Market Development Specialist
2 days ago
Pasadena
Job Description Title: Market Development Specialist Location: Pasadena, TX Who we are: Voted one of the Nation's Best and Brightest Companies to Work for, Kuraray America, Inc. (KAI) is a global leader in specialty chemical, fiber, and resin production. With top-of-the-line research and production facilities and a vast network of supplies from around the world, Kuraray leads the industry in specialty dental, fiber, resin, and elastomer products. Kuraray America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray Company, Ltd. Based in Tokyo, Japan. Kuraray has operations in 32 countries and employs more than 11,000 employees, including over 800 in the United States. Why Kuraray: Kuraray is building a better tomorrow, today. Our team members are dedicated to expanding our business with committed professionals who share essential values such as integrity, excellence, teamwork, and accountability. As a part of Kuraray America, Inc., our team shares the advantages of working for the leader in specialty chemicals, resins, and fibers. Our international presence and resources allow us to be a world-leading innovator in the industries we service. Yet, despite our size, our people are more than just a number. As a new team member, you can expect to earn responsibility quickly. Our commitment to our people is visible in our comprehensive benefits package. As a Kuraray team member, you will have the opportunity to enjoy competitive salaries and benefits, incentive opportunities, and an excellent work environment. Position Summary: We are seeking a Market Development Specialist to drive the growth of EVAL and PLANTIC across the Americas within our Technical Service & Development (TS&D) organization. This hybrid role integrates polymer technical service, food science, and market development expertise. The Specialist will engage with brand owners to showcase the sustainable advantages of EVAL and PLANTIC, guiding them through the evaluation process to commercialization in innovative food packaging or other industrial applications. Success in this role requires a strong foundation in materials and polymer processing, flexible packaging structure development, food stability testing, and the ability to assess packaging performance-particularly in meeting or exceeding brand expectations for recyclable solutions compared to traditional, non-recyclable high-performance laminates. The primary objective is to identify new market opportunities, support product launches, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to advance innovation, sustainability, and growth, with a strong emphasis on food packaging. Responsibilities: Technical and Environmental Support • Grow the value of EVAL and Plantic products by representing the company in industry associations, positioning them as strong solutions in various aspects of the circular economy., • Collaborate with the marketing communications team to create appropriate commercial communications, targeted advertising, and other promotional tactics to position EVAL as the barrier leader in all segments., • Coordinate the approvals of such public communications locally with the KAI EVAL leadership team and globally with the corresponding counterparts in Kuraray Japan., • Conduct extrusion trials on pilot scale equipment to process EVOH in the form of film or cast samples, • Execute manual or coordinate automatic form, seal, and fill packaging to test the performance of the elucidated prototypes., • Interpretation of results regarding oxygen and moisture barrier, mechanical properties, and sealing curves., • Research global market trends, consumer demands, benchmark studies, recycling standards, and sustainability drivers., • Support new product introductions with market analysis and application demonstrations in the form of customer presentations., • Identify new market opportunities for EVAL and PLANTIC in food and pharma packaging as well as in industrial applications. The focus of this role is food packaging., • Work closely with the TS&D to develop a solution with Sales to close opportunities and Marketing Communication teams to celebrate successes when pursuing new market opportunities, • Design food stability experiments using EVAL and PLANTIC packaging technologies to demonstrate benefits compared to traditional packaging, • Apply food science expertise to evaluate product aging and redesign packaging to optimize shelf-life performance and/or quality preservation., • Travel (30-40%) to customer and brand owner sites, conferences, and international meetings., • Present technical findings, trial outcomes, and market insights to internal and external stakeholders., • Lead projects through influence, collaborating with cross-functional multicultural teams including R&D, Sales, Marketing, and technical Teams to drive commercialization., • Contribute to product innovation, circular economy, and sustainability initiatives., • Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Food Technology, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Plastics Engineering, Materials Science, or Mechanical Engineering., • Minimum of 7 years in packaging, food applications, or medical packaging sectors, • Knowledge of plastic materials, converting processes (extrusion, lamination, printing), and food science., • Fluent in English and Spanish, • Experience with brand owners, converters, technical sales and/or technical marketing roles., • Excellent communication, presentation, and project management skills., • Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and customer-facing abilities., • Innovative mindset with adaptability to diverse working environments, • Capable to handle multiple projects and responsibilities simultaneously., • Candidates must have a valid driver's license. Competencies: • Customer Focus, • Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions., • Business Insight, • Applying knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization's goals., • Cultivates Innovation, • Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful., • Action Oriented, • Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm., • Ensures Accountability, • Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments., • Drives Results, • Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstance, • Collaborates, • Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives., • Values Difference, • Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization, • Communicates Effectively, • Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences., • Courage, • Stepping up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said., • Instills Trust, • Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity., • Situational Adaptability, • Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations. We offer a competitive compensation package that includes base pay and an annual incentive. This program is designed to reward individual performance and align overall rewards with corporate and team performance. Our employees benefit from a robust healthcare package that includes wellness reimbursements, along with generous perks such as three weeks of paid time off, ten company holidays, paid parental leave, education reimbursement, and a matching 401k plan, among other offerings. Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. Learn more at kuraray.us.com/careers/ Kuraray America, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity/disability/protected veteran status No third-party candidates accepted. Job Posted by ApplicantPro