

Experience

Minimum 5 years of experience in:

PU/TPU or elastomer materials

Footwear applications

Technical sales

Business development

Product management

Experience working with global footwear brands, OEMs, or material suppliers.

Success Profile:

The ideal candidate is a commercially driven footwear professional who can confidently discuss both the chemistry and business value of PU/TPU solutions. The individual must be capable of engaging footwear developers, polymer engineers, sourcing managers, and brand decision-makers while building profitable growth opportunities across the Asia Pacific footwear market.

Leadership Competencies

Strategic thinking

Commercial acumen

Technical credibility

Influencing and negotiation skills

Customer-centric mindset

Project leadership

Cross-cultural communication

Innovation mindset

Additional Locations: