This is Us:

You know us. You just didn’t know it. WACKER is a global chemical manufacturer that prides itself on “Creating Tomorrow’s Solutions”. WACKER materials are so versatile and adaptable, they have virtually unlimited applications just about anywhere imaginable, making WACKER an integral part of daily life. Whether it’s protecting buildings from the elements, a tube of toothpaste, a cell phone, airbags, or cosmetics, people from all over the world come into contact each day with our products and achievements. We are looking for capable, innovative, and enthusiastic achievers to join our team and grow with us. We are currently seeking a Director of Marketing for our site in Allentown, PA.

What you will do:

  The Marketing Director will be accountable for the Wacker Polymers North America Marketing function, supporting the entire regional business and the team of 7+ individuals. This role will be responsible for defining the key strategic pillars for the regional Polymers business and market segment strategies with the ability to drive strategic direction, develop clear strategy plans, and then translate into actionable objectives to be executed across the Polymers matrix team. This role will also be accountable for core processes and initiatives that support business growth across our markets. This includes aligning long-term strategic objectives across the marketing teams, portfolio management, which includes achieving our revenue, and profit targets within the North America region. In addition, the Marketing Director will lead, mentor, and develop the Marketing team. This includes providing direction, support and professional development, and will hold it as a top priority alongside the responsibility for the yearly budgets and cost centers. This individual will support the marketing managers with accountability to lead, managing the entire contracting portfolio. This includes the largest and most complex Polymer contract negotiations. This requires a very high level of contracting/negotiation expertise, including being an expert resource to extend these capabilities across the marketing, business, and sales teams (regional and/or global). The Marketing Director will lead with exploration and strategical entry into new or adjacent markets for business growth by positioning of existing or new products and technologies, and will hold the accountability for anticipating, understanding, and managing the impact of changes in the competitive environment, new technology, and downstream markets along with implementing more complex global project/process initiatives. This position will be the lead to manage interfaces across Global Marketing Polymers functions and the regional Business teams. Lastly, this position will report to the Vice President of the Polymers Division for North America and will establish effective working relationships with representatives across the broader Wacker matrix organization.

• Leads the overall regional strategy development for the North American Polymer business.
• Accountable for the development of the individual regional market segment strategies (short and long term) and leading the marketing team with implementation of segment strategies across all market segments and the broader North American Polymer organization.
• Leads the marketing team to deliver on the long-term profitability and revenue planning for all North American Polymer markets, which includes effective product, customer and market share portfolio planning along with price/margin optimization analysis in alignment with our Business teams.
• Lead, manage and mentor a team of 7+ colleagues providing coaching, guidance, and growth opportunities to foster a high performing and collaborative team.
• Direct and supervise regional marketing activities ensuring optimized use and allocation of marketing resources.
• Target setting and appraisal of marketing team members and managing the regional marketing headcount and budgets.
• Organizational development including leading training for team members.
• Accountable for the regional contracting portfolio and contracting management process.
• Lead the Marketing team for the contract negotiation strategy development, planning and execution which includes complex commercial positioning.
• Serves as a contracting center of excellence for Polymers (regionally and globally).
• Responsible to lead marketing team for regional pricing, strategy, global alignment for key accounts (via global matrix organization) and guidance for pricing to the business teams.
• Lead marketing team for anticipating, understanding, and managing the impact of changes in the competitive environment, new technology, and downstream markets along with implementing business development and global projects/processes initiatives within these areas including Sustainability impacts. This could include acquisition target identification, venture management and assessment. Ensuring cross functional information exchange especially across the Global Marketing matrix organization. 
• Accountable for the regional marketing Marcomm strategy with implementation and budget management.

What we need from you:

• Bachelor’s technical degree in Engineering, Chemistry or related sciences with a Master’s in Business degree preferred.
• Ideally 15 + years in sales, commercial, technical, and marketing management or in a role that heavily interfaces-supports these functions.
• Travel up to 30%.

• Broad business background and demonstrated experience in sales, marketing, technology, commercial development, and supply chain functions.
• Extensive experience operating in a highly matrixed regional-global organization preferably in specialty chemical markets. Understanding of the Polymer industry, know-how in (Polymer) chemistry and associated markets a plus.
• Ability to define strategic direction, develop clear strategy plans and then translate into actionable objectives to be executed across the L-N matrix (business) team. Managing the team to consistently develop and execute individually within their respective markets is critical.
• Know-How and understanding of Marketing (Product, Pricing, Placement, Promotion), Strategic Pricing and Competences/Techniques, Market intelligence, Project Management, Strategy Development, Business Development, and Product Technology assessments. Ability to act as a subject matter expert in teaching-leading the team in developing individual competencies in these areas.
• Demonstrated Contracting and Negotiation skills and ability to lead directly or guide indirectly via matrix teams complex contract negotiations with a clear tactical-strategic process orientation.
• Managing or heavily interfacing with technology organizations and business teams focused on product development, application development and asset optimization is key.
• Exceptional leadership and influence skills – especially across a matrixed organization. Strong Leadership and Organizational development capabilities.
• Highly motivated and results oriented – willingness to accept personal responsibility and accountability for results of the business.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to drive and implement change.
• Personnel and team organization skills and ability to manage within multi-cultural business settings.

• Proficiency with SAP business warehouse, Salesforce, and Microsoft Office Suite of software

• Member of the regional L-N leadership team with the need to interface and manage senior matrix stakeholder relationships to help define the focus for the overall L-N business.

• Compensation and Incentive plans
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance effective day 1
• Paid Time Off in addition to personal days and holidays
• Paid parental leave
• Wellbeing fund
• Flexible hybrid work arrangements
• 401(k) with company match
• Education Assistance Program
• Career development and advancement opportunities
• Support for Community Involvement